Is there much to be gained by having the Vatican in Rome, if you know what we mean?
There’s 9 of the confusingly named Congregations, i.e. main offices. There’s 12 Pontifical Councils., and a raft of smaller committees.
Why not pick some of the world’s major cities, say 4, and settle some of the main offices say in Seattle, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Manila? There must plenty of empty office buildings available, so no great expense is required. We’d have added Shanghai, of course, one of the world’s greatest cities, and with God’s help that’ll be available in a year or two.
It takes me less time to talk to my next door neighbour by Skype, or even e-mail than it does to go round and knock his door. The Pope might well find it easier to get a message through to Rio or Manila than to the far end of some of those long corridors.
The mental picture one gets of a busy beehive of monsignors buzzing about the golden roofs and marble walls isn’t one that impresses. The Church is often criticised for being Eurocentric. This would show it’s not.
The Italian tourist industry and Rome’s hotel industry might complain, but need they ? The Vatican ‘s administrative function has no tourist value, and the growing Chinese/Japanese tourist influx is unlikely to shrink.
And what a breath of air , given the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Curia, so brilliantly analysed by Pope Francis in December.
To be unable to see the wood for the trees is much more than unfortunate where the provision of the Sacraments is concerned.