Ordination of the New Vicegerente: Pope Francis' Circus Continues
Last week, Francis didn't feel like going to the Lateran to open the Holy Door, but he was present at the episcopal ordination of Tarantelli, viceregent of the diocese of Rome, in the same basilica.
Monsignor Tarantelli was ordained to the priesthood only six years ago, at the age of 41, after working as a lawyer and teaching tax law at the university for a time.
Specola writes that in recent months there have been many critical voices about the way with which Tarantelli is pursuing the path of "reforms" entrusted to him and, above all, the rigid line of spending review imposed by Francis, given the difficult situation in which the Roman diocese finds itself.
The Roman priests are divided about Monsignor Tarantelli. Some of them have shown some confidence in his management skills, acquired during his time as a lawyer, while others remain suspicious, above all because of an alleged lack of transparency in some property decisions.
Don Tarantelli spent hundreds of euros from the coffers of the diocese of Rome to print posters advertising his episcopal consecration, which he sent to all the parishes, but his efforts have been in vain.
Despite the personal presence of Francis, the Lateran Basilica was almost empty. Very few faithful and very few priests, many of the few present were friends who have nothing to do with the Diocese of Rome.
The rite was presided over by the Cardinal Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, Monsignor Baldassarre Reina, the Cardinal Co-Consecrator Christoph Schönborn of Vienna and Bishop Michele Di Tolve, an Auxiliary Bishop of Rome.
Absent were the many priests of Rome and others such as Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, who ordained Don Tarantelli to the priesthood and introduced him to the Vicariate of Rome.
Also absent were Monsignor Benoni Ambarus (Auxiliary Bishop of Rome), Daniele Libanori (Auxiliary Bishop of Rome until April 2024), Riccardo Lamba (Auxiliary Bishop of Rome until February 2024) and Daniele Salera (Auxiliary Bishop of Rome until December 2024), Filippo Iannone (former Viceregente of Rome) and Gianpiero Palmieri (former Viceregente of Rome).
Tarantelli kept shooting glances and smiles at Francis, even while he was being questioned by Cardinal Reina, as required by the ritual.
In 2018, Francis did not attend the episcopal ordination of Gianpiero Palmieri, nor has he ordained any of the auxiliary bishops in recent years.
Francis, who wants to go down in history as the 'Bishop of Rome', a title that is supposedly so dear to him, may end up being the one who was most alienated from his clergy and people.
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