Rome & the World: The eclipse of Catholics in Italian politics? & more…

2. The attitude of opposition towards Vatican II is not Catholic, warns the new cardinal Arthur Roche

3. The eclipse of Catholics in Italian political life? 

After the consistory for the creation of 20 new cardinals, the two days of meetings on the apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia is actually being used to discuss "many other issues," according to the Argentinean Vatican expert Elisabetta Piqué. She sees it as "an extraordinary opportunity, especially after the pandemic, for cardinals from all over the world, (...) not only to discuss the current challenges of the Church, its concerns, and the complicated and critical situation of the world, but above all to get to know each other personally.” And they do this "keeping in mind, inevitably, that among them could be the successor of Francis." The pope has finished shaping the configuration of the next conclave, she adds: "Of the 132 current cardinal electors from 69 countries, 83 were created by him, nearly two-thirds of the cardinals who will enter the Sistine Chapel in the future to elect his successor, after his resignation or death." Francis has also internationalized the College of Cardinals as never before: the countries of the North have lost influence and those of the South, "those of the peripheries," have gained it. Of the 132 electors, 53 are from Europe, 38 from the Americas, 21 from Asia, 17 from Africa and 3 from Oceania. For Elisabetta Piqué, it seems that the reigning pontiff is preparing for the future. It is not for this very moment, however, because beyond his knee problems, "the former archbishop of Buenos Aires is doing very well, lucid as ever, in good spirits and far from throwing in the towel."

La Nacion, Spanish. 

The new Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, says that those who “stubbornly” oppose the “liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council are in danger of adopting a position that is no longer Catholic.” “‘The council is the highest legislation that exists in the Church,’ he told The Tablet and the National Catholic Reporter. ‘If you disregard that, you are putting yourself sideways, to the edges of the Church. You are becoming more Protestant than you are Catholic.’" The defender of the conciliar reform, Pope Francis' right-hand man for the liturgy, believes it is "very serious" to oppose it. The prelate asserts that the Mass in the vernacular can be just as dignified as the Mass in Latin. However, he states, "The Latin Mass is still available in the 1962 Missal for those who wish it.”

The Tablet, English

"There is in Italy a Catholic world that thinks, that writes, and that produces works of all kinds: but in public discourse this world is almost absent." This is the observation of the journalist of the Corriere della Sera, who believes that only the Pope today still manages to make himself heard in the Italian Peninsula. The reason for this eclipse: Catholic identity has become indefinable. Indeed, to "exist," it is necessary to "consist" in something. Here we can cite the great ideological gap between some Catholics on the notion of a just war or the right to abortion, for example. Faced with secularization and individualism, Catholicism has gone from a resigned opposition to a logic of compromise. Catholic identity has broken down into a constellation of identities. The principle of remaining united on fundamental issues has been shattered. Because of this, Catholics, although still numerous, have become politically mute. It remains to be seen whether this is definitive or not. 

Corriere della Sera, Italian.