A tsunami of Italian prelates in the Roman Curia

But how many Italians are there in the Curia with positions of power? 

There is recurrent grumbling in some ecclesiastical circles (foreigners, of course, but not only) for what looks like a super-sized representation of the Italian Church in organizations that manage the life of one billion two hundred million believers around the world.

And, strangely, it seems that with a foreign Pontiff there has not been any major moves in his closest collaborators with choices from across the border.  

But it is likely that this situation has contributed to the presence of a Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who is not from the papal diplomacy, unlike his predecessors (Villot excluded). 

It is natural that when defining possible candidates to fill positions of responsibility, one almost unconsciously refers to a person in his "mental file" and consequently tends to favor those he personally knows or has worked with, rather than others who perhaps are equally appreciable but whom they only know indirectly. 

 

"Not even at the time of Pius XII was the Curia so Italian", jokes a monsignor – Italian  moreover – to whom we show the organization chart of the Benedict-Bertone Curia. 

And indeed, at first glance, the Italian clerical presence is impressive.  Starting with the Secretary of State, represented by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and the Deputy (a kind of "Minister for the Interior", with a wider range of tasks) Monsignor Giovanni Angelo Becciu;  i.e. the Pope’s two closest assistants.

The Foreign Minister is French, that’s true, Monsignor Mamberti; but his deputy is an Italian of great character and quality, Monsignor Ettore Balestrero.

 

Recently another super-important position flies the Italian flag, that of the "Red Pope", the prefect of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide. 

This is a very powerful congregation, with power over approximately 40% of worldwide catholicity, its own budget, and the opportunity to present "its" Episcopal nominations to the Pope. 

Cardinal Ivan Dias of India has passed the baton to Monsignor Fernando Filoni, formerly deputy to the Secretary of State, a nuncio with great experience.

Another Italian, Monsignor Piergiuseppe Vacchelli, is the Assistant Secretary; the Deputy Secretary is Monsignor Massimo Cenci of Pime.

 

With the imminent departure of Monsignor Carlo Maria Viganò for Washington an Italian nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, will  be arriving at the Curia, assigned to  the Prefecture for Economic Affairs to replace Cardinal Velasio De Paolis.

While another Italian, the current papal nuncio in Italy, Monsignor Giuseppe Bertello, will be President of the Governorate, the organization that administers the small city-State, Museums included. 

An Italian, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, replaced the Brazilian Hummes at the Congregation for the Clergy.

And the list goes on. 

At the Apostolic Penitentiary, Cardinal. Fortunato Baldelli has replaced an American, William Wakefield Baum; at the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts the Lombard Coccopalmerio has taken the place of the Spanish Cardinal Julian Herranz; and at the congregation for saints the Salesian Angelo Amato has succeeded the Portuguese Cardinal José Saraiva Martins (the secretary is another Italian, Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci). 

At the Pontifical Council for Culture Gianfranco Ravasi from Milan has taken the place of the Frenchman Paul Poupard, and at the Pontifical Council of the Family, the former Cardinal of Florence Ennio Antonelli, sits in the chair that once belonged to the Colombian Alfonso Lopez Trujillo. 

A totally new entry is the Department for New Evangelization, assigned to Monsignor Rino Fisichella; at the Pontifical Council for Migrants is Monsignor Antonio Maria Veglio; at the Pontifical Council for Social Communications Monsignor Claudio Celli replaced in this important role an old friend of John Paul II, the Polish Cardinal Andrzei Maria Deskur. 

The Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See (APSA) is led by an all-Italian trio: Archbishop Domenico Calcagno, Monsignor Louis Misto, and Monsignor Maximum Boarotto.

While at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the prefect Cardinal. Peter Turkson, is flanked by the Italian Bishop Mario Toso as secretary.

Even the management of the Pontifical Lateran University, the University of the Pope, we find an Italian, Monsignor Enrico Dal Covolo. 

While it is likely that the Cardinal delegated by the Pope for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the American John Patrick Foley, will be replaced by an Italian prelate.

 

It’s true that some important congregations, such as the Doctrine of the Faith, the Bishops, the Religious, the Divine Worship and Catholic Education are led by prelates of  Catholic churches around the world, but it is clear that an assessment of the first five years of the pontificate of Benedict XVI, and the presence of the Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone as Secretary of State, has restored the ecclesiastical world of the peninsula to its maximum splendor.

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