Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: Pope Francis’ Seismic Shift of the Secretariat of State

COMMENTARY: The move to remove the financial authority of the Vatican department vindicates the financial reforms first undertaken by Cardinal George Pell.

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, EWTN News, November 6, 2020

Father Raymond J. de Souza Father Raymond J. de Souza is the founding editor of Convivium magazine.

There was a major bureaucratic earthquake in the Roman Curia, reducing to rubble the powerful Secretariat of State’s administrative prestige and financial authority. One man though is standing tall, Cardinal George Pell.

Cardinal Pell is on a roll, all the more remarkable as he is now in retirement. His financial reforms are moving ahead at full speed, indeed more quickly and more far-reaching than when he was in office as the prefect of the economy under Pope Francis.

When the Holy Father defenestrated Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the former sostituto or second-in-command at the Secretariat of State, on suspicion of financial misconduct in September, it was widely viewed as a vindication of Cardinal Pell’s transparency and accountability initiatives. Cardinal Becciu had blocked Cardinal Pell’s measures for several years with considerable success. At the time, the Holy Father backed Cardinal Becciu in his conflict with Cardinal Pell. Now, even though the Australian cardinal is in retirement at age 79, the papal winds have shifted in his favor.  …

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