“In a surprise move, Pope Francis
has dropped the historic and essential title ‘Vicar of Christ’ from the
2020 Pontifical Yearbook, the Holy See’s annual directory, relegating
the title to a footnote, calling it a ‘historical title.’
While previous yearbooks listed the title ‘Vicar of Christ’ and the
name of the reigning Pope under that title, this year’s annual directory
simply lists the name ‘Jorge Mario Bergoglio,’ the name of the man who
became Pope Francis in 2013. A photo of this year’s yearbook was
published by Rome-based journalist Marco Tosatti…
2019 Pontifical yearbook | 2020 Pontifical yearbook SOURCE: Marco Tosatti
As the German Rome Correspondent, Guido Horst, reported today for the
newspaper Die Tagespost, this new entry has astonished well-informed
Vatican experts. He writes that this year’s Annuario Pontificio has
‘banned’ the Pope’s title ‘Vicar of Christ,’ making it a ‘historical
title’ that now belongs to a footnote.
The Annuario Pontificio is published every year. It updates
statistical data concerning the Catholic Church. Usually, the
presentation of the members of the Church’s hierarchy – College of
Cardinals, bishops of the world and the Vatican’s dicasteries – starts
with the Roman Pontiff, under the title ‘Vicar of Jesus Christ’
(‘Vicario di Gesù Cristo’). Then follow the additional titles of the
Pope, all of which carry a ‘different or even no dogmatic significance’
as does the first title, according to Horst. These are: Successor of the
Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church,
Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province,
Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, and Servant of the Servants
of God.
The title ‘Vicar of Jesus Christ,’ however, ‘stems from Holy
Scripture, in which Jesus has granted St. Peter the power of the keys in
the Church,’ Horst explains.
After these additional titles, there usually then would come the name
of the current pontiff, a short biography of him, as well as the dates
of his election and inauguration.
However, the new entry about the Pope starts now – instead of the
title ‘Vicar of Jesus Christ’ – with the following title: ‘Jorge Mario
Bergoglio.’ This title is followed by a short biography and the dates of
his election and inauguration. Finally – and this after a line
indicating that the ‘footnotes’ (in the words of Guido Horst) are now
coming – there come, under the subtitle ‘historical titles’: Vicar of
Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff
of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan
of the Roman province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, and
Servant of the Servants of God.
According to Horst, such a change of the presentation of the Roman
Pontiff in the Annuario Pontificio ‘could only have happened upon
request by Francis himself.'”
