Pope's first Curial appointment indicates desire to Franciscanise religious orders

Jose Rodriguez Carballo (59), Minister General of the Franciscan Order, has been appointed by Pope Francis, secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for Religious. As the Vatican announced this on Saturday, the Pope raised the Spanish friar to the rank of Archbishop.

As secretary Rodriguez Carballo's Curial authority is second only to the Prefect, the Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz. Rodriguez and the Pope also know eachother very well personally. The Franciscan is successor toy the American Joseph William Tobin, who Benedict XVI in October appointed Archbishop of Indianapolis . The appointment Carballos Rodriguez is the first Curial appointment of the new pope, having previously confirmed as is customary all heads of Curia authorities in their offices (Cathcon- but delayed this annoucement in contrast to his predecessors)

Pope Francis is the first religious for 167 years (1846) to sit on the the Chair of Peter, and the first Jesuit Pope. He had based his choice of name on St. Francis of Assisi, whose legacy is the Franciscan order. The Franciscans currently have over 14,000 members worldwide. This Order, Jose Rodriguez Carballo, born 11 August 1953, in the Spanish town of Lodoselo has governed as Minister General for ten years. Since 2012 he was also chairman of the Union of Superiors General. He was one of the two non-Cardinals who concelebrated Mass with Pope Francis at his assumption of office in St Peter's Square.

Rodriguez Carballo's predecessor Joseph William Tobin was only two years second in command of the Curial body responsible for religious communities. Vatican experts reported that the background for his return to his American home was the conflict over the "rebel" US women religious. Tobin was following a softer line, which was not agreeable to the U.S. bishops,than Cardinal Franc Rode, who led the Congregation until 2011, it was said.

"St. Francis will be satisfied"

Jose Rodriguez Carballo has written on the 13th March in his welcome to the new Pope after his election that the name chosen Francis was a sign "for the world, for the church and of course for all Franciscans. All successors of St. Francis of Assisi stood by the new head of the church . "Sincere obedience and constant prayer to the side- you can count on us for this, Holiness."

And he recalled a meeting with the then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio 2004 in Argentina. Bergoglio in arranging a meeting has insisted on visiting the Franciscan in the convent, and he had come despite the slight rain on foot. "The moment he arrived, I felt I had a real Franciscan friar in front of me," said Rodriguez. He believes that the Catholic Church in the present Pope has "a 21st Century Francis - St. Francis of Assisi will certainly be very happy with this," he stressed.

Source  - to Austrian Kathpress broken 2023