Week of August 28, 2022
A zero-women consistory, the synod's next stage, and more
Good evening. I’m back from a summer hiatus. Traditionally, Rome quiets down in the hot month of August and folks leave for vacation, so I thought I would do likewise . But Pope Francis has broken with tradition again, perhaps in a less likable way if you work at the Vatican. He held a ceremony to create new cardinals yesterday, and on Monday and Tuesday the world’s cardinals will meet in their first consistory since 2015. Today, I’ll take up a few thoughts on that gathering so far.
A Zero-Women Consistory
Pope Francis created 20 new cardinals yesterday, 16 of whom will likely be electors at the next conclave to choose the pope’s successor (the other four are ineligible to participate because they are over 80 years old). There are now 132 electors representing 69 countries, of whom Francis has created 63%. (For a full list of the new cardinals and brief bios, see here. For some of the statistics, see here.)
The pope has been praised for the ways he has shifted the College of Cardinals, making it more international and representative by increasing the number of cardinals from the Global South while limiting new Europeans. Breaking with tradition, he has created cardinals from often-overlooked countries, like Singapore and Mongolia, which has 1,500 Catholics.
Francis has also opted for cardinals based on their ministry rather than simply appointment to archdioceses typically granted a red hat. This time, he again overlooked the archbishops of Los Angeles and San Francisco, who are conservatives, to appoint someone more attune to Francis’ vision, San Diego’s now-Cardinal Robert McElroy.
And yet, as the Women’s Ordination Conference points out, of the world’s 1.36 billion Catholics, exactly 0 women will participate in this week’s consistory of all the world’s cardinals aimed at discussing the new apostolic constitution for the Roman Curia, Praedicate Evangelium. Ironically, that constitution opens the door to more lay women’s leadership in the church.
Women and non-binary people easily could be appointed as cardinals by either changing canon law or issuing a dispensation from it. Being a cardinal is not tied to ordination in the way being a bishop is. But it seems, for now, Pope Francis is opting to keep the College quite exclusive—a major problem, as Kate McElwee of the Women’s Ordination Conference points out:
“The ever-moving Holy Spirit is calling us to be a more just, inclusive, and transparent church. The church cannot fly with one wing, cannot ‘journey together’ behind closed doors, and cannot model Jesus by excluding women. Jesus counted women as partners in ministry. We ask church leaders to do the same.”
This consistory is the first time all the world’s cardinals have gathered in seven years. Inevitably, given Pope Francis is 87 years old, discussions about who the next pope will be are abuzz, given it is almost certain it will be someone from the College and this is a moment they can all size each other up. I’ll skip that buzz because Francis shows few signs he is about to resign any time soon. To me, it is a fun parlor game to discuss papabile, but it’s all speculative. As the saying goes, “He who goes in [to the conclave] a pope comes out a cardinal.” I will include this insight from Christopher Lamb of The Tablet which is good news:
“Rather than seeking someone who will undo what Francis has started, a sizable majority of cardinals will be looking for a Pope who will continue the work of implementing his reforms at every level of the Church.”
More interesting to me than the next pope is some of the notable ways Pope Francis is lifting up marginalized communities through the cardinals he creates.
For instance, new Cardinal Anthony Poola is India’s first Dalit bishop elevated to such a post. Dalits, formerly known as “Untouchables” in India’s caste system, are the lowest in society. So, too, in the church has this dynamic been true as Dalits make up a majority of the country’s Catholics, but Dalit prelates are sparse. Likewise, new Cardinal Leonardo Steiner is the first cardinal from Brazil’s Amazon region. For more on this, see Crux here and here, as well as here.
There is a danger of paying too much attention to the politics of just a few hundred men—and zero women—but in real ways, the cardinals matter. Pope Francis’ appointments can uplift and be hope for those on the margins—and make a difference in how the hierarchy functions, too.
(One final fun fact: In 2001, when Pope Francis was created a cardinal as Jorge Bergoglio, he did not buy new red garments for thousands of euros, but instead used hand me downs from a cardinal who passed away. Living out a poor church for the poor!)
Other News
Pax Christi USA held an annual assembly a few weeks ago to celebrate its 50th anniversary. I attended part of this celebration of remarkable Catholic peacemaking. Of note, Marie Dennis was given its Teacher of Peace award for her decades of social justice work, particularly her commitment to nonviolence. Marie’s witness has been personally a challenge and a comfort. She is someone who makes me want to remain in the church to ensure it is a voice for peace and justice. I encourage you to read about her story here. For more on Pax Christi USA’s anniversary, see the National Catholic Reporter’s coverage here and here.
Catholics in Nicaragua and globally are protesting government-led repression church leaders there are now. Last week, police arrested Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who had spent more than two weeks with staff in house arrest. The bishop’s location is now unknown, while others ended up in jail for political prisoners. The government has taken other punitive actions against the church, including expelling the apostolic nuncio, arresting, priests, and shuttering Catholic agencies. Please join me in praying for the church of Nicaragua.
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—Bob
Disclaimer: All opinions in this post are solely those of the author and do not represent the positions or policies of any organization with which I may be affiliated.