The Vaticanisti blog concurs that Archbishop Levada isgoing to be named prefect of the CDF, but then says that the same sources mention Father Fessio as his replacement.
Not that I don’t think it would be great to see him there, but I’m very skeptical. From my (albeit distant) point of view, there’s been nothing in Father’s communications or activities that would indicate such a move. As far as I know, he hasn’t even had an audience with the Holy Father yet.
Of course, I would probably be the last to know, but still I would give that rumor very low potential for being true. I’m sure they’re chuckling at Ignatius over that one.
I think I started that rumor.
Hello Dom,
What do you make of this Rocco Palmo fellow – Blog here – who is also reporting that Levada is a done deal? (Hat tip to Amy.)
He clearly seems to move on the other side of the fence but I hadn’t heard of him until now.
I’ve never heard of him. Not sure where he gets his info, but I don’t jibe with his attitude.
Is this Levada CDF thing real, or just a real rumor? The Bay area bishop seems more a choice for CDF Prefect by Pope Mahoney….great, now I have a headache.
Several news sources are covering it. This one at least
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=Vatican Doctrinal Chief
is citing the Associated Press as the source of the information. It backs away from the conclusion that he has been chosen. Could someone in Rome have put out a feeler?
Dom,
I think there’s too much smoke for there to be no fire on Levada – in SOME form. Maybe the Pope is just putting him in as a secretary and making himself CDF Prefect.
We’ll see.
Rocco has attitude and a rather different slant on things but he seems to be in the know in some regard.
I don’t know Dom; you could start referring to yourself as “The Bettinelli.” Although that might confuse those who know your no doubt large family. I guess you’d have to come up with some highfalluton handle like “The Editorialist” or something to give yourself due dignity as a blogermister. ;^)
AP now reporting:
Seamole:
The tradition up until 1968 was for the Holy Father to be Prefect of CDF with a Pro-Prefect to actually run the meetings. In some cases, the Secretary may have done this. In 1968, things changed so that an actual Prefect, not the Pope, took over. I don’t think this was a Canon Law change. It is possible too that Pope Benedict will stay as Prefect but choose someone else to be Pro-Prefect. That could have been misinterpreted by some quarters. From your quote from AP, he may not have chosen to formally relinquish the post or even who might get the Prefect OR Pro-Prefect positions.
What would happen to a Prefect who openly promoted heterodoxy? I can’t help be feel that this might be an attempt by the Pope to force an open confrontation between the orthodox and heterodox forces within the Church, with Levada as a sort of proxy for the heterodox.
I can totally see that, Levada’s just being set up to be—-
Excuse me but there’s a black helicopter hovering just off my balcony. I won’t be a second.
Dom: Chuckling isn’t exactly the best word for what is going on at Ignatius Press right now.
Thanks for the coverage on this. We all will just have to wait.
A la what Cure says, if Levada does get it, he won’t be prefect of the CDF in the same sense Ratzinger was – whatever his technical title.
But we must now all wait and see.
Does anyone know why Schonborn is not the frontrunner for this position? I thought it was a slam dunk for him since he was the chief editor of the new catechism and I thought he and Benedict were tight….
It could that Schonborn didn’t want the job, or he’s needed in Austria, or a million other things. In other words, no one knows why unless he tells someone. It’s not likely to be general knowledge and until/unless it is, then we’re just speculating.