Religion
Editorials •
The rehabilitation of the bishop who was pilloried. Francesco Cavina’s new post
Seven years on, following his resignation – which Francesco accepted – Pope Leo has appointed him as a special apostolic visitor for the Parish of Medjugorje, for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis. It is a challenging task.
Francesco Cavina with Pope Francis in 2017 – photo: LaPresse
It took seven years for the wrong to be righted. But, as the saying goes, better late than never. The facts: in 2019, the then Bishop of Carpi, Monsignor Francesco Cavina, resigned because he could no longer cope. Accused of ‘electoral corruption’, he had found himself caught up in the well-known meat-grinder brimming with gossip from the streets and the sacristy. A daily barrage of accusations, which he recounted in a letter to the diocese:
“I have always respected the justice system and those who work within it, and I always will. However, the most painful aspect for me is that the entire investigation was characterised by real-time media coverage of parts of the investigators’ work, even when it was subject to strict investigative secrecy. It even went so far as to publish the content of telephone calls relating to my priestly and episcopal ministry. Subsequently, after my case was fully dismissed (a decision requested by the investigating body itself and endorsed without reservation by the judge for preliminary investigations on the grounds that the allegations were unfounded), the media witch-hunt to which I was subjected did not cease.”
It was impossible to carry on. Hence, his resignation. Pope Francis accepted it but did not assign any further duties to the bishop, who was sixty-four at the time. Early retirement without explanation. A story very similar to that of Monsignor Michel Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris, who was forced to resign following a journalistic investigation that turned out to be pure nonsense. ‘Sacrificed on the altar of gossip,’ said Francis.
Pope Leo XIV took it upon himself on Saturday to heal the wound. Monsignor Francesco Cavina has in fact been appointed Apostolic Visitor with special status for the Parish of Medjugorje, for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis. This is anything but a token appointment: he has been sent to oversee the most ‘controversial’ Marian shrine on the planet, with the never-ending clash between the Franciscans who defend the apparitions and the diocese which has always been sceptical (to put it mildly). A real tough nut to crack.