Summers are usually quiet around the Vatican. Most officials of the Roman Curia—like most other residents of Rome—leave the city for cooler vacation spots, leaving important policy decisions until the fall. This year, with a new Pontiff settling into his work, and the Catholic world anxiously waiting for indications of his plans, things seem even quieter than usual.
But the summer days are already dwindling, the sun is setting earlier, and fall will soon be upon us. Rather than trying to read deep meanings into small papal gestures, and anticipate what Pope Leo could do, we might consider the questions that will certainly confront him in September.
To date Pope Leo has played his cards close to his vestments, giving only occasional hints (sometimes contradictory) about what sort of initiatives he has in mind. We know that he is working on an encyclical, but we don’t know the topic. We know that he has a background in canon law, and has shown a preference for doing things “by the book” without dramatic gestures, but now, as the supreme legislator of the Church, he has the authority to change canon law. So let’s be honest: Grand theories to the contrary notwithstanding, we don’t know what the Pope is going to do. However we can identify some of the important issues that will be sitting on his desk.
At the Vatican, as in any organization, personnel is policy. After his election, Pope Leo confirmed all the leaders of the Roman Curia in their positions temporarily, keeping them in office while he took his bearings. Now he will certainly want to replace at least a few prefects who are already past retirement age. He might also want to replace a few whose views and/or personalities clash with his own plans.
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