Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Leak of Pope's encyclical reveals tensions in the Vatican

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/world/europe/leak-of-pope-francis-encyclical-hints-at-tensions-in-vatican.html?_r=0

EXCERPT:
"Somebody inside the Vatican leaked the document with the obvious intention of embarrassing the pope," said Robert Mickens, a longtime Vatican expert and editor of Global Pulse, an online Catholic magazine....

Alberto Melloni, a liberal scholar and Vatican historian, said the leak reflected the continuing tension inside the Vatican, where some entrenched members of the Curia remain resistant to changes that Francis is trying to pursue. Leaking the draft was a way of demonstrating that the Vatican remains in some ways dysfunctional while also tainting Francis' reformist credentials, Mr. Melloni said.

"This shows the daily fight he has to fight," he said.

The big showdown is expected in October, when Francis will convene a major synod at Vatican City to discuss issues related to the theme of family. Much is under discussion, including the question of whether divorced Catholics should be allowed to receive communion. The synod is expected to be a hotly contested event, and many analysts saw the leaked encyclical as a piece of this larger struggle.


Share:

0 comments: