Issuu

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INSIDE THE

MAY 2020 $5 / EUR 5 / £3.30

VATICAN

“SUDDENLY A VIOLENT STORM AROSE” (MATTHEW 8:4)

“WAKE UP, LORD!” “WHY ARE YOU AFRAID? HAVE YOU NO FAITH?” LORD, YOU ARE CALLING TO US, CALLING US TO FAITH

CARDINAL GEORGE PELL Acquitted on all charges, Pell is set free

DR. WILLIAM MOYNIHAN A tribute to a Catholic, scholar, mentor and friend

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INSPIRING NOVELS TO

“Ignite our Adventurous Hearts”

X Charis in the World of Wonders

X Bartolomé de las Casas

Marly Youmans

José Luis Olaizola

leeing flaming arrows and a massacre, Charis escapes into the wilderness and searches for another place to call home. She must struggle for survival: to scour the forest for shelter, to seek a new family and setting where she can belong. Her unmarked way is costly and hard. Streams of darkness run through the 17th century villages of the Salem Massachusetts Colony, and occult fears can creep into the mind. Much will oppose Charis’ longings for renewal and peace; the young woman must pursue the hero’s path to a larger, more vivid life.

CWWP . . . Sewn Softcover, $17.95

X Silent Angel

“Youmans' prose is fluid, graceful, sharply witty, and deeply rich in symbolism—the work of a master.” —J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B., Author, The Eighth Arrow and Humility Rules “A prismatic grace journey that awakens our dulled senses and ignites our adventurous hearts. An incomparable gift of faith and art for generations of readers to come.” — Makoto Fujimura, Artist; Author, Culture Care and Silence and Beauty

X The Innocents and Other Stories Gertrud von le Fort

hese four beautifully written novellas by the acclaimed German writer are from her later works of historical fiction. Ominous and mysterious, these page-turning stories bring to life momentous chapters from the past.

he fiery figure of de las Casas comes to life in this novel by acclaimed Spanish author Olaizola. The most polemical person involved with the discovery of America, this powerful work tells the dramatic story of his life from his dissolute youth to a rich landowner in Cuba, his conversion and ordination as a Dominican priest, and strong influence with bishops and kings on behalf of the rights of the native Indians.

BLCP . . . Sewn Softcover, $16.95

Antonia Arslan

ased on a true story involving miraculous grace, this is a powerful account of human resilience and heroic faith amidst the massacre of Christians during the Armenian Genocide. It follows the journey of five survivors who become guardians of a work of inestimable value, the Book of Moush, an ancient illuminated manuscript they vow to defend with their lives to bring to safety.

SAP . . . Sewn Softcover, $14.95

X See No Evil Fiorella De Maria

n this third title in the popular Father Gabriel Mystery series, what starts as a possible domestic murder quickly propels the detective priest into a dangerous criminal underworld where Nazi loot is bought, sold—and perhaps killed for.

VLF2P . . . Sewn Softcover, $14.95

SNEP . . . Sewn Softcover, $16.95

“Rarely does a writer reveal depths of understanding of the human heart as von le Fort does. She writes with such subtlety, irony, gentleness and inevitable surprise.” —Peter Kreeft, Philosophy Professor and Best-selling Author

“Once again De Maria presents a world worthily reminiscent of the post-war golden age of mystery fiction but illuminates it with her own special flair.” — Eleanor Nicholson, Author, A Bloody Habit: A Novel

www.ignatius.com P.O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, CO 80522

1-800-651-1531

03 EDITORIAL May-corr1_B. EDITORIAL December, 08, p. 4 copy 4/27/20 5:03 PM Page 3

EDITORIAL

by Robert Moynihan

Remembering My Father

My father, William T. Moynihan, passed away at his home in Connecticut, just before dawn on March 28, after a brief illness. He was 93. I was not able to be with him due to travel restrictions connected with the coronavirus

“Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He flees like a shadow and does not remain.” —Job 14:2 “Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again.” —St. Paul, First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 15:51 “For He will transform the body of our humiliation into the image of His glorious body.” —Philippians 3:21

March 30, 2020—My father, William T. Moynihan, passed away on Saturday morning, March 28, two days ago, just before dawn, peacefully, at his home in Connecticut. I do not know if the coronavirus had any role in his death. He was not tested. Toward the end, he did have a spiking fever which reflected a painful internal infection. But I did not expect his death so soon. Due to quarantines and restrictions on travel, I was not able to be with him (I left Italy before travel restrictions locked the country down, but did not go to see him at my childhood home in Connecticut to avoid any chance that I might carry the virus with me and infect him). Our parish priest, Fr. John Antonelle, of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Storrs, Connecticut, was not afraid of the virus, and came to our house, to my father’s bedside, and anointed him and gave him the last rites. My father saw and understood, and nodded, and fell into his last deep sleep. I will not be present tomorrow for the Rite of Christian Burial when my father is buried next to my mother. Only five people are allowed to gather at one time and place in Connecticut today. So Father John, together with someone from the local funeral home, two of my brothers, and one of my sisters, will commend my father to God. This editorial, then, must become my farewell to him. My father was the grandson of an Irish immigrant who came to Haverhill, Massachusetts in about 1870. For such Irish immigrants, the Catholic parish was a second home — and sometimes, a first home. The Church meant so much to them. It indicated to them that “higher road” my father urged me to walk in life. When I was four or five, my father handed me an old Catholic missal he had thumbed through in minor seminary (yes, he studied to become a priest; if he had continued, I would not be here). “This is the most important book you will ever own,” he said, to my wideeyed wonder. The missal’s pages were fine as gossamer, transparent, so thin that turning them was a marvel — the paper was so thin I thought it might tear, but so strong it never tore. In that thick missal, with its various colored threads to mark places, were the prayers of the Church: the Mass, the daily office, and all of it both in Latin and in English. So I felt from earliest childhood that I was poised between a culture of “now” and a culture of “always.” Between a way of using words (in English) that my playground friends and I could share with ease, and a way of using words none of us could use with ease, but which rolled down the centuries like a sonorous tolling bell, telling me each week, each day, “we are one people, one tradition, from the apostles until today, via a cloud of witnesses whose names we chant: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius,

Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian.” That I felt from the age of five. That my father gave me. There would be a time to say much more. He helped me when I started the magazine in 1993, writing many beautiful, thoughtful articles, and without him perhaps the magazine would not have survived — he also helped me financially. He thought and wrote clearly. He urged me to think and write clearly. I owe him so much, beyond what can be written. But for this day, I want to remember one thing he wrote for me that I never read until a few weeks ago, when my sister found the passage in my father’s diary. It was the entry for the day of my birth.“Thursday, November 12, Robert Barnes Moynihan born 4 a.m. this day at Meriden hospital. Dr. Pennington delivering. Mother fine. Dear Robert, welcome to existence. I fear you will be exposed to the eternal struggle for eternal life in much the way your father was. Instead of learning from my mistakes, I hope you learn from my virtues. Don’t question for an instant the nature of this existence — it is struggle — a testing. For what purpose? No man knows for sure, but if you look closely and sympathetically you will see that a meter and rhyme so closely intermingles both the human (animal) and divine that you know eternity is a phase of life yet to be had. God love, protect and bless you. Maria, ora pro nobis.” I did not know my father had written such words to me. I did not know that he had invoked God’s protection and blessing and Mary’s prayer on my life and on his life and my mother’s life — “Mary, pray for us,” for us, not “Mary, pray for him,” but “for us,” for me in communion with them, my parents, and with the six brothers and sisters who were to follow. And so I write these poor words in his memory, two days after his passing. My father was a man who lived “in the light of God” and “under the aspect of eternity.” He told me that, from the perspective of the world, the faith is folly, while from the perspective of the disciples, it is God’s surpassing glory, beyond what we can imagine with our rational minds. This world tests us, even — I dare to say — enslaves us, in many ways, many different ways. In fact, we enslave ourselves. So our freedom must come from an infusion of power, of grace, which surpasses us, and heals us, and sets us free. This my father taught me. I recall, as a boy, seeing him kneel or sit with his head in his hands after Communion. “Why does he sit with his head in his hands?” I wondered. He sat with his head in his hands to be a witness to being a man, so that I, and others, could see. And in that gesture, I understood that he was in relation with some principle, some reality, some ground of being, some holy and hidden God, who drew him toward Himself. That was the lesson my father gave to me. Not to tick off the boxes of a pre-fabricated life, but to get up and walk on a journey toward the infinite, even after falling down, especially after falling down, and continuing to the end, for in our end is... our beginning. Dad, may eternal light shine upon you, and may you rest in peace.m MAY 2020 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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MAY 2020

CONTENTS

Year 28, #5

LEAD STORY Acquitted! Australia’s highest court sets Cardinal Pell free by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 NEWS China-Vatican/Cardinal Zen is not backing down by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 MAY 2020 Year 28, #5

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Robert Moynihan ASSOCIATE EDITOR: George “Pat” Morse (+ 2013) ASSISTANT EDITOR: Christina Deardurff CULTURE EDITOR: Lucy Gordan CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Giuseppe Rusconi WRITERS: Anna Artymiak, Alberto Carosa, William D. Doino, Jr., David Quinn, Andrew Rabel, Vladimiro Redzioch, Serena Sartini, Father Vincent Twomey PHOTOS: Grzegorz Galazka LAYOUT: Giuseppe Sabatelli ILLUSTRATIONS: Stefano Navarrini CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Deborah B. Tomlinson ADVERTISING: Katie Carr Tel: 202-536-4555, ext.303 kcarr@insidethevatican.com

EDITORIAL OFFICES FOR MAIL: US: 14 West Main St. Front Royal, VA 22630 USA Rome: Inside the Vatican via delle Mura Aurelie 7c, Rome 00165, Italy Tel: 39-06-3938-7471 Fax: 39-06-638-1316 POSTMASTER: send address changes to Inside the Vatican c/o St. Martin de Porres Lay Dominican Community PO Box 57 New Hope, KY 40052 USA Tel: 800-789-9494 Fax: 270-325-3091 Subscriptions (USA): Inside the Vatican PO Box 57 New Hope, KY 40052 USA www.insidethevatican.com Tel: 800-789-9494

INSIDE THE VATICAN (ISSN 1068-8579, 1 yr subscription: $ 49.95; 2 yrs, $94.95; 3 yrs, $129.95), provides a comprehensive, independent report on Vatican affairs published monthly except July and September with occasional special supplements. Inside the Vatican is published by Urbi et Orbi Communications, PO Box 57, New Hope, Kentucky, 40052, USA, pursuant to a License Agreement with Robert Moynihan, the owner of the Copyright. Inside the Vatican, Inc., maintains editorial offices in Rome, Italy. Periodicals Postage PAID at New Haven, Kentucky and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2020 Robert Moynihan

INSIDE THE VATICAN

MAY 2020

DOSSIER Empty Easter: Rome in a time of virus, everything closed... by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 St. Corona, pray for us by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 The Lord is with us in this storm by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Public Mass resumes in first US diocese by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Tending to the soul first, then the body by Philip C. L. Gray, JCL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 The virus between faith and medicine by Thomas W. McGovern, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Rome — Coronavirus diary by Dr. Giuseppe Rusconi, Swiss Vaticanist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 PHOTO ESSAY A Lonely Prayer in Time of Pandemic REFLECTION/”When evening had come” (Mark 4:35) by Pope Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 IN MEMORIAM: PROF. WILLIAM T. MOYNIHAN, HUSBAND, FATHER, COUNSELOR, WRITER, FRIEND (JUNE 23, 1926-MARCH 28, 2020) — “SEMPER FI” MAY ETERNAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HIM/ by William A. Doino, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 CULTURE INTERVIEW/ by Dr. Jan Bentz, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 SCRIPTURE/ by Prof. Anthony Esolen, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 INTERIOR CASTLE/ by a Hermitess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 FOOTSTEPS ON THE WAY/ by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

URBI ET ORBI: CATHOLICISM AND ORTHODOXY Icon/Who are the violent? by Robert Wiesner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Spirituality/The Greatness of Prayer By Father El Meskeen (1919-2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 East-West Watch/Underground Church marks discovery of Kazan icon by Peter Anderson, eminent student of all things Orthodox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 News from the East: Mt. Athos to hold vigils for coronavirus victims by Becky Derks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Initiative/Let us “accompany” the elderly during the pandemic... by Kyle Hayes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 FEATURES LATIN/The Plague of St. Cyprian (c. 200-258 A.D.) by John Byron Kuhner, Paideia Institute, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Art/Pope Francis prays before the Marian icon Salus Populi Romani, to end pandemic by Lucy Gordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 BOOK/Selection from Lord of the World (originally published in 1907) by Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Vatican Watch/A day-by-day chronicle of Vatican events: March and April by Becky Derks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 People/ by Becky Derks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Food for Thought/Restaurants in monuments, one in Trastevere by Mother Martha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Cover: Altar of the Navicella (Altar of the Little Barque of St. Peter), St. Peter’s Basilica,mosaic from 1727 based on a fresco by Italian Baroque painter Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647)

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Brilliant Insights into DEEPER PRAYER & HOLINESS X CONTEMPLATIVE ENIGMAS Fr. Donald Haggerty Written by an acclaimed expert on contemplative prayer, this book focuses on the interior hardships experienced by souls who strive to give themselves wholly to God. These poignant observations are the fruit of the author's many years in retreat work. Personal experience, not just knowledge of the spiritual tradition, informs his carefully crafted comments. He invites you to ponder the subject of spiritual darkness, perplexity, and other struggles in the spiritual life, always in the light of the loving God who draws souls into greater surrender to Himself. CTENP . . . Sewn Softcover, $17.95

“Penetrating yet accessible guide that leaves us more consoled, competent, and conversant in the noble art of prayer." — Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York “A great aid to understanding the enigma of darkness in prayer. A unique enticement to richer prayer and greater love for the One we hope to see face to face." —Fr. Sebastian White, O.P., Editor-in-Chief, Magnificat

Other Inspiring Works by Fr. Donald Haggerty

X The Contemplative Hunger

X Conversion

Short and effective meditations on prayer and contemplative spirituality that address the heart of a soul's interior response to God. His desire to draw souls to a deeper gift of themselves is inseparable from His desire to draw them into a deeper encounter with the sacred mystery of His presence.

Penetrating observations of the phenomenon of Christian conversion. He discusses the essential elements of a soul's return to God, and explores the fruits of conversion that make the difference between a mediocre relationship with God and a truly holy life. The invitation to embrace a deeper passion for God is the thematic undercurrent of this inspiring work.

CHUP . . . Sewn Softcover, $17.95

CNVP . . . sewn Softcover, $17.95

X Contemplative Provocations This book provokes us to persevere in the ultimate adventure in life - the more complete discovery of the living God. It offers a rich profusion of insights on the life of prayer and the pursuit of God, showing that a key to spiritual growth is understanding that the hiddenness of God is a paradox for a soul seeking him wholeheartedly. COPRP . . . Sewn Softcover, $17.95

www.ignatius.com P.O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, CO 80522

1-800-651-1531

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PLAN FO R 2021!

Visi h eVa t i c a t nPi lg r im a g es.com for a com p l e t e list of our 20 21 pilg rim a g e s.

I n s i d eT

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

INSIDE THE VATICAN welcomes letters but cannot reply to all. Each is read and considered carefully. Printed letters may be edited for clarity. You may email us at editor@insidethevatican.com

FROM A PRISONER

We get requests like these everyday.

Help us, help them. Many prisoners—as well as religious—have requested, but are unable to afford, subscriptions. Please donate to the ITV Scholarship Fund and provide 10 issues of Inside the Vatican magazine for only $39.95/year.

1-800-789-9494 www.InsideTheVatican.com 8

INSIDE THE VATICAN MAY 2020

May the Lord give you peace! I am happy and excited to be writing to you once again. I pray that God is blessing your efforts to keep the faithful well informed of what is happening in the Holy See and throughout the Church. I pray for you and your staff weekly. In these turbulent times your publication is a lighthouse that guides us to the safe harbor that is the true Church of Christ. Thank you for your truthful reporting, dedication, and determination. I did not renew my request last year for a donor subscription in order to allow someone else this opportunity. This year, however, I do humbly ask for a subscription. Your wonderful magazine is a helpful tool in my enjoyable job of catechizing the growing number of Catholics in my prison. It helps answer difficult questions that arise. I thank you in advance. You are greatly appreciated and help all to have the faith in the Scripture that “the gates of hell will not prevail against her” (the Church). May Jesus Christ be praised! Joseph Moscaritolo, DC#V27703 Avon Park Corr. Inst. Avon Park, Florida, USA

“THE BEST SENTENCE” The best sentence in your April 2020 issue is on page 59: “The next ordinary Synod of Bishops will be a synod on synodality, the Vatican announced March 7.” I can’t tell if the redundancy is an oversight or editorial whimsy. But that sentence is especially appropriate located in the same pages as Professor Esolen’s eye-rolling towards Confidence-Men and committees. “Industrial committees” have already taken over health care, education, and government, and Esolen shows us the results of poetry by committee. A committee on committees, or a synodal synod on synod synodality, perpetuates self-justified bureaucrats ad infinitum, but Rome is nice in October. Thad Whiting Wisconsin, USA

AN ERROR ON A TOMB I don’t want to be too critical, but there is an error in your March print edition con-

cerning a famous monument in St. Peter’s by Bernini. The tomb, “Death with an hourglass,” is that of Pope Alexander VII (16551667), not Alexander VI (1492-1503). The tomb of Alexander VI, Borgia, is, if I am not mistaken, in the Church of Santa Maria di Monserrato, just off the Piazza Farnese. Bruce Hacker Front Royal, Virginia, USA The Editor replies: Thank you, Bruce, for this needed correction. I am happy to have comments and corrections from all readers. Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum (“To err is human, but to persist in error is diabolical”), and we are certainly human here, and need help from readers to correct our errors.—RM

“LORD, HAVE MERCY” It seems the old foundations of our Church, at least since it became overbuilt clerically, are being restructured to conform more closely to the vision of Jesus when he called fishermen and named Peter first among them and sent the Holy Spirit to guide and empower them. I don’t think it is right to scapegoat Francis for the clerical failings of the past 100 years. Francis inherited a terrible mess! My approach: let God be God and pray for our beloved Church. It seems to me that all the “Francis haters,” Viganò and Burke among them, are jumping on this opportunity to “get him” because of his pastoral approach to marriage and divorce. It challenges the clerical authoritarian and legalistic mindset which enabled the present scandals. Lord have mercy on Pope Francis, and them, and us all. Carol Marquardt Clearwater, Florida, USA mamacackie@aol.com

VIGANÒ ON FATIMA I want you to stop sending your “Letters” to me. Your Letter #7, giving the thoughts of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò on the Third Secret of Fatima, is very heretical, and so is Viganò. How dare you or he refer to Pope Francis as “Bergoglio”? Mr. Moynihan, I will not even waste my time pointing out that you and the archbishop are

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the heretics. You are the living “Pharisees” of our day. May God protect His Church from people like you. Kathleen Hopkins, RN khopkins1952@gmail.com I read with special interest both your son Christopher’s translation of Archbishop Viganò’s text on Fatima, and the letter from a subscriber. Both astonishing. Needless to say, both were devastating concerning the current subversion and destruction of the traditional One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic faith by the current hierarchy. We the faithful of the traditional Church, are without any advocates, albeit, other than a few cardinals with no influence in Bergoglio’s Vatican. Our only hope for a restoration of the traditional Church is for a future Pope with the zeal to return to the authentic Apostolic faith. I remain a Catholic today, not because of the clergy or the hierarchy, but only because of my catechesis in the faith many decades ago now. Thank you for your courageous and important writings, Bob. Victor Cameron vcamco@comcast.net I respected Archbishop Viganò’s original calls for clarity and action on Cardinal McCarrick and the whole clerical abuse scandal, and his call for a cleanup at the Vatican, but I find he is getting off on too many tangents of late and claiming things beyond his competence (like this on Fatima). God bless. Christ is Risen, truly He is Risen, Alleluia! Fr. Lindsay Harrison Ottawa, Canada Thanks for the latest teaching of “Papa Carlo.” (Sarcasm off.) Father Jack Feehily fatherjack@StAndrewmoore.com

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You have recovered your speech. Your father’s passing has given you renewed courage. We need it. Thank you for being courageous. Praise God. P.S. The Order of Malta is in another crisis. The Grand Master is very ill in Rome at the Grand Magistry on Via Condotti. Tom Greerty tgreerty@aol.com Two things at this late hour in Mobile, Alabama. (1) Viganò’s testimonies and subsequent commentaries have been and continue to be chilling. He has the perspective, as you do, of seeing the Church’s underbelly. I agree totally with his assessment that the majority of the faithful, including many parish clerics, have little or no idea of the immense dangers to the Church over the past 60 years, although Viganò’s testimonies have exposed much for those who are listening. I am 82, and my faith was formed during the agonies of World War II and the recovery decade of the 1950s. I still remember the peace and reverent silence of the Latin Masses. I’ve often told my wife that as reverent as parish Masses are, I deeply miss that old peace. As just a guy in the back pew somewhere, I know Viganò is the Jonah of this age. He is a voice in opposition to the destruction Satan is working inside our Church. I’m waiting for your book with anticipation and a sense that I wish it wasn’t needed. I did not know that your Dad followed your Mom in March until this letter arrived earlier tonight. I had the same experiences back in the 1970s and 1980s, my friend. Mom went first in 1979; Dad in 1985. I don’t think that losing parents is something we ever really get over. The only way I can describe those losses is that two holes were ripped into my existence, never to be filled again. Without their love, discipline, guidance over my life and formation of Faith that ultimately saved me (a hellion), God only knows where I would have ended up. Family is the paramount building block of life, civilization and culture. Without family we are lost, and so many are in this time. You and your parents are in our prayers, Bob. Joe Murray Mobile, Alabama, USA

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www.thevintagecatholic.com MAY 2020 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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LEAD STORY

CONVICTION OVERTURNED: Australian Cardinal George Pell has been released from prison after his conviction on charges that he abused two boys was overturned by Australia’s highest court. Pell here relaxes on the grounds of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Sydney April 9, 2020.

(CNS photo/courtesy Archdiocese of Sydney)

Opposite page: Australian Justice Mark Weinberg and Canadian writer Fr. Raymond de Souza

ACQUITTED! Cardinal Pell’s Conviction Overturned AFTER 409 DAYS IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, THE FORMER HEAD OF THE VATICAN’S SECRETARIAT FOR THE ECONOMY IS ACQUITTED OF “HISTORIC” SEXUAL ABUSE CHARGES

n BY CHRISTINA DEARDURFF

cardinal of the Catholic Church, convicted in Australia last year of disgraceful crimes of sexual abuse, spent 409 days in solitary confinement in two different prisons. He underwent two trials and a failed appeal and then, finally, a last appeal before the country’s highest court, which resulted in his being set free. 10 INSIDE THE VATICAN MAY 2020

Cardinal George Pell, 78, archbishop of Melbourne, Australia and the Vatican’s former Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, on April 6, was cleared in one of the highest-profile clergy sexual abuse cases in the world when the High Court of Australia ordered his release from prison and his complete exoneration on all charges.

Pope Francis, the next day, tweeted, “Let us #PrayTogether today for all those persons who suffer due to an unjust sentence because someone had it in for them.” And it indeed appeared that “someone had it in for” the cardinal. Commentators on both sides of the deep divide over Australia’s

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“FREE EVEN WHEN INCARCERATED”

atholic writer George Weigel, longtime defender and friend of Cardinal Pell, on the cardinal’s “priestly character” — and whether Australia will learn from his ordeal Throughout this ordeal, Cardinal George Pell has been a model of patience, and indeed a model of priestly character. Knowing that he is innocent, he was free even when incarcerated. And he put that time to good use—“an extended retreat,” as he called it—cheering his many friends throughout the world and intensifying an already-vigorous life of prayer, study, and writing. Now that he can, at last, celebrate the Mass again, I’ve no doubt that he will make, among his intentions, the conversion of his

Catholic Church in general agree that the cardinal’s conviction was, from the start, a miscarriage of justice. The Church is unpopular in progressive circles of Australian society, including the secular media and some sectors of government, and many believe that the police who first brought charges against the cardinal did so at the behest of others in positions of authority. In fact, the police used unorthodox techniques in what has been described as a “fishing expedition” against the cardinal, including advertising in the newspaper for people to come forward with accusations against him — all before there were even any charges against the cardinal. The actual charges on which the cardinal was eventually tried — twice, as the first trial resulted in a hung jury — involved two adults who, the prosecution claimed, had been sexually abused by the cardinal when they were 13year-old choir boys at the Melbourne cathedral where the cardinal said Mass. One of the complainants died of a drug overdose before the trial even began, but not before telling

persecutors and the renewal of justice in the country he loves. As a citizen of the Vatican, Pell did not have to abandon his work in Rome to return to Australia for trial. The thought of appealing to his diplomatic immunity never occurred to him, though. He was determined to defend his honor and that of the Australian Church, which he had led in addressing the crimes of sexual abuse (and in many other ways) for years. Pell bet on the essential fairness of his countrymen. The High Court’s decision vindicated that wager, finally. The reception of the court’s decision will tell whether the Australian media and people have learned anything from all of this.n

his own mother that the accusations being brought against Pell were actually not true. The second complainant has a history of mental illness — a fact that was not allowed to enter into the cardinal’s legal defense. The defense called several wit-

nesses who all testified that circumstances surrounding the supposed crimes, which were said to have taken place immediately after a Sunday Mass, while the cardinal was still vested, and seemingly while he was still greeting parishioners leaving Mass outside the cathedral’s front doors, made the actions alleged impossible. The court, however, concerned itself almost exclusively with judg-

ment of the reliability of the sole living accuser’s word, and not with circumstantial or eyewitness evidence, and the jury voted to convict. In the cardinal’s subsequent first appeal of the decision, Justice Mark Weinberg, the one dissenting judge of a three-judge Court of Appeal panel, expressed grave concern over the number of questionable elements of the case and concluded the conviction could “not be permitted to stand,” as it did not sufficiently withstand the burden of proof. But the other two appeal judges, one of whom had no previous criminal jurisprudence experience, voted to uphold the conviction. So Pell was condemned and sent to prison while awaiting a final appeal to the highest court of Australia. That High Court, after examining the arguments of the two judges, chose to side with Weinberg in support of Pell. “The [Court of Appeal’s] analysis failed to engage with whether, against this body of evidence, it was reasonably possible that [the alleged victim’s] account was not correct, such that there was a reasonable doubt as to the applicant’s MAY 2020 INSIDE THE VATICAN 11

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

n BY MOTHER MARTHA

Stefano Navarrini illustration

(1644-55), Terrazza Borromini offers breathtaking views of Piazza Navona. It’s a unique venue for an apertivo. Below it is the study center Centro Pro Unione. Established in 1969, this library’s collection of 22,500 volumes and 400 periodicals spans the disciplines of ecumenism and the theologies of all Christian confessions. Hours: 9 AM-5 PM. Caffè Colbert. Started in 2016 by four young entrepreneurs on the roof of the 16th-century Villa Medici, the Caffè overlooks the Villa’s magnificent gardens and the Spanish Steps. Once the Roman residence of the Florentine Medici family, the Villa Medici has been the French Academy for artists and scholars who win the Rome Prize since 1803. Among its famous borsisti (fellows) were Boucher, David, and Debussy. Besides the Caffè, the gardens are open to the public. The French Academy, the oldest of all the many foreign academies in Rome, was established in 1666 by King Louis XIV. Before being transferred to the Villa Medici, it was housed near the Church of Sant’Onofrio on the Janiculum, then moved to the Palazzo Caffarelli, now part of the Capitoline Museums, in 1683; then to the Palazzo Capranica, now a cultural center, in 1684; and then to the Palazzo Mancini, now a bank, in 1725. La Campana. Founded in 1518, this venue is Rome’s oldest restaurant(!). First a winery, then an inn, census records from 1526 show that a Pietro della Campana was the original owner, but its location on Vicolo della Campana probably gave the restaurant its name (and possibly the owner his surname, too). Today this home-style trattoria between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona is run by siblings Paolo and Marina Trancassini, members of the family who’ve managed it for more than 100 years(!). Not surprisingly, La Campana is known for its authentic cucina romana and was a favorite of Caravaggio, Picasso, Fellini, Guttoso, Anna Magnani, Alberto Sordi, Maria Callas and Pier Paolo Pasolini (1972-75), to name only a few of its illustrious habituées. Goethe even wrote about the place, referring to it as Osteria Campana in his Römische Elegien (Roman Elegies). Must-try dishes include tagliolini with anchovies and pecorino, puntarelle, and artichokes both alla romana and alla giudia. Buon appetito!m

MEALS IN MONUMENTS

ince taking over this column in January 2014 from Friar Tuck, whose style was as expansive as his appetite(!), I’ve written about many Roman restaurants. Though all of Rome’s restaurants are now closed due to the virus, we are still hoping they will reopen soon, and we will once again enjoy the city’s food and each other’s company, which is what this exploration of Rome’s wondrous food is really all about. Ristorante Spirito di Vino. This beautiful medieval house in Trastevere once belonged to the Jewish Italian lexicographer Nathan ben Jechiel (1035-1106). He turned to scholarship and religion after four of his five sons died before adulthood. (Yes, this world can be at times a vale of tears. Our faith allows us to hope for a better world to come, and the good things we do here often draw their inspiration from that hope.) The house’s basement, a cavernous wine cellar, counts 800 labels. It dates to 80 B.C. Trastevere was Rome’s first Jewish quarter — St. Peter may have lived here — and over the centuries the house has been a synagogue, a convent, a foundry, a private home, and a warehouse before becoming a restaurant. Its chef/owner is Eliana Catalini, a devoted proponent of “Slow Food.” She was a researcher and lab technician to Nobel Prize winner Rita Montalcini Levi. Catalini’s motto is “fresh KM.0 products and ancient recipes.” A “KM.0” (zero kilometer) food is a fruit, vegetable, meat or drink raised near where it is eaten. These products can only be transported within a 100 km radius and there is no middle-man. The cost of traveling across oceans and continents disappears. Her famous dishes: chickpea crepes with codfish sauce, veal meatballs with ginger, artichoke clafoutis, and basil-scented ratatouille. Caffetteria del Chiostro. With its large windows overlooking the Church of Santa Maria della Pace designed by Bramante (1444-1515), the cloister is the center of what originally was a monastery complex. Its menu is rigorously “homemade.” The Caffetteria also offers an interactive guide to the church and serves as a showroom for young artists. Terrazza Borromini. Near Bramante’s cloister, on the top floor of Palazzo Doria Pamphili, designed by the Renaissance architect Borromini and home to Pope Innocent X

From left to right: a section of Raphael's fresco The Sybils; a view of Piazza Navona from La Terrazza; a portrait of Pope Innocent X Doria Pamphili; a view of Villa Medici; and Pier Paolo Pasolini with the opera diva Maria Callas

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