Life Site News drew attention to an interview Cardinal Raymond Burke gave to EWTN recently. It's a good and clear interview. It is so inspiring to see a Prince of the Church valiantly speaking out in defence of unborn life and in defending the Most Holy Eucharist from sacrilege and desecration.
I'm disappointed that Cardinal Burke has not been renamed to the Congregation for Bishops, but as Thomas Peters makes plain today, Cardinal Raymond Burke has various roles which are very important in Vatican affairs, not least at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura*. It is not as if he has to take up golf because he'll have nothing to do in Rome. While always maintaining loyalty to Pope Francis, one cannot help wonder how stricken Cardinal Raymond Burke, like so many of us feel, for the plight of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, who found in Cardinal Burke so much practical support in Rome.
Cardinal Burke's 'dropping' from the Congregation of Bishops, at Pope Francis's desire, is made more interesting, for want of a better word, by other appointments. The media are running the story (and I guess its true) that his place has been assumed by Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington.
Good Jesuit, Bad Jesuit ran a story written by a writer at The American Spectator on Cardinal Wuerl in March 2012, upbraiding him for his conduct concerning a Priest who sought to protect the Blessed Sacrament from sacrilege. Catholic online evangelist Michael Voris had to change the name of his popular online video update show Real Catholic TV to 'Church Militant' due to intervention from Cardinal Wuerl, who, it was noted, did not make the same request of 'Catholics for Choice', the militantly pro-abortion, pro-homosexual unions, anti-Catholic organisation. Apart from this, I don't know much about the new American appointment to the Congregation for Bishops. His wikipedia page is here.
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| Smiles all round with Cdl Cormac Murphy O'Connor |
What, I wonder, does it mean for Episcopal appointments and other issues related to the Bishops Conference of England and Wales? His Grace has been really rather quiet both during and in the wake of the passing of 'same-sex marriage' but obviously His Holiness Pope Francis sees something of great merit in the quiet and sensible fortitude of the Archbishop of Westminster. Holy Communion is not a 'prize for the strong', as His Holiness says and neither, it appears is an appointment to the Congregation of Bishops. O, Lord forgive me. I'm such a 'sourpuss', unlike the cheery Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor (pictured right) who always has a smile for everyone.
It is becoming more and more obvious that Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis are not on exactly the same page in certain matters, mostly pertaining to liturgy, but to read the National Catholic Reporter (who, despite rather unorthodox beliefs in a number of areas, mysteriously maintain their 'Catholic' status, if not a very Catholic identity) one would think Pope Francis had thrown Cardinal Burke's corpse out into the winter cold from a Vatican window to be eaten by crows and until I see that happen I can't go along with the liberal interpretation of events. That said, As Archbishop Ganswein noted recently, things change in Rome everyday nowadays so nothing should be ruled out. The amazing thing is that I expect Pope Francis could do that still maintain a very high popularity rate 'in the polls'.
May Almighty God and Our Blessed Lady, Queen of the Clergy, bless all these Archbishops and Cardinals and indeed His Holiness Pope Francis himself with wisdom, courage and a superabundance of grace to exercise their ministries with prudence, virtue, holiness and charity.
*As long as these dicasteries and roles continue to exist in Rome.
And God help us all. Oremus!
For more, read Rorate Caeli and Protect the Pope.
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