Spanish daily paper La Vanguardia, Italian online newspaper Linkiesta.it and Italian website globalist.it have all published pieces questioning the motives behind Mgr Scicluna’s transfer.
But according to sources close to both the Vatican and Mgr Scicluna, conspiracy theorists are wide of the mark.
As Promoter of Justice at the Vatican’s Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Mgr Scicluna was known for his no-holds-barred approach to dealing with cases of clerical sexual abuse.
He has now been tasked with helping to run the Maltese diocese, with Archbishop Paul Cremona reportedly having been forced to cut down his workload due to health problems.
The transfer was described as “disconcerting” by Linkiesta.it, which praised Mgr Scicluna for his zero-tolerance approach to investigating clerical child abuse claims.
“From heading the global Catholic Church’s anti-paedophile squad to a low-level functionary in Valletta. Transferred without even being promoted,” was the Italian news outlet’s verdict.
A Globalist.it editorial linked Mgr Scicluna’s transfer to the recent commotion surrounding the trial of the Pope’s former butler for stealing sensitive documents.
“The Vatican has taken advantage of the chaos surrounding the trial to fire Mgr Scicluna,” the editorial argued.
La Vanguardia also reported that some Vatican insiders were disconcerted by the “demotion”, saying that it appeared the Vatican had “shot itself in the foot”.
However, the Spanish newspaper also noted that Mgr Cremona’s reported health problems may have moved the Pope to “send in one of his best men”.
And according to sources close to both Mgr Scicluna and the Vatican, the rumours circling Mgr Scicluna’s new appointment have missed the mark.
“There’s no doubt that certain people, including some prominent ones, were unhappy with some of his decisions. That’s the nature of the work he was doing.
“But Mgr Scicluna worked so closely with the Pope, and has known him for so long, that I find it hard to believe that the appointment is a way of sidelining him,” a source said.
Another Church insider agreed. “I don’t see any sort of reason why the decision should be seen that way. Rather, Mgr Scicluna’s appointment is a blessing for Malta.”
Mgr Scicluna, the source indicated, was simply the right man in the right place at the right time. “He’ll leave a very big pair of shoes to fill, but no doubt one of his colleagues will manage it,” they said.
Succession concerns also played on the other source’s mind. “It’s a bit worrying that there doesn’t appear to be a clear replacement lined up, and many bishops who’ve worked with him have said that he’ll be sorely missed.”
“But their loss is Malta’s gain. Mgr Scicluna is extremely capable, highly intelligent and cut out for leadership roles.”
The second source agreed. “He’s a unifying figure with a lot of charisma. He’s a gift of providence to the Maltese Church.”