Diocese of Rome shake-up: Pope Francis transfers vicar to Vatican post

[Michie]

Pope Francis has transferred the vicar of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, to a different post as head of the Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican announced on Saturday.

De Donatis, 70, has overseen the administrative needs of the Diocese of Rome as cardinal vicar since 2017. His reassignment leaves the important post of vicar general of Rome vacant until the pope appoints his successor.

The Vatican also announced on April 6 that one of Rome’s seven auxiliary bishops, Bishop Daniele Libanori, SJ, will be transferred to a new position as the Holy Father’s supervisor for Consecrated Life. The Jesuit bishop played a key role in uncovering alleged serial sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse of women religious by Jesuit mosaic artist Father Marko Rupnik. Libanori reportedly learned of the women’s accusations while investigating the Loyola Community Rupnik co-founded in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Rupnik ultimately was dismissed from the Jesuit order and is currently under investigation by the Vatican.

The transfer of De Donatis is the latest move in Pope Francis’ major reform of the Diocese of Rome. The pope issued a decree last year that deeply diminished the role of the vicar of Rome and centralized the diocesan management under the formal control of the pontiff as bishop of Rome.

Continued below.

Diocese of Rome shake-up: Pope Francis transfers vicar to Vatican post

The reassignment of Cardinal Angelo De Donatis is part of a major reform of the Diocese of Rome by Pope Francis.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

 

[AlexB23]

Pope Francis has transferred the vicar of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, to a different post as head of the Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican announced on Saturday.

De Donatis, 70, has overseen the administrative needs of the Diocese of Rome as cardinal vicar since 2017. His reassignment leaves the important post of vicar general of Rome vacant until the pope appoints his successor.

The Vatican also announced on April 6 that one of Rome’s seven auxiliary bishops, Bishop Daniele Libanori, SJ, will be transferred to a new position as the Holy Father’s supervisor for Consecrated Life. The Jesuit bishop played a key role in uncovering alleged serial sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse of women religious by Jesuit mosaic artist Father Marko Rupnik. Libanori reportedly learned of the women’s accusations while investigating the Loyola Community Rupnik co-founded in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Rupnik ultimately was dismissed from the Jesuit order and is currently under investigation by the Vatican.

The transfer of De Donatis is the latest move in Pope Francis’ major reform of the Diocese of Rome. The pope issued a decree last year that deeply diminished the role of the vicar of Rome and centralized the diocesan management under the formal control of the pontiff as bishop of Rome.

Continued below.

Diocese of Rome shake-up: Pope Francis transfers vicar to Vatican post

The reassignment of Cardinal Angelo De Donatis is part of a major reform of the Diocese of Rome by Pope Francis.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

A lot of interesting stuff is happening in the Vatican recently, such as the Declaration released on April 8th. We will have to see what the next few months bring, and if the creepy Fr. Marko Rupnik is put in jail and removed of his priesthood.


Here is a quick overview of the article, for those with little time:

The article by Courtney Mares, published on April 6, 2024, reports on two significant personnel changes within the Roman Catholic Church. Both changes are a result of Pope Francis' ongoing reforms in the Diocese of Rome.

Firstly, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, who has been overseeing the administrative needs of the Diocese of Rome as cardinal vicar since 2017, has been transferred to a new role as head of the Vatican's Apostolic Penitentiary. In this position, he will serve as the head of the Vatican tribunal in charge of cases involving excommunication and serious sins whose absolution is reserved to the Holy See. De Donatis succeeds Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who is retiring from the post. With this new role, De Donatis will retain his position during a potential conclave and be one of the only cardinal electors who can communicate with people outside of the conclave to fulfill his duties.

Secondly, Bishop Daniele Libanori, SJ, one of Rome’s auxiliary bishops, has been transferred to a new position as the Holy Father's supervisor for Consecrated Life. Libanori played a key role in uncovering alleged serial sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse of women religious by Jesuit mosaic artist Father Marko Rupnik.

De Donatis was born in Casarano, Italy, and studied philosophy in Rome at the Pontifical Lateran University and theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University before being ordained a priest of the Diocese of Nardò-Gallipoli in 1980. He was incardinated in the Diocese of Rome three years later and served various roles including parish priest, director of the diocesan clergy office, and spiritual director of the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary. In 2014, Pope Francis selected De Donatis to preach the Lenten spiritual exercises for the Roman Curia and later appointed him as an auxiliary bishop of Rome in 2015. De Donatis was named vicar of Rome by Pope Francis in 2017, making him the first man in centuries to be named vicar general of Rome while not a cardinal. He was made a cardinal the following year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, De Donatis closed all of Rome’s churches to the public before reversing the decision at the request of Pope Francis. The Diocese of Rome and its leadership faced widespread backlash after issuing a letter praising the art and theology center founded by Father Marko Rupnik, who is currently under investigation for spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse of religious sisters.

The Vatican announcement of De Donatis’ transfer came one day after Pope Francis visited a parish in Rome for a closed-door conversation with Roman priests about pastoral issues facing the diocese. This meeting was described as part of Pope Francis’ periodic visits to his diocese.