Exclusive: Motu Proprio "Habebamus Papam"
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It is his 30th motu proprio and is entitled "Habebamus Papam". As it is already in the process of being translated, the text that was sent to Gloria.tv, will not undergo any further changes.
"Habebamus Papam" introduces modifications in the way the Supreme Pontiff will be addressed in the future.
It refers to Pope John Paul II, who spoke of the need for the papacy to be more open to ecumenical efforts in his encyclical "Ut Unum Sint" (That They May Be One), published on 25 May 1995.
In that document, the late pope invited leaders and theologians of other Christian traditions to engage in dialogue about how the papal office, in its role of service to unity, could be exercised in a way that better reflects the reality of Christian pluralism.
Francis insists that, after almost 30 years, it's time for the words of this canonised pope to be followed by deeds.
He points out that important work has already been done during his pontificate in updating the papal titles (in Italian in the Motu proprio: "aggiornamento").
Already in the year 2020, Francis writes, he dropped some pontifical titles in the Annuario Pontifico, such as "Vicar of Jesus Christ", "Successor of the Prince of the Apostles" and "Servant of the Servants of God", to name but a few. The same Annuario Pontificio presents him simply as "Jorge Mario Bergoglio".
In the same vein, the motu proprio "Habebamus Papam" decrees that from 29 June, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the title "Pope" will also be dropped.
There are many reasons for this decision. Firstly, the title "Pope" is not biblical and does not appear in the New Testament. Secondly, St Peter, who was the first "pope", never used this title. Third, in a synodal Church, where the bishops are not only equal among themselves but also equal with the faithful, the title "Pope" and its connotations of absolutism are outdated. Fourth, it is necessary for the Church to adopt a leadership structure that is accessible to modern men and women. Finally, many leaders of Christian churches around the world use the title "President".
As a consequence, in the future, the title "Pope" will be replaced by "President", because "President" is a universally recognised title for a function that someone can assume or relinquish after a period of time, as Benedict XVI has done.
The adoption of the title "President" is also in keeping with the structure of the Bishops' Conferences, whose leader is called "President".
The Motu proprio also decrees that the practice of changing a cardinal's name after he has been elected Pope will be discontinued. This measure will restore the dignity of the baptismal name, which should not be replaced by another name, because this gives the impression that becoming Pope is more than being baptised. But such an understanding contributes to an unhealthy clericalisation and hierarchisation of the Church.
Accordingly, any future Pope will retain his baptismal name, and Francis will revert to "Jorge Mario" when the motu proprio comes into force. Since in normal title usage "President" is used with the surname, not the first name, the official designation of a Pope in the future will be "President [surname]", in the case of Pope Francis: President Bergoglio. This is in line with the practice of the secular clergy and the Jesuits, who use their surname rather than their name.
The new motu proprio exhorts all believers of good will to leave behind nostalgia and longing for the past, explaining that this change is in the logic of Ecclesia semper reformanda ("the Church must always be reformed").
Picture: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, CC BY-NC-ND, #newsVskryvzonp
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