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Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin says the long-awaited constitution for a reformed Roman Curia is basically finished.
It is now undergoing a legal review by the Church’s canon lawyers, he says.
How the Catholic Church continues to deal with the clergy sex abuse crisis, bioethical issues in society and the upcoming Vatican maxi-trial on financial corruption are all important issues today, Parolin says.
It is important that Catholics be able to make their voices heard, with arguments based on their faith, even in such sensitive debates.
Even if the law has already been passed, Catholics can make their views known in the name of defending the dignity and value of every human life.
But this must always remain a debate of reason, and not drift into ideology.
For several months, the pope has been pleading for us to take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis to change our model, but the temptation to return to the “world before” is very strong.
It is true that one can have the impression of going backwards, Parolin says.
“It is a sign that some people have a very short memory, as if they have forgotten the experience we have just gone through.
“As the pope said in Fratelli Tutti, we are all part of the same human family and we have a duty to care for one another.
“But I believe that we must also be able to accept real changes, to make certain sacrifices. We cannot continue to live the same lifestyle, exploiting our world as we have done until now. It is this change that will allow us to achieve a happy life,” Parolin says.
Noting the pope has instigated a great many reforms since the beginning of his pontificate, Parolin points to the economy as an example.
“In the economic field, for example, we have transferred the management of funds to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic and to the Secretariat for the Economy.
“Now it is time for us to start implementing the constitutional reform. In a complex and multi-secular organization like the Roman Curia, change can cause certain difficulties. But there is a real will to make it an instrument at the service of the Holy Father for the good of the Church.”
The reformed Roman Curia must from now on avoid anything that may have obscured the image of its services in the past.
Just when the new constitution be published is as yet unclear. That depends on the pope, Parolin says.
The text, which aims to give a coherent framework to all the reforms already undertaken, is currently being examined by canonists to adapt the terminology to the juridical character of the document.
Source
- La Croix
- Image: Vatican News
