Francis appoints “Abp.” Luis Ladaria Ferrer to succeed “Cardinal” Muller as Head of CDF

Spanish Jesuit succeeds “Cardinal” Muller

Francis appoints “Abp.” Luis Ladaria Ferrer as new Head of CDF

Well, that didn’t take long: A day after an unconfirmed report made the rounds according to which Francis had dismissed “Cardinal” Gerhard Ludwig Muller from his post as head of the so-called Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the Vatican not only confirmed the report but also immediately named a successor to Mr. Muller: It is “Archbishop” Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer — a Jesuit!

The formal announcement came in today’s bollettino of the Vatican Press Office (Italian original here). Strictly speaking, Muller was not “fired” by Francis but simply did not have his expiring 5-year appointment (which began on July 2, 2012) renewed. Still, Francis’ refusal to give Muller another term can certainly be taken as a firing, as it is quite customary for first-year terms to be renewed, so much so that Muller himself says in an interview published today in the German regional Allgemeine Zeitung that the non-renewal came as a surprise to him. Muller had only found out about his dismissal from the Novus Ordo version of the Holy Office yesterday, June 30, in a private audience with the “Pope”.

Muller’s successor, “Abp.” Ladaria Ferrer, had served as secretary of the CDF since 2008, first under “Cardinal” William Levada, who was replaced by Muller in 2012. Ladaria is considered to be a “conservative moderate” who will not offer much if any resistance to the program of “Pope” Francis.

Here are some initial news reports and reactions on the big change in the CDF:

• Abp Ladaria to succeed Card. Müller as Prefect of CDF (Vatican Radio)
• Müller and Ladaria (Unam Sanctam)
• Cardinal Müller Replaced by Jesuit (Abyssus Abyssum Invocat)
• Pope Francis Appoints Spanish Jesuit Ladaria to Succeed Cardinal Müller (National Catholic Register)
• Pope names Archbishop Luis Ladaria as Müller’s successor to head CDF (Catholic World Report)
• Reactions to the change of Prefect at CDF (Fr. Z’s Blog)
• Pope names Jesuit prelate to succeed Müller at doctrine office (Crux)
• Pope names Archbishop Luis Ladaria as Müller’s successor to head CDF (Catholic News Agency)
• Francis replaces Cardinal Muller with deputy Ladaria as head of doctrinal congregation (National Catholic Reporter)
• Pope Francis Appoints a Universalist – All Men Will Be Saved – to Replace Müller as Head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Mahound’s Paradise)

In his new role as head of the CDF, Ladaria is now also the head of the “Pontifical” Commission Ecclesia Dei, which deals exclusively with matters related to the Lefebvrian Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). His new position also makes him president of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the International Theological Commission.

A new position for 69-year-old “Cardinal” Muller has not yet been announced.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons (José Santamaria Cruz)
License: CC BY-SA 4.0