“Commentators of every school, if for different reasons, with the possible exception of Father Spadaro SJ, agree that this pontificate is a disaster in many or most respects; a catastrophe.” Thus spake George Pell. The Australian cardinal, who died of a heart attack on January 10, has been described by friends and admirers as a Read more
Especially during the tourist season, the church at which I exercise my liturgical ministry receives a large number of visitors. A surprising number of them, usually women, make it a point to tell me with an air of disapproval for what we have on offer that in their home country they only go to Latin Read more
Cardinal Sarah, the Vatican’s most senior liturgy official who has in the past been reprimanded by Pope Francis for his views on liturgy, is raising eyebrows again after expressing his opposition to the widely accepted practice of receiving Communion in the hand. In an introduction to a new book about Communion practices, the cardinal writes, Read more
A growing crowd wants Cardinal Robert Sarah’s head on a platter. Open a liberal Catholic periodical and you are likely to find a call for the dismissal of the Guinean cardinal who heads the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship: “It’s past time for [Pope Francis] to replace Cardinal Sarah” (Maureen Fiedler, National Catholic Reporter); “New Read more
Two prominent and sometimes controversial cardinals, both seen as conservatives, recently have drawn stinging criticism in one case and a stirring defense in another, and both have come from extremely high-ranking sources. American Cardinal Raymond Burke was recently dismissed as a “disappointed man” upset over the loss of his power by fellow Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Read more
Modern liturgy causes “disaster, devastation and schism”, says Cardinal Robert Sarah. Sarah told the 18th Cologne International Liturgical Conference that rather than bring the liturgy up to date, Vatican II destroyed the Church’s “mystical essence”. In his opinion the church has “abandoned her Christian roots” since the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), where reforms brought the church Read more
Pope Francis will open the academic year at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Rome. In a last-minute change, he will replace Cardinal Robert Sarah who had been scheduled to open the new year. The news of Francis’s s attendance comes just weeks after he controversially hand-picked Read more
In the space of a week, Pope Francis reduced the responsibilities of Cardinal George Pell and rebuffed an initiative by Cardinal Robert Sarah. … Pope Francis [also] did a pretty good number on Australian Cardinal George Pell by once more drastically reducing his powers as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy (SFE). The pope Read more
Pope Francis has expressly told the Vatican’s liturgy chief that the extraordinary form of the Mass should not be the norm. Francis met with Cardinal Robert Sarah, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, on July 10. This followed comments by the cardinal at a liturgy conference in London last week. Cardinal Sarah invited Read more
The Vatican’s liturgy chief has said Pope Francis has given the go ahead for a study into the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Mass. Cardinal Robert Sarah said this at the Sacra Liturgia conference in London recently. The cardinal said the Pope has asked him to “to study the question of a reform of Read more