Inside Politics: Abp. Ranjith Out?

Reported by Rorate Coeli:

The probable, if by now not yet certain, nomination of Archbishop Angelo Amato, number two of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (that which was once headed by Cardinal Ratzinger, and today by Cardinal William Levada), as new Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the position of Cardinal Francis Arinze, has considerably angered the one who is today the number two of this same congregation guided by Arinze: Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith. The latter, called a couple of years ago to Divine Worship with the promise to afterwards replace Arinze at the helm of the dicastery, having been almost certainly bypassed by Amato in the prestigious position of Prefect of one of the nine Vatican Congregations (the position also foresees the Cardinalatial birretta), seems to have asked Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone to leave the Roman Curia and return to his homeland (Sri Lanka), to become Archbishop of an important diocese and thus, afterwards, a Cardinal. All [of these events], if predictions are confirmed, should take place when the Pope returns from the United States ... .

Whatever. Apparently the final vote, that of B-16, is not yet in.

More from TNLM:

The NLM noted it would be watching this story, and while we have been silent since the original report, we have been watching quite keenly and there is a now an important development which we wish to bring to you; a development which challenges the rumour that Amato is imminently to be named Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and, by consequence, which also challenges all that it has implied with regard to Ranjith.

The original story was broken to the Catholic world by Italian journalist, Andrea Tornielli, a man well connected within Vatican circles. The NLM's Gregor Kollmorgen has been watching Tornielli's blog on this matter and picked up on the fact that Mr. Tornielli today updated and revised his original March 28th piece and has noted that Archbishop Angelo Amato is, in fact, not so likely to be made prefect of the CDW, but more likely Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, or the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Where does this leave Ranjith? That cannot yet be known, but it is certainly premature to suggest it will find him in Sri Lanka and not Prefect of Divine Worship. The conclusion to this story seems far from written.

Oft-used: Those who know, don't talk.