Catholic journalist and church historian Dr Paul Collins has just filed with us this breaking news analysis of the rumours that have been circulating in Rome and Australia around the possible appointment, or decline of an appointment, of Sydney Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, to head the Congregation for Bishops. Paul Collins will be interviewed tonight further on the ABC Local Radio program "Sunday Nights with John Cleary" [LINK]. There are significantly different implications that flow from assessments as to whether the Cardinal has declined the invitation or whether the invitation wasn't extended or has been withdrawn — implications at the international level and implications for the future of the Church in Australia and the aspirations of other players on the Australian ecclesial stage.

Not All Roads Lead to Rome

by Dr Paul Collins

A strange story has been circulating in Rome in the last couple of days and it concerns Cardinal George Pell of Sydney. A week ago the well-informed both in Rome and Australia were convinced that Pell was going to be appointed to the third most powerful position in the Catholic Church, the head of the Congregation of Bishops, the Vatican department which selects local bishops in most countries worldwide, including Australia. Things had advanced so far that an apartment had even been found for Pell on the Via Rusticucci just behind the Vatican Press Office and no more than 250 metres from Saint Peter's basilica.

Andrea Tornielli's blog: blog.ilgiornale.it/tornielli

But now 'everything seems to be in doubt' according to Andrea Tornielli, the usually well informed Italian journalist who writes in Il Giornale, who first reported the story of Pell's likely appointment in early May. But according to Tornielli Pell has now turned down the job. 'Age and health reasons' are being cited to explain why it is not going ahead. Tornielli thinks that Benedict XVI 'might still try to persuade' Pell to accept, which was expected to be announced on 29 June, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or else in early July.

However, further information is now emerging. Marco Tosatto, former writer for La Stampa, says that his sources say that the 'health reasons' are a 'diplomatic veil', and that Pell was blocked by elements in the Vatican because of the abuse allegations against him from the early 1960s which first surfaced in 2002. Essentially, Pell was cleared by a church-funded but entirely independent investigation chaired by a retired (non-Catholic) judge, but according to Tosatto the fear in the Vatican is that appointing someone to Bishops 'who had been accused in the past', even if cleared, created the danger of a civil case still being brought against him because he was such a high-ranking church official.

Tornielli claims Irish victims of sexual abuse who have criticized the choice because they didn't like the way Pell handled some cases in Australia.

According to Tosatto questions were also being asked in the Vatican about the desirability of having a non-Italian appointed to Bishops, particularly someone from the Anglo-Saxon world which is perceived by the Italians as suffering from 'a scourge of abuse that is worse than elsewhere'. While this may be wishful thinking, Tosatto points out that it is not an accident that two other leading contenders for the appointment to Bishops are Italians.

Pell was strongly supported by the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and it may well be that elements in the Vatican antagonistic to Bertone 'have wrecked the Australian project of the Secretary of State'.

While, of course, Rome remains a rumour-mill, the consensus among the well-informed in Rome is that Pell will be in Sydney for some time to come. As one very experienced Rome-based English-speaking journalist said to me, 'At this point I'll believe he is coming when I see it in black and white from the Vatican press office'.

Paul Collins, 11.00am 13 June 2010

LINKS:
Andrea Tornielli: blog.ilgiornale.it/tornielli/2010/06/10/pell-rinuncia-il-rebus-della-successione-al-cardinale-re/
Rorate Coelli: rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-rumors-on-congregation-for-bishops.html
La Cinguena de la Torre: www.intereconomia.com/blog/cigueena-torre/mala-noticia
Rocco Palmo "Whispers in the Loggia": whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2010/05/bull-in-bishops-shop.html
Sunday Nights (ABC Local Radio) with John Cleary: www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/

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