Pope Francis greets Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian member of the U.S.-based Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist who is secretary-general of the office governing Vatican City State, at the Vatican Dec. 3, 2015. (CNS photo/Vatican Media via Reuters)
Vatican City, Jul 13, 2022 / 04:48 am (CNA).
Pope Francis on Wednesday named three women to the Dicastery of Bishops, the Vatican office responsible for evaluating new members of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy.
The two religious sisters and one consecrated virgin are the first women to ever be named members of the dicastery.
Sister Raffaella Petrini, a Franciscan, has been secretary general of the Vatican’s governorate, the second-ranking position in the government of the Vatican City State, since November 2021.
Sister Yvonne Reungoat, is superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a branch of the Salesians. In 2019, the French sister was one of the first seven women to be named members of the Vatican department for religious orders.
Maria Lia Zervino, a member of the Association of Consecrated Virgins “Servidoras,” is president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations. She is also a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Pope Francis also named four current cardinals, four cardinals-elect, and two archbishops to the dicastery July 13.
Benedictine Abbot Donato Ogliari, recently named abbot of Saint Paul Outside the Walls after eight years leading the abbey of Montecassino, was also appointed to the Dicastery for Bishops.
The members of the dicastery assist in choosing bishops for the dioceses. They analyze position papers, called ponenze, providing an opinion on candidates.
The ultimate decision in appointing bishops rests with the pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses. Usually, the pope’s representative in a country, the apostolic nuncio, passes on recommendations and documentation to the Vatican. The Dicastery of Bishops then discusses the appointment in a further process and takes a vote. On being presented with the recommendations, the pope makes the final decision.
The Congregation of Bishops, a department of the Roman Curia, recently changed its name to the Dicastery for Bishops, in line with the new constitution that underpins the reform of the Vatican by Pope Francis.
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Jacob Matham’s portrait of Leo XI, who reigned April 1-27, 1605. / public domain
Denver Newsroom, Sep 18, 2022 / 14:00 pm (CNA).
Blessed John Paul I did not serve as Roman Pontiff for long, but 10 other popes had shorter pontificates than he did. Their stories are a microcosm of the history of the papacy. Some were friends of saints and worked for the good of the Church, while the qualifications of others might be a bit questionable. Through all these more or less flawed men who sat in the Chair of Peter, the Catholic Church teaches that the connection to St. Peter and his profession of faith in Christ endures.
Urban VII was pope for 13 days, Sept. 15–27, 1590.
He was born Giambattista Castagna at Rome, the home city of his mother. His father was of Genoan nobility. His uncle was a cardinal, whom he served at points during his long career in the Church. He held doctorates in civil and canon law.
Castagna worked in government and diplomacy on behalf of the papacy, which at the time held civil power over parts of Italy. He led several commissions during the Council of Trent and helped organize the military alliance against the Ottoman Empire, according to the New Catholic Encyclopedia. He was appointed archbishop in 1553 and became a cardinal in 1583.
He had a reputation for genuine piety, intelligence, and ability to govern.
Jacopino del Conte’s portrait (c. 1590) of Urban VII. public domain
After his election as pope, he made sure to address the needs of the poor in Rome. His initial plans included expanded public works to employ the poor.
As God’s providence allowed, he did not have time to do much more than plan. He died of malaria at the age of 69. In his will, he left his personal fortune to support poor girls.
Celestine IV reigned for 15 days, Oct. 25–Nov. 10, 1241.
The future pope was born Goffredo da Castiglione in Milan. He spent time with the Cistercian religious order and was a cardinal bishop of Sabina. He was a nephew of Pope Urban III. He was already in poor health when he was elected, at a time when the papacy was a center of political conflict between backers and opponents of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.
Boniface VI reigned for 16 days, April 11–26, 896.
He was born in Rome. Not much is known about this pope, though records indicate that during his life he was canonically deprived of holy orders on two occasions: the first time as a subdeacon, and the second as a priest. His irregular past caused controversy over his election, the New Catholic Encyclopedia says.
Theodore II reigned for 20 days in December 897.
Another little-known pope, it is said that his clergy loved him, that he loved peace, and that he lived a life of chastity and charity to the poor. He came to power soon after a low point of the papacy. Pope Theodore annulled the acts of the “Cadaver Synod,” which had put on trial the corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus. He recovered the dead Roman Pontiff’s body from the River Tiber and gave it a proper burial. He also reinstated clergy who had been forced to resign.
Sisinnius was pope for 21 days, Jan. 15–Feb. 4, 708.
This pope was born in Syria. His health troubles included disabling arthritis, and he was unable to feed himself. The papacy was responsible for the military defense of Rome at this time, with Lombards invading from the north of Italy and Muslim armies advancing from the south. Sisinnius ordered the walls of Rome to be reinforced as his first act, the New Catholic Encyclopedia says. Before he died, Pope Sisinnius ordained one priest and consecrated a bishop for Corsica.
Marcellus II was pope for about 22 days in April and May, 1555.
He was born Marcello Cervini, at Montefano in Tuscany. Like the sainted Pope Marcellus of the fourth century, he kept his baptismal name as his papal name.
His father worked under several pontificates as a scribe and secretary.
Before Cervini was elected pope he served various roles as a secretary to popes and cardinals, including work to correct the Julian calendar. He was actively engaged with the “New Learning” of Renaissance humanism. He served as protector of the Vatican Library and helped improve and expand its collection. Cervini served the Vatican at the time of its response to the Protestant Reformation. He was a president at the Council of Trent, which continued through his short pontificate.
He gained a reputation as a Church reformer and had hoped to pursue this path during his papacy. He was not consecrated a bishop until the day after he was elected pope.
Pope Marcellus reputedly became sick from overwork during the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter, and the illness turned fatal.
The Missa Papae Marcelli of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was composed in his honor.
Damasus II reigned for 24 days in July and August, 1048.
This pontiff was named Poppo. He was born in Bavaria and was of German extraction. He served as Bishop of Brixen in Tyrol, in what is now western Austria.
Popes at the time could be nominated in an unusual manner. Pope Damasus II was named by Holy Roman Emperor Henry III. The pope, however, soon died of malaria.
Pius III was pope for 27 calendar days, Sept. 22–Oct. 18, 1503.
He was born Francesco Todeschini in Siena. He was the nephew of Pope Pius II, a famous Renaissance-era pope. His uncle took him into his household and became his patron, allowing the young man to add the pontiff’s family name Piccolomini to his own last name.
Francesco studied canon law. His uncle named him to become administrator of the Archdiocese of Siena and later made him a cardinal-deacon.
The future Roman Pontiff had a reputation of living an upright life as a cultured, gentle man, the New Catholic Encyclopedia reports. He took part in several conclaves of his time, including that which elected Alexander VI.
His service to the papacy included several diplomatic appointments to Germany, France, and Perugia.
Francesco’s own papal election took place amid ruling Italian families’ disputes over control of Rome and included an unsuccessful power play by the Borgia family.
Pius III was known to be in poor health. At the time of the papal coronation he was already suffering from a diseased leg, which developed into a septic ulcer. He died at the age of 64.
Leo XI was pope for 27 days, from April 1–27, 1605.
The Florentine-born Alessandro de Medici was a member of the famous Medici family. He was grand-nephew to Pope Leo X. He sought to become a priest from an early age, but because his mother objected he was not ordained until after she died, according to the New Catholic Encyclopedia. He served as an ambassador to Rome on behalf of Tuscany, before he began to advance in the Church. He would eventually become a bishop, then archbishop of Florence, before being named a cardinal.
He served as a papal legate to France and was head of the Congregation of Bishops.
Among his great friends was St. Philip Neri, founder of the Oratorians.
He was elected pope at the age of 69 and became sick almost immediately.
Benedict V served as pope for 33 days, May 22–June 23, 964.
He was born in Rome and had a reputation for great learning.
He reigned at a time of great turmoil in the Church. Holy Roman Emperor Otto I had interfered with the pontificates of his predecessors. The emperor had forcibly deposed a pope and installed his own nominee on the See of Peter. There were rival claimants to the papacy under Benedict V and Otto again interfered, laying siege to Rome and taking the pope away from Rome by force. Benedict either renounced the papacy or was forcibly deposed. He lived in exile in Hamburg for another year.
John Paul I served as Roman Pontiff from Aug. 26–Sept. 28, 1978, 33 calendar days.
His beatification on Sept. 4 renewed attention to his life. He had a reputation for humility and for teaching the faith in an understandable way.
The future John Paul I took part in the Second Vatican Council and was named patriarch of Venice.
As a cardinal, Luciani published a collection of “open letters” to historic figures, saints, famous writers, and fictional characters. The book, “Illustrissimi,” included letters to Jesus, King David, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Christopher Marlowe, as well as Pinocchio and Figaro, the barber of Seville.
He was the first pope to have two names. He took his papal name from his immediate predecessors, Sts. John XXIII and Paul VI.
“Bonkers,” is the only word for the week that was, especially on the Catholic news beat, and with particular regard for a set of official questions called dubia in the technical language of ecclesialese. For […]
The pontificate of Francis is over. Few, if any, listen to him. The Catholic Church continues without him because we are Christ’s and the Church is led by the Holy Spirit.
Bergoglio has utterly destroyed his own credibility.
His pontificating about things he knows nothing about — e.g., global warming — his “pachymama” fiasco, his advancement of Cupich, Martin and others who support the gay lifestyle, how he excoriates those who wish to praise and worship the Lord through the centuries-old Latin liturgy while at the same time posturing self-righteously about dialogue and synodality — it all takes a toll.
Sorry, Mal. There’s no getting around it. I think you are one of the aforesaid “few.”
Pontiff Francis is an expert about everything save what he ought to be an expert about: being a unifying force in the Church, pastoring the people of God in charity, the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Matrimony, the natural human order, etc. I have a sense that at the time of judgment, Christ won’t be inquiring of him, “How’d ya make out with all that global warming stuff?”
Just demonstrate how Joe Average Catholic pays any attention whatsoever to anything this guy says or writes. Ain’t on anybody radar screen except the sycophants.
I find it disappointing that two are religious women and one a consecrated virgin, none are lay women. Similarly one has to ask why lay men are excluded from the mix. There is something very wrong with the decision and the choices.
Wishing Sister Raffaella Petrini, Sister Yvonne Reungoat, and Maria Lia Zervino divine blessings.
Amen to that.
The pontificate of Francis is over. Few, if any, listen to him. The Catholic Church continues without him because we are Christ’s and the Church is led by the Holy Spirit.
Few, if any, listen to him.
Enjoy your own fibs.
Bergoglio has utterly destroyed his own credibility.
His pontificating about things he knows nothing about — e.g., global warming — his “pachymama” fiasco, his advancement of Cupich, Martin and others who support the gay lifestyle, how he excoriates those who wish to praise and worship the Lord through the centuries-old Latin liturgy while at the same time posturing self-righteously about dialogue and synodality — it all takes a toll.
Sorry, Mal. There’s no getting around it. I think you are one of the aforesaid “few.”
Pontiff Francis is an expert about everything save what he ought to be an expert about: being a unifying force in the Church, pastoring the people of God in charity, the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Matrimony, the natural human order, etc. I have a sense that at the time of judgment, Christ won’t be inquiring of him, “How’d ya make out with all that global warming stuff?”
Just demonstrate how Joe Average Catholic pays any attention whatsoever to anything this guy says or writes. Ain’t on anybody radar screen except the sycophants.
If anyone knows about fibs and agitprop, it’s certainly you. Amen to that.
Amen to that.
I find it disappointing that two are religious women and one a consecrated virgin, none are lay women. Similarly one has to ask why lay men are excluded from the mix. There is something very wrong with the decision and the choices.