Neither of these types of decisions require approval by the Roman Curia.
The use of the apostolic letter, like an executive order, also demonstrates a development of this pontificate: Pope Francis did not initially use these as a form of government. Ultimately, however, that is how he most of all expressed his thoughts and decisions.
Beyond apostolic letters in the form of a motu proprio, which have a legal purpose and effect, the letters of Pope Francis are also instruments for addressing the people of God.
The document Desiderio desideravi serves a variety of purposes:
-
It is a personal letter with which Pope Francis addresses a specific theme – the liturgy.
-
It is a letter that carries legal clout because Pope Francis reaffirms what was decided in Traditionis Custodes – and denies any possibility of liberalization of the Traditional Latin Mass.
-
It is a letter that never mentions his predecessor Benedict XVI, whose decision he subverts, establishing a clear rupture between the before and after.
In other words, Pope Francis is using this apostolic letter in a very particular way to reinforce a personal decision.
The government of Pope Francis is deeply personal, so much so that his own point of view is expressed as magisterium. Pope Francis thus shows himself to be a particular kind of centralizer: Faced with the various expressions of the Church, Pope Francis does not fail to enforce unity, making choices that exclude, in fact, a plurality of forms. Whoever celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass, for Pope Francis, uses a different rite, and is outside the tradition of continuity of the Church.
We might say that whenever the Pope finds resistance, he gets around it using whatever instrument is available to him. Hence, even the use of “lighter” documents ultimately constitute a form of legislation. In the end, they are the quickest means available to the Pope to govern effectively without consulting too much.
Credit: Source link
