Pope Francis to Appoint Cardinal Sarah's Successor

Pope Francis will soon appoint Cardinal Robert Sarah’s successor, according to reliable sources, Catholic News Agency reports.

Cardinal Sarah resigned as prefect of the Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments on February 20 and since then, the Pope has not appointed a successor.

However, Bishop Claudio Maniago of Castellaneta was appointed as an inspector to the Congregation.

Bishop Maniago “spent three days before Easter in the congregation, had talks with each of the officials and then left.” The questions were “mostly about daily work at the Congregation, tasks, and views about liturgy,” according to CAN.

Bishop Maniago was to brief the pope on the daily activities of the Congregation. He would later propose measures to reform the congregation tasks.

Sources told CNA that a new prefect of the Congregation for the Divine Worship could be appointed before 13^th May.

Though Bishop Maniago is among those shortlisted for the appointment, Bishop Vittorio Francesco Viola of Tortona is also viewed as a possible successor.

Bishop Viola was previously the Custodian of the Convent of Santa Maria Degli Angeli in Assisi.

He first met Pope Francis in 2013 in Assisi. He has also taught liturgy at the Pontifical Theological Institute Sant’Anselmo; the Theological Institute of Assisi,an affiliate of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome; and the Institute for Religious Sciences in Assisi.

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