Diane at awesome Te Deum laudamus! makes a very good point. Remember how many progressive Catholic’s intimated that Abp. Burke’s departure from St. Louis to Rome and the Apostolic Signatura was a demotion.
The idea was that Abp. Burke was too outspoken and too conservative and so he was removed from St. Louis and given the Apostolic Signatura job just to get him out of the way.
Well, if they were trying to get him out of the way, they are not doing a very good job. Diane writes:
Ok – let’s count ’em…
- June 2008: Appointed as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura
- October 19, 2009: Appointed a member of the Congregation for Bishops
- July 6, 2010: Appointed a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship
- Today: July 26, 2010: Appointed a member of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints
’nuff said –
Excellent point. I hope that someone tries to get me out of the way the same way.
Abp. Burke is the very definition of upward mobility.
July 27, 2010 at 4:58 am
He'll also be getting his red hat at the next Consistory, which I believe will be this fall. Being an American, he has no chance of being elected at the next Conclave, but just having him as a Papal elector will give me all kinds of warm fuzzies.
July 27, 2010 at 7:16 am
God forbid that Pope Benedict should leave us anytime soon, but I'd love to have an American on the Cathedra sometime and he's our best bet. He's being groomed for something, perhaps. Yeah, yeah, I know…he's American, it'll never happen, but look at it this way, there are worse odds of there ever being a Polish pope! 😉
July 27, 2010 at 12:02 pm
The funny part is that for those who "calculate" the papabil-ity of men, Archbishop Burke, even as a Cardinal probably wno't be on their radars.
That is being spread out all over these dicastries is rather interesting. That doesn't count other positions he has, such as President of the Commission of Advocates. Perhaps that goes hand in hand with being Prefect of the Signatura. However, what else is he involved with?
July 27, 2010 at 4:00 pm
some here in Quebec tried the same line about Cardinal Ouellet's move to Rome. ''See how he is being demoted for embarrassing the Church by talking about abortion!''
July 27, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Progressive Catholics are a bunch of communists, north of the 48th parrallel. They've excommunicated themselves.
July 27, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Montreal is only 45 N….
July 27, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Burke's being at the head of a Congregation provides for an automatic red hat by the next Consistory; I doubt his chances would had been the same if he had remained in St. Louis.
I do think he has some chance to be the next Pope. As far as I know, US-Americans are now the second-biggest national groups among Cardinals below 80 years of age, only surpassed in number by the Italians.
He is young, safely conservative, full of energy, outspoken enough but not a Williamson, not massively invested in V II and comes from one of the most influential countries (again: number of Cardinals).
July 27, 2010 at 9:50 pm
If you want to see how a demotion Vatican-style looks like, seek no further than by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor.
The first Archbishop of Westminster not allowed to die in his post since the reconstitution of the Catholic hierarchy in England in 1851, his resignation has been (gladly) accepted by the Holy Father. The man enjoys a much better health than reputation. He has been sent to Rome to be a member of the Congregation for Bishops (mind: member) to save his face after such an humiliation.
But perhaps the HF was preparing him for the head of the congregation after Re's retirement? Nope, that went to Cardinal Ouellet.
A much different trajectory than Burke's.
July 28, 2010 at 1:10 am
My first thought is that Apb Burke couldn't possibly be "Peter the Roman" but, who knows how these riddles work out.
July 28, 2010 at 3:49 am
"Peter the Roman"? The prophecy of St. Malachi? Hasn't that been proven a hoax?