Vatican

Ban suspect candidates
BISHOPS must make greater efforts to exclude men who show signs of "emotional disorder" from seminaries, Pope John Paul II has said.
Speaking to Brazilian bishops last week, the Pope said bishops needed to use "all available means" to weed out candidates who were suspect from "the moral and emotional point of view".
"Let no bishop feel exempted from this duty of conscience," the Pope said. "He will have to render an account directly to God."
In startlingly strong terms, he continued: "It would be lamentable that, because of a misunderstood tolerance, immature youths or youths -with obvious signs of emotional disorders, be admitted to ordination, which as is sadly known can cause grave scandal in the consciences of the faithful and obvious harm for the whole Church."
Bishops, the Pope continued, were required to teach seminarians about the value of celibacy.
"It is necessary to remind them that celibacy is not an extrinsic and useless element a superstructure to their priesthood, but a profound disposition to participate in the dignity of Christ and in the service of the new humanity," he said, adding that "fidelity to the doctrine on priestly celibacy for the Kingdom of Heaven must be regarded with great esteem by the Church".
"The existence in some theological schools and seminaries of poorly prepared professors, [some of whom] are even in disagreement with the Church, causes profound sadness and concern," the Pope said. But it was wrong to allow "those who are formed to be exposed to the disorders of ... professors who lack explicit ecclesial communion, and clear evidence of seeking holiness".
Ratzinger rules over new team
POPE JOHN Paul II has appointed new members of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, presided over by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
The new members are Cardinals Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Claudio Hummes, archbishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; and Mario Francesco Pompedda, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apos
tolic Signature.
The Holy Father also appointed as new members of the congregation Archbishops Henryk Muszynski of Gniezno, Poland; and Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, France. Bishop Salvatore Fisichella, honourable chancellor of the Lateran University in Rome, was also appointed.
The members advise those who direct the congregation and meet in plenary assembly every two years.
Founded in 1542 by Pope Paul III with the constitution "Licet ab initio," the CDF was originally called the Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition, as its duty was to defend the Church from heresy. It is the oldest of the Curia's nine congregations.
Now, according to the Pope's 1988 apostolic constitution "Pastor Bonus," "the duty proper to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is to promote and safeguard the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world: for this reason everything which in any way touches such matters falls within its competence."