I hope Giacomo Galeazzi wrongly reported the statement attributed here to Pope Francis, supposedly by one of his aides, and that it is just as maliciously apocryphal as the statement "The Carnival is over" that the newly elected Pope reportedly told Mons. Guido Marini in refusing to wear the ceremonial mozzetta and stole that all Popes before him in modern times have worn for their first presentation to the world as Pope. The new statement today would further reflect badly on Benedict XVI, as if he were acting like a Renaissance prince because he gladly attended concerts organized and offered in his honor, which didn't mean he slacked off from work since these concerts generally start after working hours! (or because he wore the far-from-extravagant ceremonial regalia that all Popes, including those who went on to be saints, have worn without question). As for going to concerts, what about the thousands of us regular folk who love music and queue up patiently for hours at opera houses and concert halls to get a chance to buy the cheapest tickets made available for SRO-only space at sell-out performances? We certainly do not behave like Renaissance princes, much less live even remotely like them!
Pope Francis does not attend
a concert in his honor
'I am not a Renaissance prince who
listens to music instead of working'
by Giacomo Galeazzi
Translated from the Italian service of
June 22, 2013
So the Pope decided at the last minute not to attend a concert that was part of the Year of Faith program. Instead of going to Aula Paolo VI for the concert in his honor, Pope Francis stayed in the whole afternoon working at the Santa Marta residence.
"He had urgent matters to attend to," said one of his aides. "It's not a question of health. You can see that his secretaries and personal physician [Dr. Patrizio Polisca, the same one who was Benedict XVI's personal physician] are attending the concert".
At the last minute and after the Vatican official media had announced the Pope would be in attendance, Francis decided not to participate because of "commitments that cannot be postponed".
The urgency appeared to refer to conversations that he has been having with some of the Apostolic Nuncios who came to Rome en masse for their participation in the Year of Faith. Conversations which may presage a shuffling of Vatican diplomatic assignments preliminary to reforming the Secretariat of State and the other Vatican ministries.
[There they go again! It's a long way to October and that first meeting of the Group of 8 whom the Pope counts on to carry the reform. Besides, what's there to shuffle among the Nuncios? Is it now being alleged that there is 'evil and corruption' among them as well?]
The whole afternoon, Francis stayed in his room at Santa Marta and simply told his aides: "I am not a Renaissance prince who listens to music instead of working". [Since he kept to his room, one gathers his conversations with the nuncios - the urgent work Galeazzi supposes he was doing - were all conducted by telephone.]
And he proceeded to carry out the tasks of a day that was particularly 'heavy'.
[The official schedule only included three private audiences, in the nature of courtesy calls by three VIPs, and an audience to pilgrims from the Diocese of Brescia who came for the 50th anniversary of Paul VI's election as Pope; and his weekly meeting with the CDF Prefect.]
Once more, therefore, maximum attention to the content of his work, and little or none to worldliness and formality. Excuse me, Galeazzi! This is one case when your dotting the i's and crossing the t's is absolutely superfluous, and worse, offensive! For many people of faith, listening to the right music can be a spiritual experience as edifying as a period of meditation, and is hardly worldliness! As for formality, there is a place for it, as in liturgy, as in ceremonial protocol, as in diplomacy. Not everything can and should be considered informal, casual and random.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, gave assurances that "all the remaining events programmed for the Year of Faith will proceed as planned".
The absence of Francis from the concert is explained by the fact that the new Pope does not want to attend certain occasions or appointments, like concerts, which are not congenial to him. {Then he should have asked one of his aides to make this clear to the organizers of the concert, not decide at the last minute not to go!]
The concert featured music by Beethoven including his Symphony No. 9, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of RAI (Italian state radio-TV) and the Choir of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
Yesterday, the Pope addressed 108 Apostolic Nuncios currently serving around the world and 40 ex-Nuncios in a Year of Faith event that had been pre-programmed last year. But he availed of the occasion to stamp it with his own imprint: He gave each of the Nuncios a silver pectoral cross, and one presumes that from now on, the Nuncios will stop using their gold pectoral crosses in order to align themselves with the 'modest' style of the new Pope.
[Have we seen any of the cardinal electors or the various diocesan bishops doing that since March 13? What is wrong with gold anyway? One can almost bet that every prelate who wears a gold pectoral cross and chain received them as a loving gift at ordination from his family, or some rich friend, or even from his parishioners. And weren't we told that Cardinal Bergoglio wore a stainless steel cross and chain which he has chosen to continue to wear as Pope? Is Galeazzi sure those gift crosses were silver? They ought to have been stainless steel, as well. IMHO, if the intention is truly KISS (keep it simple, sinner!), all bishops, including the Pope should wear an olivewood pectoral cross with a chain made of olivewood beads. Why even bother with heavy metal? On the other hand, it might be salutary for the bishops to start their day by polishing their silver cross and chain because even sterling silver tarnishes... And BTW, the Nuncios should have taken off all their gold and dropped it into a collection box on their way out of the Vatican ,so that the precious metal and any jewels they had could be converted to Peter's Pence or meals-on-wheels or something similar.]
Galeazzi continues with more about the meeting with the nuncios yesterday, but his story about the concert was incomplete. The English service of Vatican Radio has not seen fit to devote a story to the concert without its guest of honor, but the Italian service did, and it says that Mons. Fisichella read a letter from the Pope thanking the performers and all who helped organize the concert. The last sentence of the RV Italian report says the Pope also expressed
"his appreciation for this monumental work [Beethoven's #9] which is able to make us experience not just a moment of respite and spiritual upliftment, but also to inspire in all of us sentiments that urge us all to profound reflection". Curiously, the RV report does not quote or refer to any apology for the Pope's absence. Surely, the letter must have started with one!]
I refrained from commenting much on the first half of the story but I do wish to point out a few obvious points:
1) Did Mons. Fisichella not double-check with the Pope about his disposition towards the concert, or could he not have been told earlier by one of the Pope's aides that the Pope would prefer to take a pass on this one since he does not like attending concerts? [But one of the earliest anecdotes I read about Cardinal Bergoglio is that he is an opera lover - not surprising, after all, for the son of an Italian family who grew up in Buenos Aires that has one of the world's greatest opera houses in its stupendous Teatro Colon, an architectural and acoustical marvel!]
2) Despite the letter of thanks, it was not very considerate at all to deprive the performers of their guest of honor. All their preparation, all the excitement of playing for the Pope, of having their family and friends present with them in the hall and psyched up to spend an hour in the presence of the Pope - all of it fizzling out at the last minute!
3) The program for concerts offered for Benedict XVI was always timed not to last longer than an hour. Surely, telephone conversations with a couple of Nuncios could have been postponed to the next day, so the Pope could take off for an hour and 20 minutes, max, allowing for pre- and post-concert pleasantries.
4) How is it worldly to listen to music but not worldly to follow the games of the hometown football team he roots for? Call me stupid, but I understand worldliness to be an attachment to 'things of the world' to the complete neglect - or at least to the detriment - of one's personal witness to the evangelical values Christ taught. Or perhaps I fail to get the theological sense at all of the fact that Jesus praised Mary of Bethany for pouring costly perfume on his feet to show her devotion and love. Surely, simplicity and modesty should not be debased to the level of fetish that has fanatical and demagogical elements?
On a completely different subject, for purposes of consistency, why aren't all the young people planning to go to Rio for WYD not told to stay home and donate their WYD budget to feed the poor in their respective countries instead? That was the rationale conveyed by the Nuncio in Argentina on behalf of the Pope to all those Argentines/ s who planned to to to Rome for the Pope's inaugural Mass.
P.S.
And here's Corriere della Sera's indulgent, apotheosizing account of the story:
That seat left empty by a Pope
who prefers to work instead
of attending a concert in his honor
by Gian Guido Vecchi
Translated from
June 23, 2013
Mons. Fisichella standing, right of center, informs the audience that Pope Francis is unable to come to the concert because of 'work that cannot be delayed'.
It is destined to become a symbol the Pontificate - that empty chair in the center of Aula Paolo VI as yesterday evening, invited guests and Church officials listened a bit taken aback to the 'Concert of Classical Music for the Year of Faith' in the absence of the Pope.
It happens that just the other day, addressing the Vatican's apostolic nuncios, Pope Francis had once more denounced that 'spiritual worldliness' which is a 'leprosy' on the Church, yielding to the 'spirit of the world' which "exposes us pastors to ridicule", that "kind of bourgeoisie of spirit and of lifestyle that induces accommodation in order to have a comfortable and tranquil life".
[So Vecchi considers a well-meaning concert all of that??? A leprosy on the Church, a source of ridicule for pastors, an accomodati0on towards a comfortable life? I do not think that is what Pope Francis had in mind.]
The fact is that no one before
has had to announce as Mons. Rino Fisichella had to, at 5:30 p.m., when everyone was awaiting the Pope's arrival at the concert hall, that "The Holy Father cannot be present because of urgent work that cannot be postponed".
[In 2011, Benedict XVI came late = very untypically - to the opening of an art exhibit by 60 artists honoring his 60 years as priest, but the reason was because he had to deal with a new problematic nomination of a Chinese bishop by the Communist 'patriotic Church'. That was a problem that could not be resolved instantly even if he had stayed away from the exhibit - and one gathers he was late for the appointment just for the time needed to be briefed about the situation and for him to discuss the Vatican's initial reaction, not to work out a solution then and there!]
General disconcertment and momentary 'mystery': Why? Fr. Federico Lombardi immediately ruled out it had to do with health reasons at all. and Mons. Fisichella assured everyone that the Pope's schedule the following day would remain unchanged.
Besides, present at the concert was Dr. Patrizio Polisca, the Pope's physician, and even Mons. Georg Gaenswein. prefect of the Pontifical Household and secretary to emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. It would be unthinkable for him to be there if either Benedict or Francis were ailing. So why?
Simply that Pope Francis had decided not to leave Santa Marta and continue to work as he does every day. To attend a concert is not in the DNA of a Pope who has decided not to go anywhere for the summer - he will stay in the Vatican
[other than the time he goes to Brazil for WYD next month] and has offered the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo for the summer use of Benedict XVI.
Except that yesterday's concert had been programmed since August 2012 and organized well before the Conclave last March. So the new Pope could not cancel it, but simply decided not to attend.
[It would have been considerate to inform Mons. Fisichella at least of this decision earlier!] -
It was learned from the Casa Santa Marta that Pope Francis did not leave the hotel the whole afternoon. Moreover, he reportedly told his aides simply: "I am not going to the concert. I am not a Renaissance prince..." Many think this is the sense of his decision, which is in line with so many other 'discontinuities' in personal style from his predecessors that have been evident in his first 100 days as Pope.
Starting with his decision not to live in the Apostolic Palace in order not to be 'isolated'. This was his first great 'reform', dispelling with one gesture
the atmosphere of a Renaissance or royal court in which the measure of 'power' at the Vatican was perceived closeness to the Pope and/or easy access to the papal apartment. [And whose measure is that but the media's? It's as artificial as any of the factoids they love to rewarm again and again and serve up habitually to those who follow them mindlessly. During the eight years of B16's Pontificate, no one ever referred to his immediate circle, which was always a small one, as a 'Renaissance or royal court' - to do so now is wrong and unfair, especially since during his 23 years in the Curia, when he was considered by everyone the #2 man at the Vatican, even if he was not Secretary of State, he scrupulously kept apart from any groupings or factions within it.
Vecchi's allusions to a 'court' apply more to John Paul II's Pontificate, during which quite a number of Poles with important Curial positions were part of the so-called 'Polish mafia' that was a feature of the privileged papal entourage, led by Mons. Stanislaw Dsiwisz, Blessed Wojtyla's trusted private secretary. The Polish Mafia's influence in Church affairs - including the all-important nominations for bishops and cardinals - was widely reputed to be very strong indeed, especially in the final years of the Pope's life.
In contrast, Benedict XVI's immediate circle was confined to his 'papal family' - two secretaries, four housekeeper-factotums, and a valet who turned out to be Judas. Business required that every weekday evening, as long as he was in the Vatican, he also met with the Secretary of State and/or his two deputies. But as much as he stayed 'loyal' to Bertone through the latter's missteps and knack for fading into the woodwork everytime a media crisis assailed Benedict XVI, no one has suggested that Bertone enjoyed the same level of personal trust that Benedict XVI came to place in Georg Gaenswein. Outside of the papal family, which by extension included non-members of the household, but members of Joseph Ratzinger's earlier 'curial family' (Brigit Wansing, his transcribing secretary; Mons, Josef Clemens, his private secretary for 20 years; and Ingrid Stampa, his housekeeper for 14 years) who also had easy access to the papal apartment, no one in the Vatican can be described to be an 'intimate' of Benedict XVI.
As for the notion of the Pope being 'isolated' just because he lives in the Apostolic Palace, that is pure crap, and the media should not indulge in it as 'the' principal motivation for Francis's decision not to live there. In his 26 years as Pope, did anyone in the media ever call John Paul II 'isolated' because he lived in the Apostolic Palace? His natural gregariousness and preference to have congenial persons around him during the times of the day when he was not meditating and praying by himself, antedated Francis's more backslapping kind of bonhomie.
But no one who could analyze the major cultural issues of the day and of our time as Joseph Ratzinger did could be said to be isolated - and even his detractors have not critiqued his analyses as being nothing more than ivory-tower musings detached from reality. Even if he talked to no one - and he did talk to a lot of people in the course of a normal working day (he did not spend those private audiences simply trading small talk with his guests, from heads of state to delegations representing private businesses, institutions and the common folk - each encounter had to be a learning experience for anyone with the inquiring mind and open disposition that he has!]
The Pope who wants 'a poor Church for the poor" did not go to concerts when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Rather he spent his evenings visiting families in the poorest neighborhoods of the city incognito.
[For one who had such a great reputation among BA's poor, how incognito could he have been? Also, were those visits really nightly, or occasionally? Or is this just one of those urban legends no one cares to research but simply assumes to be gospel-true. I must look up the appropriate references in the growing online literature on Francis to get a better idea.]
All this contributed yesterday to increasing nervousness in the Curia with its spasmodic expectation of new nominations to the Curia and to IOR. Was this the work that kept Francis busy yesterday afternoon? There are those who expect the first wave of Curial announcements to be made by June 29, feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
[Apparently, Vecchi does not read the news, because everyone else knows by now that the Pope has said he will leave it to his cardinal advisers to work out said reform, though of course, everyone understands he alone will make the final decisions. But since the Group of Eight is not meeting for the first time till October, the Curia jitterists should cool their jitters for now.]
It is taken for granted that there will be a mass turnover of Curial heads, starting with Secretary of State Bertone. All the Curial heads and their #2 men are holding office now until otherwise provided by the Pope.
But why should there be a mass turnover? To assume that is to assume that all of Benedict's Curial heads were either rotten or grossly incompetent. Unless a Curial head or secretary is one or the other, there is no reason to replace him for what is left of his five-year appointment term.
For weeks, the talk has been that Pope Francis will replace Bertone with Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Vatican Governatorate,
[whom the Italian media widely scorned as being 'Bertone's protege' when Benedict XVI named him to his current position and especially when he was made cardinal, as if he had no qualifications but being Bertone's protege. Now, all of a sudden, he is good enough for them to speculate that he might be Francis's choice for his right-hand man! In fact, it's like saying, "Oh look! Pope Francis found at least 'one good man' in that rotten, no-goodnik Curia of Benedict XVI - good enough to be one of his chosen advisers, and even to be SecState!" Seriously now!
The 'Bergoglio revolution' has roused great expectations. Last night at St. Peter's Square, there was a torch parade - with the demonstrators chanting "Francesco, Francesco" - to mark the 30th anniversary of the disappearance of the teenaged Emanuela Orlandi, daughter of a Vatican employe. She was abducted from a street in Rome, and her fate has been the subject of the wildest speculations this side of Dan Brown. The parade was organized by her brother Pietro who claims the Vatican has 'hidden knowledge' of his sister's fate.
[Apparently last night's event was far tamer than a demonstration he organized two or three years back which disrupted an Angelus assembly led by Benedict XVI.]
Fr. Federico Lombardi was forced to go on a RAI evening newscast to say: "There are no secrets held back that could in any way resolve this cold case. To continue to say that is calumnious. Officials within the Vatican always cooperated fully with the investigations."
[Since the crime was committed in Rome, the Italian police have jurisdiction over the case, not the Vatican. Of course, the Pope will easily win hearts by the thousands and reinforce his street creds as a folk hero, our Wonder-Pope, if he decides to ask Pietro Orlandi to come to Santa Marta for a tete-a-tete, and have it out once and for all. He could perhaps arrange for Orlandi to confront Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who, as Sostituto at SecState 30 years ago, dealt with the entire official investigation of the abduction and the internal Vatican inquiry into it.]
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 24/06/2013 01:32]