Msgr. Hans Feichtinger: Beware the Pitfalls of Curial Reform

A structural reform of the Roman Curia has been one of the goals of Pope Francis and a reason why he was elected pope. Even some in the Curia support the idea. The last two major reforms were made by Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, yet many think what they did no longer works.

Details of the Francis reform have emerged revealing a number of major changes: a missionary uber-dicastery (for evangelization) will be established, and curial offices will no longer be distinguished by rank. Instead of congregations, dicasteries, and pontifical councils, all will be dicasteries. The rationale behind this act of Roman equality is yet unknown. The ultimate number of dicasteries is also unknown. In the area of Vatican finances, arguably the one most in need of reform, serious change seems to be delayed for now. Earlier attempts, including the auditing of the Vatican Bank, ran into stiff resistance. This needs to be rectified because it is in this part of Vatican bureaucracy that corruption is most at home. Moreover, the success of the proposed reform will largely depend on how the dicasteries are funded. I suspect that a hidden motive for the new reforms has to do with acknowledging financial constraints…..Read the entire article:  crisismagazine.com/2019/beware-the-pitfalls-of-curial-reform