Anger as Vatican caps papal awards

BY BESS TWISTON DAVIES
1N A MOVE mystifying English clergy, the Vatican is limiting the number of papal awards and medals available for Catholics who have served the Church loyally.
Now, only 20 Bean Merenti and 20 Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice awards can be distributed in each diocese, according to the Westminster Information It asks priests to limit requests for the medals to "one per parish" on a 'first conic first served" basis. Bene Merenti awards are given to Catholics aged at least 35 for outstanding parish service, while Pm Ecclesia et Pontifice medals are given to Catholics aged 45 and above for diocesan work.
"It's easier to be canonised now that to receive a papal medal.," said Fr 13runo Healy, parish priest at St Joseph's, Bunhill Row. "It seems daft to me. I was mystified when I read about it in the Ad Clerum. All dioceses are different sizes;
surely the number of medals available should be determined by the size of the diocese? Japan might only need 20 medals but a large one such as Milan would need more."
Fr Kit Cunningham, from St Etheldreda's Church, Ely Place, central London, said: "We mustn't be Jansenistic. We all need recognition. Gongs are for people who do things beyond the call of duty for whom there is no material award. The Holy Father wants us to have examples, as we can see from the number of saints. I tike the idea of Mrs O'Flaherty who has swept the priest's floor for 40 years getting an award.
"The medals are a sign of recognition to service to the Church. Maybe they are getting too many requests, maybe the papal nuncio is tired of signing them. I did hear about a cardinal in the Vatican once, who had so many papal blessings to sign he had to sign them in his lunch hour, a forkful of spaghetti in one hand. a pen in the other."