The Strange Backstory of Why Francis Sacked Cardinal Sodano
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Weeks before, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, 92, as the Dean of the College of Cardinals, suggested to Francis to celebrate this day with a Mass together with the cardinals residing in Rome, writes Sandro Magister (December 21).
But Francis said no.
Sodano didn’t give up. He sent the sub-dean Cardinal Re, 85, and Francis agreed.
However, the Mass took place in total secrecy. The Vatican regime media published no news and no photos. Magister writes that this was on Francis' strict order.
The usually loquacious Francis didn’t preach, nor did he say a word before or after Mass. Sodano wasn’t allowed to wish him well. The address was only published in the after-noon.
After the Mass, Francis quickly and coldly greeted the cardinals one by one and ran off.
Eight days later, on December 21, Francis published a Motu proprio sacking Sodano as the Dean of the Cardinals.
Picture: Angelo Sodano © CTV, wikicommons, CC BY-SA, #newsKbulcrwbel
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