Latest news with #KnightsofMalta
06-05-2025
- Politics
Who are the US cardinals who will vote for the next pope? There are 10, the largest bloc after Italy
The United States is the home country of 10 of the 133 cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope of the Catholic Church. That's more than any nation except Italy, home to 17 of the electors who will gather at the Vatican's Sistine Chapel on Wednesday for the conclave that will choose a successor to Pope Francis. Only four of the American electors actively serve as archbishops in the United States: Timothy Dolan of New York, Blase Cupich of Chicago, Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and Robert McElroy of Washington. Two are retired archbishops: Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Wilton Gregory of Washington. The other four cardinals' careers have included lengthy service at the Vatican: Robert Prevost, James Michael Harvey, Raymond Burke and Kevin Farrell. Here are brief profiles of the cardinal electors: Burke, 76, a staunch Catholic traditionalist, often clashed with the more reform-minded Pope Francis. Born in Wisconsin, he was a bishop there before serving as archbishop of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008. Pope Benedict XVI had made Burke a cardinal in 2010, after he appointed him prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's high court. After Francis removed him from that post in 2014, he made Burke the cardinal patron of the Knights of Malta, a prestigious but limited role. There, too, Burke and Francis clashed over a governance crisis at the chivalric order; Francis pushed him aside. Burke has been outspoken in saying Catholic politicians shouldn't present themselves for Communion if they support abortion rights. Cupich, 76, archbishop of Chicago, was a close adviser to Francis and has served on several Vatican committees. He's considered a moderate among his peers, having balanced upholding conservative Catholic teachings on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion with advocacy for compassionate responses to the affected communities. Cupich, who inherited clergy sex abuse crises in dioceses he led, helped push reforms to combat the problem. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he was ordained in 1975 and appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1998 as bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota. Pope Benedict XVI transferred him in 2010 to Spokane, Washington. In 2014, Francis — in his first major U.S. appointment as pope — made him archbishop of Chicago, and made him a cardinal in 2016. DiNardo, 75, retired this year as archbishop of Galveston-Houston — the fifth-largest U.S. diocese, with 1.7 million Catholics. DiNardo was ordained in his native Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1977. He earned degrees from Catholic universities in Washington and Rome and worked in the Vatican office overseeing appointments of bishops. He served as bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, before moving to Houston in 2004. DiNardo was named a cardinal in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. He served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2016 to 2019. That was a tumultuous time when the USCCB faced numerous allegations of coverups of sexual abuse by priests. DiNardo shared Pope Francis' strong support for migrants while defending traditional church teachings on sexuality. Dolan, 75, has been archbishop of New York since 2009. He previously served nearly seven years as archbishop of Milwaukee. He grew up in Missouri, where he was ordained in 1976. Among other duties, Dolan was chairman of Catholic Relief Services and served a term as president of the USCCB. In January 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him a cardinal. Dolan is widely viewed as conservative; he wrote a 2018 Wall Street Journal op-ed headlined 'The Democrats Abandon Catholics.' Yet in 2023, he wrote a letter of welcome to a conference at Fordham University celebrating outreach programs aimed at LGBTQ+ Catholics. Farrell, 77, was selected by Pope Francis in 2019 to be the camerlengo, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See after the death of one pope and before the election of another. Farrell was born in Dublin in 1947, entered the Legionaries of Christ religious order in 1966 and was ordained a priest for the order in 1978. He left six years later — before revelations that its founder was a pedophile — and became a priest in the Washington Archdiocese. He worked in several parishes and helped manage finances for the archdiocese. He became auxiliary bishop of Washington in 2001 and served under ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick before becoming bishop of Dallas in 2007. Pope Francis tapped Gregory to lead the Archdiocese of Washington in 2019 and made him the first Black cardinal from the U.S. in 2020. Gregory, 77, retired earlier this year from leading the prominent archdiocese, which he shepherded through significant turmoil. Its two previous leaders, McCarrick and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, were implicated in a new wave of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Gregory has supported social justice and solidarity with immigrants. He drew notice for his relatively inclusive approach for LGBTQ+ Catholics. He told an LGBTQ+ group in January: 'I apologize for my own lack of courage to bring healing and hope, and I ask forgiveness.' Gregory was born in Chicago, where he was ordained in 1973 and served as an auxiliary bishop beginning in 1983. After serving for 11 years as bishop in Belleville, Illinois, he was appointed in 2004 by Pope John Paul II to be archbishop of Atlanta. Harvey, 76, has pursued a long career at the Vatican, initially as a diplomat and more recently as manager of the papal household. Born in Milwaukee, he studied at seminary there before completing his formation in Rome. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI in Rome in 1975 and entered the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1980. Pope John Paul II appointed Harvey prefect of the Papal Household in 1998, a position entailing management of the pope's official activities. Harvey filled that role for 24 years, under John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict proclaimed Harvey a cardinal in 2012. Pope Francis named McElroy as archbishop of Washington in January, tapping one of his most progressive allies to head the Catholic Church in the U.S. capital at the start of Donald Trump's second term as president. McElroy criticized Trump's threats of mass deportations of immigrants as 'incompatible with Catholic doctrine.' Francis had appointed McElroy as bishop of San Diego in 2015 and elevated him to cardinal in 2022. McElroy, 71, was one of a few U.S. bishops assailing a campaign to exclude Catholic politicians who support abortion rights from Communion. He has also expressed support for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church. A native San Franciscan, McElroy received a bachelor's degree from Harvard, a master's degree and doctorate from Stanford, and a doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome. The Chicago-born Prevost, 69, is prefect of the Vatican's powerful dicastery for bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world. He has extensive experience in Peru, first as a missionary and then an archbishop. Francis had an eye on him for years, sending him to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He held that position until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome for his current role. Tobin, 72, is archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, and a veteran of the Vatican bureaucracy who speaks five languages. The Detroit native was ordained in 1978 and earned master's degrees in religious education and divinity at Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, New York. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Tobin in 2010 as secretary of the Vatican's office overseeing religious orders. Tobin reportedly ruffled feathers by seeking to mend its frayed ties with U.S. nuns facing complaints they had become too liberal. Benedict appointed Tobin archbishop of Indianapolis in 2012. Pope Francis appointed him cardinal and archbishop of Newark in 2016. Tobin welcomed Syrian refugees to Indiana despite opposition from then-Gov. Mike Pence. He has a welcoming stance toward LGBTQ+ people. ___ ___ collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zero-waste Vatican scraps centuries-old Pope robe tradition
For generations, whenever a pope dies, the tailors of Gammarelli have swung into action with their scissors and sewing machines, stitching together creamy white cassocks in time for the election of the next pontiff. Having no idea who it might be, they hedge their bets, producing three cassocks in different sizes – small, medium and large – hoping that one of them will fit whoever is selected to be the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. But this time, following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday and with the conclave – the secretive election that is held in the confines of the Sistine Chapel – due to start next Wednesday, everything is different. The small atelier in the historic centre of Rome, which for seven generations has counted Popes among their clientele, has received instructions from the Holy See that no new cassocks are needed. Instead, spare cassocks left over from previous papal elections will be dusted off and reused. Deeply loyal to the Vatican, the tailors are not about to start lamenting the break in tradition, but they do admit that they are a little upset. Massimiliano Gammarelli, 63, is one of four cousins who own the shop, which was established in 1798. He said: 'We're a bit disappointed. We would put them in the window for a few days of exposition. Many clients are asking if we will display them, but this time we won't. 'It is slightly upsetting. It's part of the history of Rome to see the cassocks before the Pope is elected. For us, it is a privilege and a challenge. All of our employees are proud to tailor for the Holy Father. Everybody likes to work on the Pope's cassock.' While the Holy See has not given a reason for the break in protocol, the tailors suspect it is down to the late Argentinian Pope's aversion to extravagance and waste – why make new cassocks when perfectly serviceable old ones can be recycled and reused, he would have argued. Had tradition been upheld, the tailors of Gammarelli would have produced three pure wool cassocks in the days immediately after the death of Pope Francis. The vestments would by now have taken pride of place in the front window of their shop, which is tucked away in a tiny piazza just behind the Pantheon. Instead, the display window is empty, apart from a white skull cap known in Italian as a zucchetto that was made for Pope Francis. Bolts of coloured cloth line the walls of the atelier, where cabinets display cufflinks for bishops and monsignors, communion goblets, gold cardinals' rings, silken stoles and swords, which are bought by members of the Knights of Malta, a chivalric order that originated in the Holy Land in the 11th century. Across town, a rival tailor says he is busy making new cassocks for the next Pope – despite not being officially commissioned to do so by the Vatican. Raniero Mancinelli, who operates out of a tiny atelier near the Vatican, is preparing small, medium and large versions. He is working away in his tailor's shop in the Borgo, the village-like quarter that lies a couple of hundred yards from St Peter's Square, but concedes that he has not had a formal commission from the Holy See. This is the first time in nearly 50 years that the Vatican has not ordered a new set of cassocks for the soon-to-be-elected pontiff. The Vatican has declined to explain exactly why no new cassocks have been commissioned. 'I don't think I need to speak on behalf of businesses,' said Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesman. 'Not every curiosity needs to be answered.' The cream cassocks play a key role in the election of the new pontiff. Once cardinals have chosen a successor to Pope Francis after voting in the conclave, and assuming that their brother cardinal accepts the job, he is taken into a side room. It is called in Italian 'la stanza delle lacrime', the Room of Tears, and is so named because many have wept at the enormity of the task they face. There, the newly elected pontiff is given help to take off his scarlet cassock and change into the cream cassock of the papacy. He then steps out onto the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, where a Vatican official proclaims to the world 'Habemus papam' – We have a Pope. Mr Gammarelli thinks the conclave next week could be a long one, and that cardinals will struggle to come to a swift agreement on who should succeed Pope Francis. That is because there are 133 cardinal electors, making this conclave the biggest in history. They come from 71 nations, and many have never met. And yet they must come to a two-thirds majority agreement on who among them will be the next Pope. Mr Gammarelli said: 'For them, it is complicated because they don't know each other very well. 'I think it will be hard work for the cardinals. I'm afraid it will be a long conclave.' Cardinals are pushing a very different narrative – that the division between progressives and conservatives is exaggerated, that they are in constant dialogue and that a decision will not take long to come to. Louis Raphael Sako, the cardinal of Baghdad, said: 'It will be brief – at most, two or three days.' Jean-Paul Vesco, the French cardinal and the archbishop of Algiers, said: 'I don't believe it will be a long conclave.' The Church will be looking for a steady, compromise candidate who will be more predictable than the mercurial Pope Francis. 'I think we will have a man of consensus. Francis shook up the Church a lot and we now need a bit of peace,' he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pope Francis's many critics included a one-time aide and the Vatican's ex-ambassador to the US
Pope Francis probably expected that he would face opposition to his reform agenda after Catholics for two generations grew used to more conservative, doctrine-minded pontiffs. But his critics — most of them emanating from the church's conservative wing — were unique in that at least for the first years of his pontificate, they had a living alternate as a point of reference: Pope Benedict XVI. Some of the critics who made their mark during Francis' pontificate: Benedict's camp Benedict's longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, was a bridge between the reigning and retired popes. After Benedict retired in 2013, Gaenswein remained as his secretary while also serving Francis as the head of the papal household. Gaenswein was widely seen as the key figure behind one of the most visible signs of the break between the two pontificates. In 2020, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vatican's retired liturgy chief, wrote a book with Benedict reaffirming priestly celibacy at a time when Francis was considering ordaining married men to address a clergy shortage in the Amazon. The book, and the prospect of a retired pope trying to influence a reigning one, created the scenario that canon lawyers and theologians had warned of in 2013, when Benedict decided to retain the white cassock of the papacy in retirement as 'Emeritus Pope.' The scandal died down after Benedict removed himself as a co-author and Francis fired Gaenswein from his papal household job. But the bad blood didn't end there. Just days after Benedict's 2023 funeral, Gaenswein published a tell-all memoir that was highly critical of Francis. He was exiled from the Vatican by Francis and, after a time without a job in his native Germany, was made an ambassador. The 'Dubia' cardinals Conservative and traditionalist Catholics were wary of Francis from his 2013 election, when he first addressed the crowd without the ermine-rimmed, red velvet cape of his predecessors. Significantly, Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass that Benedict had relaxed. Francis insisted his aim was church unity. Critics accused him of being divisive, and the outrage wasn't limited to U.S.-based conservative Catholic media or fringe right-wing bloggers. One breaking point came in 2016, when Francis opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion. Some accused him of heresy. Four conservative cardinals formally asked him to clarify himself, issuing 'dubia' or questions to him. They argued church doctrine held that Catholics who remarried without a church annulment were living in sin and couldn't receive the sacraments. He never replied. One of them, Cardinal Raymond Burke, had been sidelined by Francis early in his pontificate, removing him as the Vatican's supreme court judge. Then he pushed him aside as the prelate to the Knights of Malta. After Burke joined a bigger group of cardinals questioning Francis' 2023 synod on the church's future, Francis cut him off financially. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano Francis' biggest conservative critic was the Vatican's former ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. In 2018, he said Francis had covered up accusations that then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, an American, had slept with his seminarians. Vigano demanded Francis resign for allegedly rehabilitating McCarrick from sanctions imposed by Benedict. The furor faded after Francis defrocked McCarrick and Vigano was discredited with conspiracy theories about COVID-19. McCarrick died earlier this month. In 2024, Francis excommunicated Vigano after finding him guilty of schism.
Associated Press
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Pope Francis's many critics included a one-time aide and the Vatican's ex-ambassador to the US
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis probably expected that he would face opposition to his reform agenda after Catholics for two generations grew used to more conservative, doctrine-minded pontiffs. But his critics — most of them emanating from the church's conservative wing — were unique in that at least for the first years of his pontificate, they had a living alternate as a point of reference: Pope Benedict XVI. Some of the critics who made their mark during Francis' pontificate: Benedict's camp Benedict's longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, was a bridge between the reigning and retired popes. After Benedict retired in 2013, Gaenswein remained as his secretary while also serving Francis as the head of the papal household. Gaenswein was widely seen as the key figure behind one of the most visible signs of the break between the two pontificates. In 2020, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vatican's retired liturgy chief, wrote a book with Benedict reaffirming priestly celibacy at a time when Francis was considering ordaining married men to address a clergy shortage in the Amazon. The book, and the prospect of a retired pope trying to influence a reigning one, created the scenario that canon lawyers and theologians had warned of in 2013, when Benedict decided to retain the white cassock of the papacy in retirement as 'Emeritus Pope.' The scandal died down after Benedict removed himself as a co-author and Francis fired Gaenswein from his papal household job. But the bad blood didn't end there. Just days after Benedict's 2023 funeral, Gaenswein published a tell-all memoir that was highly critical of Francis. He was exiled from the Vatican by Francis and, after a time without a job in his native Germany, was made an ambassador. The 'Dubia' cardinals Conservative and traditionalist Catholics were wary of Francis from his 2013 election, when he first addressed the crowd without the ermine-rimmed, red velvet cape of his predecessors. Significantly, Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass that Benedict had relaxed. Francis insisted his aim was church unity. Critics accused him of being divisive, and the outrage wasn't limited to U.S.-based conservative Catholic media or fringe right-wing bloggers. One breaking point came in 2016, when Francis opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion. Some accused him of heresy. Four conservative cardinals formally asked him to clarify himself, issuing 'dubia' or questions to him. They argued church doctrine held that Catholics who remarried without a church annulment were living in sin and couldn't receive the sacraments. He never replied. One of them, Cardinal Raymond Burke, had been sidelined by Francis early in his pontificate, removing him as the Vatican's supreme court judge. Then he pushed him aside as the prelate to the Knights of Malta. After Burke joined a bigger group of cardinals questioning Francis' 2023 synod on the church's future, Francis cut him off financially. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano Francis' biggest conservative critic was the Vatican's former ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. In 2018, he said Francis had covered up accusations that then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, an American, had slept with his seminarians. Vigano demanded Francis resign for allegedly rehabilitating McCarrick from sanctions imposed by Benedict. The furor faded after Francis defrocked McCarrick and Vigano was discredited with conspiracy theories about COVID-19. McCarrick died earlier this month. In 2024, Francis excommunicated Vigano after finding him guilty of schism.
The Independent
30-01-2025
- The Independent
5 of the best views in Rome for a breathtaking look at the Italian capital
The trouble with Rome is that it has so many treasures. Its heady mix of must-see classical ruins, flamboyant fountains, Renaissance palaces and masterpiece-filled museums can make a trip to the Eternal City as exhausting as it is exhilarating – and that's before you've even set an aching foot in a designer store or strolled along a cobbled street in search of a(nother) delicious scoop of gelato. So, it's a good thing that there's another 'must' in Rome, and that's to experience il dolce fa niente – the sweet doing of nothing. And there's no better way to idle away the time than by enjoying a glorious view, perched high above the chaos of the capital's traffic. There are plenty of vantage points – well, the ancient centre was founded on seven hills and has since spread over several more – but these are five of the best. Of course, if you prefer a view that's literally breathtaking, you can always climb all 551 steps to the dome of St Peter's. Cameras at the ready… Aventine Hill Rising above the Circus Maximus, the ancient city's venue for chariot races, the Aventine is the most southerly of Rome's seven hills. Originally a plebian area, it later became home to the aristocracy who built pagan temples and lavish palaces, and is still a desirable, delightfully tranquil, residential district. It's worth the climb just to visit the church of Santa Sabina, which was built in the 5 th century. Zoom in on the carved cedarwood panels on its main door, which depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments, then step into the scented shade of the neighbouring Giardino degli Aranci, the Garden of Oranges, and enjoy the panorama of the Roman skyline. But don't go yet; walk the short distance to the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, designed by Piranesi for the chivalric order of the Knights of Malta, then peep through the keyhole of the Priory door; you'll see the distant dome of St Peter's, perfectly framed by foliage. Belvedere del Gianicolo The Gianicolo (or Janiculum Hill) is the place where locals come to watch the sunset. Although it wasn't one of the original seven hills, as it sits on the other side of the Tiber outside the boundaries of the ancient city, it's higher than the others and makes a wonderful vantage point. Rising above the maze of narrow streets and pretty squares that characterise Trastevere, traditionally Rome's artisan quarter, it was named for the two-faced god Janus who was once worshipped here. Today it's topped with an equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the Risorgimento – the revolution that led to Italy's unification. Follow Via Garibaldi to get up to the terrace, stopping on the way up to see Vasari's works in the church of San Pietro in Montorio, then relax and enjoy the drama as the sun sinks over the city. Piazza di Campidoglio This majestic Renaissance piazza, designed by Michelangelo, is celebrated for its elegant proportions and is home to the Capitoline Museums with their stunning collections of art and sculpture. However, it's the path to the back of the piazza (head behind the statue of Marcus Aurelius) that will have you drawing breath; it offers an unforgettable outlook onto the Foro Romano, the Roman Forum, which was the religious, political and commercial heart of Republican Rome. You'll see the columns of the Temple of Saturn, which once housed the state treasury, and the distant walls of the Colosseum. The Campidoglio, or Capitoline Hill, may have been the smallest of the seven hills but it was the power hub of the ancient world. Pincio Terrace Rome isn't well served with parks; if you're feeling the need to escape to a green space then the chances are that you'll make for the Villa Borghese, where the grounds offer winding paths, lakes and pretty flowerbeds. While there, make for the formal Pincio Gardens, where a terrace offers a splendid view of Piazza del Popolo, with the dome of St Peter's beyond. The People's Square (as it translates today) is perhaps Rome's most impressive (it's actually oval) and has at its centre an Egyptian obelisk taken from Heliopolis by Augustus for the Circus Maximus – where it served as a turning point in chariot races. The Vittoriano Many say that the outlook from the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, or Vittoriano, is the best of all – as it's the one place you can't see the monument itself. This vast white edifice, which dominates Piazza Venezia, was erected at the end of the 19 th century in honour of the first king of a unified Italy and has been disparagingly nicknamed 'the typewriter' by locals. It costs €15 to take the lift to its panoramic terrace, but you're well rewarded with an outstanding 360-degree view of the city and the hills beyond.
