Pope Starts Vatican Revamp, Names New Foreign Minister and Chief Magistrate
Pope Francis has begun his long expected move to revamp the administration governing the Roman Catholic Church, making two crucial appointments in the Roman Curia geared towards his principal objective of bringing the Church closer to the people.
Without much fanfare, the Pontiff named British Archbishop Paul Gallagher last Nov. 8 as the Vatican's new Secretary for Relations with States, replacing French Moroccan Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
In turn, the Pope appointed Mamberti to lead the Church's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, replacing U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke who has been made the patron of the Order of Malta, a largely ceremonial post usually assigned to cardinals at the end of their ecclesiastical career.
The Holy Father has made clear that the changes are designed not simply to restructure the Vatican officialdom but more importantly to bring about a "change of mentality" in the Church.
Vatican sources said the two appointments are just a prelude to the complete reshaping of the Curia.
Vatican's Foreign Minister
By appointing Gallagher as Secretary for Relations with States, the Pope has indicated a new diplomatic course for the Church.
Sources told the Catholic News Agency that Gallagher was appointed as the Vatican's foreign minister because he fits the Pope's vision of Church diplomats possessing the capability to reduce the distance between the Church and mainstream society.
A member of the Pope's diplomatic corps also disclosed that they have been asked "to seek to understand situations and try to adapt to them in order to bring the light of the Gospel" to the people.
Gallagher, a seasoned diplomat, is considered an astute, open-minded and humble worker. He has served in the nunciature of the Council of Europe and as the papal ambassador, or nuncio, to Burundi and Guatemala. Most recently he served as nuncio to Australia.
Gallagher will now be responsible for the Holy See's diplomatic relations with states. He will also be responsible for the Vatican's presence in international organizations and conferences.
Gallagher warmly welcomed his appointment. "My appointment as Secretary for Relations with States comes at a time when the world is facing many serious challenges," he said.
"I am convinced that diplomacy remains an indispensable tool in the pursuit of peace and harmony between nations. In making this nomination Pope Francis has done me a great honor, for which I humbly thank him. It will be a privilege to work with the Holy Father, who has established himself as an important voice at a critical moment," Gallagher said in a statement.
New Head of Supreme Court
Meanwhile Archbishop Mamberti was transferred to lead the Apostolic Signatura, often called the Church's "supreme court," at a time when the Vatican is reviewing the procedures on marriage annulments.
Last August, Pope Francis established a commission to propose procedural simplifications, while also safeguarding the principle of the indissolubility of matrimony.
In a recent meeting with canon lawyers, Pope Francis pointed out that some procedures are too long and too costly that people "give up."
In his new post, Mamberti will be in charge of deciding on final appeals for cases of marriage annulments among other cases.
The Vatican has acknowledged that appeals for nullity of marriage have increased in recent years and that Pope Francis wanted a hand-picked chief magistrate to decide on them.
As the head of the Vatican's highest court, Mamberti is expected to be made a cardinal in the next consistory.
More appointments are expected in the Vatican soon, all intended to give shape to Pope Francis' vision of a Church that puts more emphasis on attracting people to the Gospel.
By the end of this month, the Pope will preside a meeting of the heads of Vatican departments to give a final shape to the reforms at the Curia. Among other things, a Secretariat for the Economy is expected to be created.