Francis makes Divine Worship more global and mainstream

Pope Francis’ shake-up of the Vatican liturgy office means he has appointed almost two thirds of its members while removing prominent conservative-minded figures in the process, research by The Tablet shows.

At the end of last month, Francis named 27 new bishops to serve in the Congregation for Divine Worship, mostly non-ideological moderates with the most prominent being Archbishop Piero Marini, a former papal master of ceremonies who has long championed the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The move was also seen as an attempt to rein in Cardinal Robert Sarah, the congregation’s prefect, who had been reprimanded by the Pope for calling on priests to celebrate Mass ad orientem.
Members of a Vatican dicastery discuss and vote on major decisions, and the new additions – which included Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State – seem designed to prevent Cardinal Sarah acting unilaterally.

At the time of the Pope’s announcement the final make-up of the department was unclear and it was not known which members were being replaced.

Now, The Tablet can report that the congregation consists of 40 men (an unusually high number) with 27 appointed by Francis. Those departing include Cardinals Raymond Burke (pictured), a supporter of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, George Pell, the Australian Vatican finance tsar who helped push through a more Latinate English translation of the Mass and Canadian Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

Among new members is the Nigerian Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who has praised the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council for bringing “active, conscious and … joyful participation in the Eucharist, celebrated in the richness of our cultural expressions”.

Also leaving the department are Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, who this summer celebrated his first public Tridentine Mass in more than 40 years, and Italian Bishop Mario Oliveri, well known for his support of the pre-Second Vatican Council liturgy. At the same time, some of those with more traditional liturgical views have been kept on: these include Cardinals Malcolm Ranjith of Sri Lanka – who wants Communion received on the tongue and by people kneeling, as well as Cardinals Peter Erdo and Angelo Bagnasco. Among new members are prelates from India, Ecuador, South Korea and Burkina Faso.

For the full list of CDW members, new and departing, go to www.thetablet.co.uk