Stato Subito

Not Bono, not Magnificenzo, the other one -- see him? Yeah, that one. Well, it seems, yet again, that rumours of his demise are greatly exaggerated....

(And how do you say "Thank God" in Gaelic?)

From the Irish Independent:

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will return to Rome to take up a senior position in the Curia within six months.

Informed sources in the Vatican say he will be replaced as Archbishop of Dublin by his deputy Bishop Eamonn Walsh.

Archbishop Martin's departure will constitute part of Pope Benedict XVI's far-ranging reform of the Curia, the Catholic Church's central administration, which is due to take place later this year.

Contrary to a widespread impression that Dr Martin was snubbed by the Vatican earlier this week when he was passed over for a Red Hat, he has been marked out by Rome to take up a significant role in a revamped Curia.

A number of senior Vatican figures, including the Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano and Cardinal Walter Kasper are due to retire from their high-level posts in the near future.

And Pope Benedict has earmarked Dr Martin as one of a younger generation to take over the upper echelons of the Curia....

Indications of these significant moves have been signalled by Jim Cantwell, a highly respected Vatican-watcher and a former press secretary to the Irish Episcopal Conference.

The double move is also understood to have the support of the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, whose advice is given a high priority by the Pope and the Vatican.

"Far from being sidelined, Dr Martin is in line for high office this summer or autumn," a high-placed church source said.

But the Pope wants him to complete his work before coming back to Rome.

And in the Curia, there was great rejoicing....

SVILUPPO (6.10pm): Go raibh maith agat to a reader from Donegal who wrote in to say that "thank God" in Gaelic is, "buíochas le Dia."

I will keep that phrase in mind over the next ten weeks.


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