Thursday, July 04, 2013

Parolin mooted for Secretary of State

Rumors have emerged that Archbishop Pietro Parolin, apostolic nuncio to Venezuela, will shortly be appointed as the Vatican's Secretary of State, Catholic News Agency reports.

As the Secretary of State must be a cardinal, Archbishop Parolin would have to be first appointed pro-secretary of State, retaining his status as archbishop. 

He would, however, be the acting Secretary of State until a new appointment is made or until receiving the red biretta of a cardinal, thus taking officially the post, CNA says.

A skilled diplomat, Archbishop Parolin, 58, served as Vatican undersecretary for Relations with States from 2002 to 2009.

Suggestions of a possible 'important appointment' for the feast of Saints Peter and Paul emerged from a couple of different Vatican sources who spoke to CNA at the beginning of last week on the condition of anonymity.

'The Pope knows that he cannot have an outgoing Secretary of State for so long,' one of them said June 26.

After the first 100 days of his pontificate, the source maintained, 'Pope Francis is now in a hurry to have his own staff carry out the reform of the Curia.'

The appointment of a new Secretary of State is not to be considered a rejection of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who has been in the post until now.

A second source explained to CNA on June 27 that 'Pope Francis is asking a lot of recommendations from Cardinal Bertone' and that the relationship between the cardinal and Pope Francis is said to be 'good.'  

'Bertone seemingly also recommended Cardinal Raffaele Farina as the head of the Pontifical Commission,' appointed on June 26 to report to Pope Francis about the so-called Vatican Bank, the Institute of Religious Works.

Following the appointment of the new Secretary of State, sources say that Pope Francis would also change several of the top-ranking officials of the Curia.

Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, could be appointed Prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (the so-called Propaganda Fide).