Vatican asks for silence to the cardinals of social networks

The cardinal, and bishop of Setúbal, Américo Aguiar has a special gift to see his name in the news. «It is stronger than him. It is up to someone’s mind a cardinal, during the Pope’s funeral ceremonies, to say that he expects Wi-Fi to work with the Holy Spirit?questions a theologian to Sunrise. Confessed adept from social networks, and all the media, Américo Aguiar shocked part of his peers in Portugal, and not only, with the publication of a photo that gave the title «The Three Cardinals Youth of Pope Francis» – With Cardinal Mykola, 45, Greek Catholic Ukrainian based in Australia; and Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, 50, from Mongolia.

«The Vatican caught the attention of all cardinals to the duty of modesty and the secrecy that the moment requires. Of course Aguiar was one of the targeted even for being the most active on social networks »explains to our newspaper Fonte do Vatican. The same source ensures that the bishop of Setúbal was ‘advised’ to leave social networks, because his behavior was being «Very little theological, let’s say so».

In fact, those looking for D. Américo Aguiar on Instagram received as a message «User not found». THE Renaissance He then advanced that the bishop of Setúbal « It has taken this option for isolation and collection questions, at a time when preparatory meetings are derived for the conduct of the next Pope’s election process». It is worth transcribing some more of the news of Catholic radio: «D. Américo Aguiar is known to be particularly active on social networks, namely on Facebook and Instagram, with sharing photographs and videos. This Saturday (Day 26)the cardinal publicly shared a photograph of the FRANCISCO URN at the end of the ceremony of foster in the Basilica of St. Peter and, before that, another inside the same Basilica with the ‘three youth cardinals of Pope Francis’, as he wrote ».

Break silence

Recently, D. Américo Aguiar did not resist so much silence and decided to write over 400 people who worked with him on the World Youth Day, as well as some journalists. The text has the suggestive name ‘of Rome, on the eve of the beginning of the conclave’. “Despite all that is said, he sees and writes, nothing prepares us to participate in the funeral of a Pope, our Pope, nor for the preparatory work of a conclave. The emotions were and are many. They range from the sadness of an announced but never desired match to the feeling of emptiness and longing. They range from the joy of meetings and reunions, to the surprise of beauty and consolation. The beauty of the last address in the land of our beloved Pope Francis and the consolation of speaking to the poor of Rome, who was finding the streets and came to me to tell me that they lost a friend »wrote the cardinal. In the days that has been through Rome, will only be forced to isolate from May 7, when the conclave that will elect the future Pope, D. Américo was ‘discovered’ by an Irish journalist with whom he had a curious dialogue. Richard Chambers was sitting on a Vatican ride and D. Américo decided to sit beside him, asking if there was the waiting room. Since the Irish journalist did not ask if he was a priest, Américo Aguiar showed him the cardinal ring, having followed a trip then, but asking for modesty and confidence to the journalist…

Let’s go back to the letter of Américo Aguiar sent last Thursday: «Tears, smiles, hugs and empty. It has been very intense days that demand me a silence and loneliness that are not configured to my nature, but somehow bring meaning to the approaching days ». Quoting here the character Deacon Remedies of Herman José, we stop a little to better understand the message: «It has been very intense days that demand me a silence and loneliness that are not configured to my nature. And it is this statement that gives strength to the Vaticanist source that states that Américo Aguiar as other cardinals have been called to the stone so as not to have so much protagonism on social networks and do what is asked at these times: to pray and meditate, and obviously to know the other cardinals during the sessions of the general congregations that encompass all the cardinals, as well as another half of non -voters, who have more than 80 years.

The financial situation and the divergences

In the last sessions, topics have been discussed as diverse as the economic situation of the Vatican, “Including the ecclesiology of the people of God, sinodality and episcopal collegiality to overcome polarization, vocations for priestly and religious life and evangelization, focusing on correspondence between the lived and the announced. Reflections also cited polarization in the church and the division of society as a wound. There were also many references to the texts of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes »reads in Vatican Newsofficial organ of the Catholic Church.

From the 7th, when the 133 cardinals enter the Domus Santae Marthae, before they go to the Sistine Chapel (see pages 42-43) the life of Américo Aguiar and his peers will change. If it will be a day or more, only «The Holy Spirit will know»as the Vaticanist source mocked.

Let’s end with our cardinal who may be destined for Porto after the election of the new Pontiff, as the Vatican is not very pleased with the behavior of Bishop Manuel Linda.

«I interrupt this silence to address every one of you, asking you to pray for all the cardinals. Above all, so that this time that still separates us from the beginning of the conclave is not spent on speculation, criticism and longings. It is not time to judge, guess, or launch sorts. It is time to pray, to have faith and to have hope. To live with peace the days that separate us from applauding with palms and hearts the new successor of Peter. It is time not to lose joy, the one who asks us to our condition as believers. Count on my prayer for all, all, all ».