The "Cult" of Gus

In keeping with a 750-year tradition, this Thursday after Trinity Sunday is the papal observance of Corpus Christi, so while most of the global church celebrates the solemnity this weekend, the Vatican is closed today.

Come Saturday, however, the current top story on the liturgy beat will reportedly "go official": as reported last week, the Pope is expected to name Dominican Fr Gus DiNoia as the new archbishop-secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Provided all goes as leaked, the New York-born B16 confidant would succeed Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, who's long been slated to return to his native Sri Lanka as archbishop of Colombo.

As ever, word on the timing comes from the lead "court scribe" of the moment, Il Giornale's Andrea Tornielli, who likewise reported this week that, two years after Summorum Pontificum "freed" the 1962 Missal, another motu proprio is on the way, this time formally placing the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei under the oversight of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. As a result of the move, the church's "Grand Inquisitor," California-born Cardinal William Levada, will become the Vatican's lead liaison with the traditionalist communities both in and out of communion with Rome.

The latter move comes as a result of the impending retirement of the longtime Ecclesia Dei chief Cardinal Dario Castrillion Hoyos, a staunch ally of the pre-Concilar crowd who turns 80 on 4 July, and the Holy See's continuing movement toward reconciliation talks with the breakaway Society of St Pius X, whose four self-ordained bishops were de-excommunicated by Benedict in January amid a global firestorm.

Though the SSPX bishops remain suspended and -- at least, according to the pontiff -- "do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the [Catholic] church," the Swiss-based fraternity is moving forward with plans for its prelates to ordain 21 priests later this month at sites around the world.

SVILUPPO (Friday, 12 June, 2.40pm): According to a separate set of intel dropped on your narrator's doorstep, the reported DiNoia move to CDW might not happen on Saturday the 13th, but sometime closer to the middle of next week.

Bottom line: if it doesn't happen tomorrow, don't freak out.

PHOTO: Reuters

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