Rome Newsroom, Aug 19, 2022 / 04:50 am
The new round of promotions and demotions in the Vatican is the consequence of two decisions recently taken by Pope Francis: Firstly, the publication of the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which regulates the functions and tasks of the Roman Curia. And secondly, the publication of Traditionis Custodes. This motu proprio restricts the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass after Benedict XVI had liberalized it.
As a result of the reform of the Curia, several priests who served in the Vatican’s dicasteries no longer have a position there. Others are called to leave Rome because they have completed the reform's five-year mandate, and their role has not been renewed.
On the other hand, the question of Traditionis Custodes is more complex. Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken of the risk of "backwardness" (looking backward, in Italian 'indietrismo') and defended his decision to restrict the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) as a “necessity.”
In other words, the pope argued he was restricting the celebration of the ancient liturgy to avoid what he sees as a tendency to go “backward.” This thinking appears to guide his choice of appointments in the Vatican.