Benedict XVI Publicly Reprimands Cardinal Schoenborn

Pope Benedict today publicly reprimanded Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, for comments he made recently about Cardinal Sodano and matters relating to Church discipline.

The full statement below is without precedent, but so too was the cardinal's criticism of Sodano, made in comments given off the record to a group of journalists.

This shows how seriously the Holy Father is about preserving unity in the Church, although I suspect quite a few would like him to be similarly hard-line on prelates who publicly dissent from Church teaching and not one who openly criticises a fellow cardinal.

Cardinal Sodano has still to respond to accusations of corruption concerning him and the Legion.

VATICAN CITY, 28 JUN 2010 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique early this afternoon:

"(1) The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Christoph Schonborn O.P., archbishop of Vienna and president of the Austrian Episcopal Conference. The cardinal had asked to meet the Supreme Pontiff personally in order to report on the current situation of the Church in Austria. In particular, Cardinal Schonborn wished to clarify the exact meaning of his recent declarations concerning some aspects of current ecclesiastical discipline, and certain of his judgements regarding positions adopted by the Secretariat of State - and in particular by the then Secretary of State of Pope John Paul II - concerning the late Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, archbishop of Vienna from 1986 to 1995.

"(2) Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. were subsequently invited to join the meeting.

"In the second part of the audience certain widespread misunderstandings were clarified and resolved, misunderstandings deriving partly from certain statements of Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, who expressed his displeasure at the interpretations given to his words.

"In particular:

"(a) It must be reiterated that, in the Church, when accusations are made against a cardinal, competency falls exclusively to the Pope; other parties may have a consultative function, while always maintaining due respect for persons.

"(b) The word 'chiacchiericcio' (gossip) was erroneously interpreted as disrespectful to the victims of sexual abuse, towards whom Cardinal Angelo Sodano nourishes the same feelings of compassion, and of condemnation of evil, as expressed on various occasions by the Holy Father. That word, pronounced during his Easter address to Pope Benedict XVI, was taken literally from the pontifical homily of Palm Sunday and referred to the "courage that does not let itself be intimidated by the gossip of prevalent opinions".

"(3) The Holy Father, recalling with great affection his own pastoral trip to Austria, via Cardinal Christoph Schonborn sends his greetings and encouragement to the Church in Austria, and to her pastors, entrusting the journey to renewed ecclesial communion to the celestial protection of the Blessed Virgin, so venerated at Mariazell".

Newt Gingrich's Impressive New Film on John Paul II

Here's a trailer for Newt Gingrich's new film Nine Days that Changed the World - an impressive movie that premiered last week in Rome. I would recommend it to any educator/catechist teaching about John Paul II, and about the Church's teaching on freedom and democracy.

My write up of the film including an interview with Gingrich can be found here. This isn't a politically partisan film - interestingly, its director is a lifelong Democrat.

Gingrich has already made a film on Reagan and his next project is to make one on Margaret Thatcher. All three leaders were, of course, pivotal in the West's defeat of Soviet Communism.

Fake Priest Attempts Robbery of Venerable English College

An amusing story from the news agency ANSA involving the Venerable English College:

"A thief who disguised himself as a priest to rob a Catholic college in Rome became so caught up in his holy pretence that he blessed the police officers who helped foil his bid to steal a batch of antique books.

The fake cleric, a 52-year-old Venezuelan, mingled among students and teachers on Saturday at the city's Venerable English College, a seminary for priests for England and Wales, before heading to its library and nabbing 25,000-euros worth of books. But the college's vice rector became suspicious when the unfamiliar man could not explain what he was doing there.

When questioned furthered he took flight but was stopped before he could make off with his haul of seven tomes.

Officers said that, even when the game was up, the man kept up the part, blessing them by making the sign of the cross before being taken into custody. Police said they were familiar with the man following attempts to steal antique books and works of art elsewhere."

Benedict XVI Writes Letter to Cardinal Schoenborn

Benedict XVI has sent a letter to Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn about recent comments he made about Cardinal Angelo Sodano, according to an article in Il Foglio newspaper, and blogged about yesterday by the Vaticanista Andrea Tornielli.

Writing on his blog Sacri Palazzi, Tornielli says the Holy Father wrote to the Archbishop of Vienna about his recent off-the-record comments to Austrian journalists, during which he criticized Cardinal Sodano, the former Vatican Secretary of State, for preventing an investigation into accusations against Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër in the 1990s. The cardinal was later found to have sexually abused seminarians.

Cardinal Schoenborn also criticised Cardinal Sodano for his dismissing of media reports of the Pope’s handling sexual abuse by clergy as “petty gossip” during a spontaneous message of support to the Pope on Easter Sunday. He said Sodano's comments "deeply wronged" victims of abuse.

The existence of the letter would not be surprising. Last week, a source close to the Pope said the Holy Father was distressed by Cardinal Schoenborn’s remarks about Sodano, and the Archbishop of Vienna’s other controversial comments on homosexual relationships that were widely reported.

There are mixed opinions about whether Cardinal Schoenborn should have spoken off the record with a group of journalists. Some thought it naïve as any one of them could leak their conversation without being traced. Others, however, are grateful for what he said.

But for one cardinal to criticize another so publicly is unprecedented.

Tornielli points out this isn’t the first time the Pope has written to Cardinal Schoenborn. Six months ago he wrote to him about his unannounced and controversial visit to Medjugorje, now currently the subject of an investigation led by Cardinal Camillo Ruini.