'Going to Canossa' has become a metaphor for civilian leaders seeking out the Pope for some political accommodation (It is also wrongly seen as a symbol for civilian humiliation by the Church): In 1077, the German King Henry IV thought it expedient to cross the Alps in wintertime and knock at the door of Pope Gregory VII, who was visiting a noble estate in Canossa, near Bologna. Henry IV came to beg forgiveness so Gregory could lift his excommunication, imposed because he insisted on naming local bishops, a practice that Gregory VIII had ended. But Henry's 'penitence' was false, and soon insisted on his way again, while seeking to depose Gregory who was forced to flee Rome in 1084 to save his life. He died one year later while Henry reigned for another 20 years....SECOLO is the newspaper of Silvio Berlusconi's political party, Popolo della Liberta (Pdl).
Sarkozy goes to Canossa?
Visit with Benedict XVI in October may seek
to mend fences over expulsion of gypsies
by Paolo D'Andrea
Translated from
Sept. 11, 2010
Sarkozy has met Benedict XVI twice: in December 2007 at the Vatican, and in September 2008 in Paris.
While Benedict XVI is preparing to meet Queen Elizabeth of England, David Cameron and the new political leadership of the United Kingdom, the French are hoping to obtain an audience with the Pope, by mid-October, for President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Earlier this week, the secretary-general at the Elysee presidential palace, confirmed to the French newspaper
La Croix that diplomats are working on this.
If they succeed to arrange such a visit so speedily - by Vatican standards - it will be far more than a courtesy call and photo opportunity.
The background for this is the severe damage to Sarkozism that followed the expulsion of Romanian gypsies from France, which has been universally condemned, as the European Parliament did on Thursday.
The French government sees a visit to the Vatican as a leading initiative in a diplomatic counter-offensive aimed to get it out of a corner.
But the Elysee's moves also betray a nervous need which tends to cloud its view and further entangle unresolved kinks.
This is seen in the unceremonious way in which they leaked the indiscretion about a Vatican visit by Sarkozy. On Tuesday, Elysee sources made it appear that the request for the meeting came from the Vatican, and that Benedict XVI above all 'wished' to meet with Sarkozy.
They claimed further that the Pope wished urgently to personally reassure the French President regarding the false interpretation of his words to French-speaking pilgrims at the August 22 Angelus.
The Pope had called on all nations "to welcome legitimate human differences", which was interpreted by dominant international opinion as a criticism of the French government's expulsion of gypsies.
In fact, the fanciful account from Paris of papal intentions drew disapproval from the Vatican. In modern times, Popes have never called heads of state or government to the Vatican. Requests to see the Pope generally come from the diplomatic service of the requesting nation, and the process generally requires 3-6 months lead time before it can be accommodated on the Pope's calendar.
At the Vatican Secretariat of State, the French moves are seen as a crude attempt to force the hand of the Vatican, by attributing the 'impatience' for a meeting to the Pope rather than to Sarkozy who wants the audience.
At home, Sarkozy's policy about the gypsies notably soured relations between Sarkozy and the Church in France, with numerous prelates expressing disapproval of the government's policies towards immigrants in general.
But the greatest outrage was sparked by the unfortunate remarks of economist Alain Minc, a close adviser of Sarkozy, who, in commenting on the Pope's brief and general statement on August 22, said that "a German Pope who has reinstalled a negationist bishop cannot give any lessons on how to treat gypsies and immigrants", implying that as a German, Benedict XVI shares the extreme racism of the Nazis.
[A most outrageous statement and misrepresentation that above all, violates elementary decency and the truth, and about which I have seen no reports, much less the commentary it deserves, in the Anglophone press, not even in the Catholic media. Worse, Sarkozy himself has not condemned the unregenerate racism and bigotry in his adviser's words!]
On Tuesday, Sarkozy himself was reported to have told some French parliamentarians that he wished to talk to the Pope about the reactions of some French bishops who have criticized his hard line against gypsies.
He is quoted to have said, "Purple robes do not entitle anyone to taking shots" [against the government].
[So much for Sarkozy's 'healthy secularism', shown to be nothing but empty talk at the first test! And in a sense, this statement, if he really said it, is just as terrible as his economic adviser's, because it smacks of sheer anti-clericalism and the purest and most unhealthy brand of secularism.]
He was referring particularly to Mons. Robert Le Gall, Archbishop of Toulouse, who called on Catholics last week to show their fraternal solidarity with gypsies.
And yet, Sarkozy obviously needs a photo-op with the Pope. He needs to send a signal to Catholic voters, among whom he has been losing ground since 2007. A recent survey cited by
La Croix shows his approval rating among Catholic voters fell from 61 percent on August 2009 to 47 percent in August 2010.
Sarkozy, it is said, also hopes to discuss with the Pope the diminished French presence in the Roman Curia.
[But why should Sarkozy make that any business of his - other than concern as a French citizen who has an interest in the Church?]
Age considerations led to the retirement of Cardinals Roger Etchegaray and Paul Poupard from Curial leadership, leaving only Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who is president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialog.
The other prominent Frenchman in the Curia, Mons. Dominique Mamberti, who is Corsican, is the Vatican 'foreign minister', but has not managed to emerge from the corner into which he has been boxed in by the penchant for 'take-all protagonism' of his boss, Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone.
Other Curial stories today:
New Curial heads
to be named soon
by Ignazio Ingrao
On the chessboard of Curial nominations, the Pope is about to make major moves.
The prefect of the Congregation for the Religious, Slovenian Cardinal Franc Rode, is due to retire soon for reaching 75. Top candidate now mentioned to replace him is the Italian-born Archbishop of Chile,
Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, who is a Salesian Cardinal Bertone. He will be leading the dicastery that oversees the activities of congregations 190,000 priests and brothers and 740,000 sisters.
Also due to retire is the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, whose dicastery oversees the world's 270,000 diocesan priests. Favored to take over form him is his present #2 man, Mons. Mauro Piacenza, who was a protege of the late Cardinal Giuseppe Siri (who was the leading conservative candidate in the conclaves that elected John Paul I and John Paul II).
The third Curial chief retiring soon after he turns 75 is the president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum which administers Vatican aid to poor dioceses and for populations hit by great emergencies. The Bishop of Albano, Marcello Semeraro, has been mentioned as his replacement.
Meanwhile, it is thought that a new consistory, at which Benedict XVI will name at least 15 new cardinals, is now more likely to be held in February rather than this November as earlier speculated.
However, a story in ITALIA OGGI today reiterates the previous speculation about a November consistory, with at least 19 new cardinals to be named.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 12/09/2010 01:48]