Yesterday, I looked at the coming new year in the world of politics. Today, let’s look at what 2016 might hold for the life of the Catholic Church. Tomorrow, we will examine the estuary where the two intersect.
Pope Francis’ year will be dominated by three events and one trip. First, we are all awaiting significant shakeups in the Curia. Plans are afoot to combine several offices into two super-dicastries, one dealing with Family, Laity and Life, and the other with Justice, Peace and Charity. Just as importantly, this reorganization invites the Holy Father to shuffle the personnel. It is no secret that the pope and much of the Curia are not exactly forming a mutual admiration society. He needs to change some personnel if he is going to be effective. And, of course, this pope is not afraid of surrounding himself with large personalities, so he would not be likely to appoint any shrinking violets. For example, if Pope Francis were to bring Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez to Rome, the cardinal’s rare combination of learning, international contacts, and dynamic personality would make him a force to be reckoned with.
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