Usque ad sanguinis effusionem, unto the shedding of our blood, is the motto of the “princes” of the Church, ready to defend the Church and the Pope unto the martyrdom.

What does being martyrs mean today? The Pope explains that it does not only means to offer the «physical» life, it also means to renounce to the logics of the world. «Dominion and service, egoism and altruism, possession and gift, self-interest and gratuitousness: these profoundly contrasting approaches confront each other in every age and place. There is no doubt about the path chosen by Jesus: he does not merely indicate it with words to the disciples of then and of today, but he lives it in his own flesh».

Benedict XVI imposed the red hat on 22 new cardinals. Eighteen of the newly «created» (the appointment of cardinal is referred to in this manner because it depends on the free will of the Pope) will join the world’s most exclusive “club”, the group that will be responsible for voting for the Pope, while the remaining four, who are over 80, will receive the red berretta for merits acquired during their long service, but they cannot participate in a Conclave because they are beyond the age limit for cardinal electors.

The list of the new cardinals increases the impact of Italian cardinals, and of Western Church in General, in the College of Cardinals. But, at the same time, the choices of Benedict XVI let understand what is his position: the Church needs to find its identity again, and its identity is also made of the ius ecclesiae. Turning back to law, to turn back to God: this is Benedict XVI project.

Vatileaks at the Consistory

Yet, the Pope got to the Consistory in the spite of controversies. Papers of different kind had been leaked to the press in the past days, and a huge discussion on the possible succession to Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of State, had been highlighted in the medias. From the Vigano’s scandal (the former n.2 administrator of Vatican City State that in a series of letter denounced the “corruption” within the Sacred Walls) to the memos come out from Vatican Authority for Financial Information (the last one is a forwarded e-mail that contained the full e-mail address of the sender, Franesco De Pasquale, director of the Authority of Financial Information. The e-mail was addressed to Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, president of the Ior, to criticize the reform of the Vatican law n. 127 against the money laundering, even if this reform went through the European indications), the papers delivered show that the Holy See – and the Pope himself – seem to be under attack.

The last «scoop»  was about a plot to kill the Pope. It is a note written in rough German – probably by a non German speaking person – , that Cardinal Darìo Castrillòn Hoyos brought to Vatican Secretariat of State. The note was a summary of a report of non well précised Chinese officials. These latter were reporting what they would learn by cardinal Paolo Romeo, archbishop of Palermo. Romeo would say that the Pope was not supposed to live more than 12 months. The newspapers made headlines news of the plot. «It is a nonsense», Father Federico Lombardi, s.j. director of the Holy See Press Office said.

Benedict XVI goes  beyond every chat, he reaches for highness. In the front of the new cardinals, on Saturday, he remembers these phrase of Gospel: «For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:45)». «These words – the Pope comments – shed light upon today’s public Consistory with a particular intensity. They resound in the depths of the soul and represent an invitation and a reminder, a commission and an encouragement especially for you, dear and venerable Brothers who are about to be enrolled in the College of Cardinals»

Consistory: two characters

Consistory is a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinal. It can be ordinary or extraordinary, but only ordinary consistories can be public. Since the Pope creates new cardinals in the presence of the college, the consistory is where this takes place. The meeting was opened Friday by Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York: he underlined that «the Church is in need of deep conversion». The Pope concluded the meeting of Friday by suggesting the slogan for the Year of Faith to come: «living charity in truth». Among the new cardinals, there is John Tong, Chinese, archbishop of Hong Kong. Among the ones that are already cardinals, Paolo Romeo, archbishop of Palermo. He was who that in China talked about the possible death of Pope.

Paolo Romeo

Friday evening (February, 17^th), Romeo asked to meet Benedict XVI. The Pope agreed. In their face-to-face chat, Romeo explained what really happened. In fact, Romeo was a natural suspect of manoeuvering, even because of the «referendum» he promoted in 2006, when he was Papal nuncio to Italy, to replace Camillo Ruini, then president of Italian Bishops’ that was going to reach the pensionable age of 75. That move was inspired to Romeo by cardinal Angelo Sodano, then Vatican Secretary of State, and that is the reason why Romeo had been suspected to play against Bertone.

But the relationships between Bertone and Romeo seem good. On February, the 5^th, Bertone went to Catania, Sicily, for the popular celebration to honor Sant’Agata, the patron saint of the town. Romeo was there, too. Bertone and Romeo got well along together.

What did it really happen? Some Sicilian prelates outline an interesting scenario. It is a long time that Beijing top officials invite Sicilian bishops and prelates to China. Chinese looks at Siciliy with both economical and cultural interests. Confucius had been translated in Latin for the first time by Prospero Intorcetta, a Sicilian Jesuit born in Piazza Armerina, in the very center of the island, and went on mission to China. There is a foundation dedicated to Intorcetta, and Chinese businessmen have good relationships with this foundation. This is the background of Romeo’s invitation to China – some other bishop refused to go to China, not to let the Chinese government manipulate the sense of their non-official presence in Chian. Romeo also informed the Vatican Secretariat of State of his trip. It is November 2011.

John Tong

The 6th of January, Benedict XVI announced the consistory. John Tong Hon is one of the new berrette rosse. Tong replaced cardinal Joseph Zen as archbishop of Hong Kong. As Zen is combative, as Tong seems to be more diplomatic. The roots of this reputation are in a story that opens in 1985. Jin Luxian, archbishop of Shanghai, was under extreme pressure to accept an illicit ordination to be an auxiliary bishop of Shanghai from the Chinese religious authorities. Few inside or outside of Shanghai believed that it was possible for Jin to remain a faithful Catholic-at least, a Roman Catholic-if he accepted the ordination. Yet Jin believed that to reject the appointment would not only place the seminary at risk but also open the Shanghai hierarchy to a priest more inclined toward the Chinese Patriotic Association and the Communist Party. Reluctantly, he accepted, and he says that on the day of the ordination, he was in need of «consolation».

This consolation arrived from an unlikely source: with Pope John Paul’s knowledge and tacit approval, Laurence Murphy, a past president of Seton Hall University and an informal intermediary and adviser to the Vatican on the Chinese Church, and Father John Tong, now bishop of Hong Kong, attended the ceremony.  Jin concedes that there might have been serious consequences had the CPA been aware of a Vatican-approved presence. It is to Tong’s discrete credit (and Murphy’s, too) that this delicate mission wasn’t revealed for two decades.

The Chinese path

Actually, the relationship between China and Holy See had been stressed during the last years: Chinese government made  some illicit bishop ordinations, and the Holy See sent formal protest and excommunicated the bishops ordained without the Papal approval.

In fact, in China, the Catholic Church is divided into two branches. And this division originated in the policy of the communist authorities. The division sees on the one hand the communities that  the Chinese Catholics themselves call «dishang», literally «above ground», or «gongkai», open, meaning the ones with official recognition and registration on the part of the communist authorities, and on the other hand the «dixia» communities, literally «underground», that is clandestine and illegal, the ones that have never accepted registering and subjecting themselves to the control of the two bodies created ad hoc by the government: the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, and the State Administration for Religious Affairs.

The bishops – about a hundred of them in all – also reflect this division. There are the «above ground» ones and the «underground» ones. The first of these are in turn divided into three categories. There are bishops recognized by the government but not by the Holy See, who therefore were consecrated and exercise their ministry in an illicit form: currently there are very few of these. There are bishops designated by the government and consecrated illicitly, who later – through private channels – were also approved by Rome: these are now in the majority. And finally there are bishops, young and recently nominated, who were designated by the government but asked for and obtained approval from Rome prior to their ordination.

As for the «underground» bishops, ordained clandestinely with the approval of Rome but never recognized by the Chinese authorities, they are the main targets of harassment. They operate illegally under constant threat, are often imprisoned, and many are under house arrest. The same is true for their clergy.

The creation of Tong as a cardinal – even more dangerous of the “troublemaker” Zen for his diplomatic attitude – would also be considered a vulnus in the spite of strain relationships. A prelate, who wants to remain anonymous, underlines on the sideline of Consistory: «There will barey be steps forward in the China-Holy See dialogue after this creation as a cardinal».

It is even possible that Chinese officials never asked Romeo about the Pope’s health, and they just delivered a false report. This report, card. Dario Castrillon Hoyos had in his hands. He has been a useful tool for the Chinese purpose. Castrillon Hoyos is still aggrieved for his removal from Ecclesia Dei – the Vatican body that leads the dialogue with the Lefebvrists – after the so-called Williamson affaire – Richard Williamson, a lefevbrist bishop, made several times anti-Semites declarations. Some people refers that Castrillon can also barely stand Benedict XVI for his commitment against pedophilia of the priests. Castrillon line – he wrote it in a letter  leaked to the French weekly Golias – is only one: a priest must always  be defended. So, in this view, the Chinese report was aimed to torpedo John Tong cardinalate, but several different interests converged in its deliverance: the umbrage of card. Castrillon Hoyos, the card. Sodano and his friends manoeveuring to get rid of the Vatican Secretary of State Bertone, the traditionalists that do not want to accept the doctrinal preample – a pre-condition offered by the Holy See to sign the reconciliation with Rome – and want to show that Roman Curia is Babylon and that they are right. Traditionalists “champions” to take over the role of Vatican Secretary of State is card. Mauro Piacenza, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

The future of Chinese Church

What will be the role of cardinal John Tong Hon? Tong has followed events in China for decades. Member of the Vatican Commission for the Church in China, he has a positive view of the Commission’s work which in a few years has succeeded in spreading the Pope’s letter to Chinese Catholics and increasingly reconciling official and underground communities. In an interview to AsiaNews, Tong underlined that  «the Commission has produced many results. The group was formed after the pope issued his Letter to Chinese Catholics in June 2007. In the autumn of that year the Commission was launched. Our work is closely linked to that letter, which gives guidelines on how to address certain issues in the life of the Church in China».

The letter consists of two parts. The first is Catholic doctrine and structure of Church life. And in this regard, it states that the Patriotic Association is incompatible with Catholic doctrine and the Catholic structure. In addition the letter informs the Government that the Church has no political aims or interests, but encourages its members to improve their nation and make an active contribution to society. The second part deals with the formation of priests, nuns and laity. We all need an education and formation that does not stop at the seminary, but continues even after. We should continue learning throughout our lives.

In 2009, cardinal Zen,  archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong, sketched an assessement ogg the letter, published  in English and Chinese on the web site of the diocese. Zen – sketching out positive and negative things – identified the main negative element in the «false interpretation» made of some key passages of the pope’s 2007 letter. A false interpretation that in his judgment «has had disastrous consequences all over the Church in China».

The most serious misunderstanding of the guidelines given by Benedict XVI concerned – again, in Cardinal Zen’s view – the question of official recognition on the part of the communist authorities. Many interpreted the pope’s letter as a binding order to the The most serious misunderstanding of the guidelines given by Benedict XVI concerned – again, in Cardinal Zen’s view – the question of official recognition on the part of the communist authorities. Many interpreted the pope’s letter as a binding order to the «underground» communities and bishops to come out of hiding and ask for government recognition. Zen maintains instead that «such an interpretation not only does not represent the mind of the Holy Father, but also goes against the cruel reality of the facts».

According to card. Tong, «in all these years, the Commission has achieved several good results. First, we published a Compendium to more easily explain the contents of the Letter, highlighting its most important aspects. Secondly, we tried to help people really get that message and, thirdly, to put that message into practice. We have also received questions on how to implement the directives of the Letter. We will collect and present these to the Commission to try to find answers illuminated by the Spirit and approved of by the Pope. As for diplomatic relations between the Holy See and China, it must be said that this element is only part of the overall issue. First of all we must act on our way of life; diplomatic relations come after this and cannot absorb the whole picture. By participating in the Commission I have learned a lot and I’m grateful to the Pope for giving me this opportunity. Another result achieved is better and more fraternal relationship between the official and underground communities. There are still tensions and attacks – especially on the part of the underground community – but they are very small compared to the past. There have been improvements in diplomatic relations. Perhaps we should pray more to encourage the government to accept a dialogue».

Despiting the various analysis (that always deal with numbers and “geography” of the next conclave), there is another way to understand what the next consistory will be meaning. And this way is particularly indicative of what is the approach that Benedict XVI aims the Church to take.

Rumors about a new consistory had been circulating for long time. The last 5th of December, during a confidential meeting with some journalists, msgr. Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, cracked a joke when he had to leave the meeting before of its conclusion. «I am awaited – he said – in the Apostolic Palace. It is not because of my next creation as a cardinal». The consistory question had already come into play, and lists of the possible new cardinals had already begum to circulate.  Some of the most accredited insiders reported that there was a sort of bailouts for a red hat: or Fisichella made the cut, or msgr. Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

It is during those days that someone secretly made pressures to move Coccopalmerio from the presidency of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts to the Apostolic Penitentiary. The head of Apostolic Penitentiary must be a cardinal, and so the promoted appointment could appear as a promotion. It was – on the contrary – a case of promoveatur ut amoveatur: Coccopalmerio’s move would have broken a post – the one as president of Pontifical Council for Legislative Text – that is considered a key-post for Curia’s balances.

At the beginning of December, there had been other important events to remark. It is the 60th anniversary of the International Organization of Migration, and Holy See marked the anniversary its way, becoming a a full member of the organization, and not just as a permanent observator (this status the Holy See keeps on at United Nations, Unesco, Fao, European Parliament). The I.O.M. was established in 1951, and bases its activities on the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits both migrants and society. It has 130 member States, and around 100 observers. In his address for the application by the Holy See for membership of the I.O.M.,  msgr. Silvano Tomasi – Holy See Permanent Observer at the U.N. office in Geneva – noticed that «the experience of Catholic agencies and association in Geneva and on the ground worldwide, for example the International Catholic Migration Commission and the many national Caritas organizations, is well established and extensive». And he concluded: «The participation of the Holy See as a Member of the I.O.M. is a commitment to collaboration and support in the common search of solutions and assistance to people caught up in this mayor phenomenon of our globalized world».

By becoming a full member of the I.O.M., Holy See increased its diplomatic impact. The decisions is a message sent to the ones who try to undermine Holy See diplomacy from the inside. Rumors from diplomatic environments said that there is the intention to let some lay take important charges in Vatican Diplomatic Corps. Pontifical Legates must be priests, because they represent the Pope. This rule is valid only for Papal nuncios. Papal nuncios are the Pope’s ambassador, but at the same time they work as bishops. They weigh up candidates for episcopate in the countries in which they are nuncios, they speak to Episcopal conferences, and  they also have relationships with governments. On the other hand, nuncios who are appointed as permanent observer  just have in charge to maintain relationships among Holy See and States. Appointing lay people as permanent observers would not be out of Canon Law.

It is a subtle attack, moved from the inside, and it is also made through the requests made by advisors of European Union to enroll the Holy See in the «White List», the list of states most active in preventing and fighting the financial crimes.

On December 16th, the message for the World Day of Peace is presented in the Holy See Press Office. An insider of the Vatican Secretary of State defined the text a «more or less a high school homework». It is certain that the message does not follow the sketch outlined from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and this is fairly understood during the press conference: card. Peter Turkson and mons. Mario Toso – number one and two of the Pontifical Council for Justice and peace – reveal the guidelines of international law and social doctrine of the Church that are just to be foreseen in the official text. It is the last part of a strain between the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Vatican Secretary of State – the climax of this strain was when the Pontifical Council published the document titled «Towards reforming the international financial and monetary system in the context of global public authority».

During these days, the list of the to-be-created cardinals is definitely sketched out. The line is fair. Rino Fisichella will not be a cardinal, and the note of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith on the year of faith – released on January, 7th, but announced on January, 5th – is interpreted as a sort of diminishment of Fisichella, even if he has the important charge to manage the Synod for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, that will open the Year of Faith. On the other hand, Francesco Coccopalmerio is created cardinal. But there is not promoveatur ut amoveatur for him: he keeps his post at the Pontifical Council for the Legislative Texts.

Why Coccopalmerio made the cut? The roots cause can be seen in a speech held by Benedict XVI  in 2008. The Pope spoke to participants in the Study Congress organized by the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Code of Canon Law. He quoted Antonio Rosmini: «The human person is the essence of law». And he said: «The ius ecclesiae is not only a body of norms formulated by the Ecclesial Legislator for this special people who form the Church of Christ. It is, in the first place, the authoritative declaration on the part of the Ecclesial Legislator of the duties and rights that are based in the sacraments and are therefore born from the institution by Christ himself».

On one hand, Benedict XVI goes on with the «turning back to God» project, announced and proclaimed during the last trip in Germany, that is intended to be completed with the year of Faith. On the other hand, Benedict XVI feels the need to look back to the law, both canon and international law.

In fact, Benedict XVI – in the  letter to the Catholics of Ireland –  wrote that  «the program of renewal proposed by the Second Vatican Council was sometimes misinterpreted and indeed, in the light of the profound social changes that were taking place, it was far from easy to know how best to implement it. In particular, there was a well-intentioned but misguided tendency to avoid penal approaches to canonically irregular situations». It was 2010.

It is also in the direction of giving more importance to law that msgr. Antonio Maria Vegliò, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants, gained the berretta rossa. A highly experienced diplomat, Vegliò also got a doctorate in canon law. His appointment did not surprised as much, because it  fulfills Ratzinger’s requirements: since Holy See joined the International Organization of Migrants, a cardinal can increase the juridical impact of its diplomatic corp. The idea is to get back to the solidity of the international law, and at the same time to leave behind the fickleness of diplomacy.

And right before the announcement of the Consistory, during the Mass of the Epiphany, Benedict XVI made an important Episcopal ordination: the one of Charles J. Brown, a non-diplomat – he served until now in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – recently appointed as Papal nuncio to Ireland, to «fix» the difficult situation the Church of Ireland is living after the clergy abuse scandal. The appointment of Brown  is also a response to the choice of Irish government to close its embassy to the Holy See and to continue relations through an ambassador based in Dublin. Such a «calm and collected» response to Ireland – Thomas P. Melady, who served as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See during the administration of George H. W. Bush, said to Catholic News Service – thus reflects not only pastoral concern but also the «maturity of Vatican diplomacy».

This maturity, Benedict XVI aims to enforce. The list of the to-be-created cardinals increases the impact of Italian cardinals, and of Western Church in General, in the College of Cardinals. But, at the same time, the choices of Benedict XVI let understand what is his position: the Church needs to find its identity again, and its identity is also made of the ius ecclesiae. Turning back to law, to turn back to God: this is Benedict XVI project.