Pope Francis, May 27, announced that British Archbishop, Arthur Roche (pictured) will be the new head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. (Liturgy Office.) Roche replaces controversial conservative Cardinal, Robert Sarah, whose resignation Pope Francis accepted on 20 February. The Vatican liturgy office is charged with overseeing the Catholic Read more
Pope Francis, Saturday, accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah. Sarah was prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and in line with protocol, submitted his resignation towards the end of 2020 when he turned 75. An outspoken head of liturgy, it was Francis who appointed to the position Read more
The Vatican said Saturday it was “necessary and urgent” to return to in-person Mass as soon as anti-coronavirus measures permit. The head of the Vatican’s liturgy office, Cardinal Robert Sarah, said in a letter to bishops conferences that virtual liturgies, while useful, were no replacement for the real thing. He said physical presence by the Read more
Cardinal Robert Sarah says he will continue to serve as the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, even though his is now over 75 years old. Bishops must submit their resignation to the pope when they turn 75. Sarah celebrated his 75th birthday on 15 June. Two days later on June 17 in a Read more
Cardinal Robert Sarah is implicated in a petition signed by Catholic conservatives claiming the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is an “overhyped pretext to deprive the faithful of Mass and impose a new world order”. Sarah (pictured), is head of the Vatican’s liturgy office and is supposedly the highest-ranking signatory. However, he claims he never signed the Read more
Many Catholic bishops are discussing the practical aspects of resuming public Masses, now the initial coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown restrictions are easing. One of their concerns is what to do about distributing communion, which is considered a “high risk of contagion” moment. Cardinal Robert Sarah, (pictured) who is the head of the Vatican’s liturgical office, has Read more
A new ‘Mass in Time of Pandemic’ and a special intention to be used during this year’s Good Friday liturgy have been approved by Pope Francis. Francis approved the two new liturgical texts for use during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Cardinal Robert Sarah, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, wrote the decree accompanying Read more
The Vatican is saying little about a change in duties for Archbishop Gänswein. The Holy See Press Office says the long-time secretary of emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has had his duties as prefect of the papal household “reallocated to others”. It is downplaying 63-year-old Georg Gänswein’s absence from several papal audiences over the past few Read more
As Francis did last month when he appointed a fellow Jesuit, Fr. Juan Guerrero Alves, to take charge at the Secretariat for the Economy, the pope is filling a high-level Vatican post with a known friend and supporter of his reform agenda. And some observers wonder if this is the start of a trend that Read more
At about the same time as Pope Francis was defending migration during his visit to Morocco, Cardinal Robert Sarah was saying promoting migration is a misinterpretation of Gospels. Where Francis said politicians who build walls to keep migrants out would become prisoners of those barriers, Sarah said priests and bishops who defend migration are “bewitched” Read more