Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Vatican announced in a statement on Saturday.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, who had tendered his resignation on June 15, 2020 on the occasion of his 75 years (official retirement age at the Vatican), found himself embroiled in a controversy after the release in January 2020 of a book strongly defending the celibacy of priests, a burning theme of the Church, co-signed with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
To read also: Cardinal Robert Sarah: “Priests, be proud of your celibacy!”
The release in France of this work entitled “
From the depths of our hearts
”, with the photos of Benedict XVI and Cardinal Sarah on the cover, had raised many questions about the Pope Emeritus, weakened by his great age.
This book appeared to some as an interference in the pontificate of Pope Francis, and to others as a warning shot from the traditionalist fringe of the Church.
Faced with the controversy, Benedict XVI had asked that his name be removed from the cover of the book, as well as from the co-signed introduction and conclusion.
Bishop Sarah reacted on Saturday to the Vatican's announcement on his Twitter account: “
I am in the hands of God.
The only rock is Christ.
We will meet very soon in Rome and elsewhere.
»Named Archbishop of Conakry in 1979 by John Paul II, at only 34 years old, Mgr Sarah was appointed cardinal in 2010 by Benedict XVI, then at the head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2014 by the Pope Francois.
The name of his successor was not immediately announced.
One of his last decisions at the head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was to publish on February 17 the guidelines for making the celebrations of Easter 2021 take place "
in the most efficient manner possible for our communities, while respecting the common good and public health
”, while the Covid-19 pandemic is still raging.
Read also: Robert Sarah: "The Covid-19 epidemic brings the Church back to its primary responsibility: faith"
The Pope also accepted on Saturday the resignation of the Vicar General for Vatican City and president of the Fabrique de Saint Pierre (which manages the maintenance and restoration work in the Vatican, in particular of Saint Peter's Basilica), Cardinal Angelo Comastri, to be succeeded by the Franciscan Mauro Gametti, recently appointed cardinal and General Guardian of the sacred convent of Saint Francis in Assisi.
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