VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis on Saturday effectively demoted an Italian cardinal who led the Vatican’s department on clergy, while keeping in place a German prelate who wages the Catholic Church’s crackdown on liberal U.S. nuns and helps craft its sex-abuse response.
Francis removed Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, with a reputation for being highly traditional on matters of liturgy and the question of priestly celibacy, from the important post of prefect of the congregation for clergy.
Piacenza had held thatpost since 2010, when he was appointed by Francis’ predecessor, Benedict XVI.
The pope transferred Piacenza to a lower command post, that of head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a little-known Vatican tribunal that deals with confessions of sins so grave only a pope can grant absolution, such as the case of a priest who violates confessional secrecy.
Piacenza will be replaced by another Italian, Beniamino Stella, who is already serving in the Vatican’s bureaucracy. His office faces many challenges, including how to reverse a priest shortage in much of the developed worldand respond to persistent calls from within the rank-and-file faithful as well as some clergy that the pope consider allowing priests to marry.
Francis also decided to leave Archbishop Gerhard Mueller in the powerful role of prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Mueller, originally appointed by Benedict XVI, directs the Holy See’s crackdown on nuns suspected of undermining Catholic teaching on the priesthood and homosexuality.
His office also shapes policy dealing with clergy who sexually abuse minors.
Front Section, Pages 8 on 09/22/2013