Pope’s health brings positions with his most staunch critics: Cardinals Burke, Becciu and Müller, in the rosary row

Pope Francis’s health has joined the entire Catholic world around Rome, more than ever. The image of hundreds of faithful, headed For the curiathey dedicated some moments of recollection and prayer of the Rosary to desire the prompt recovery of the Pontiff, admitted to the Gemelli hospital since February 14.

Among the attendees in the Plaza de San Pedro del Vaticano there were several of the most important cardinals, but of them highlighted the presence of three who, in addition, They were present in the front row In the place destined for them. It was the cardinals Burke, Becciu and Müller. The three demonstrated that the possible quotas they had with the Pontiff are a thing of the past and that, right now, they prefer to dedicate their prayers so that the Pope will return home soon.

For different reasons, there are those who would even qualify them as enemies of the current pontiff. However, they heard and followed the Rosary who, chaired by the secretary of the Vatican State, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, demonstrated the affection and concern about the figure of Francisco.

The American went from being one of the visible heads of the Catholic Church, as a prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature -the highest judicial authority -, little more than a stink. His belligerent and absolutely critical attitude with everything that seemed to some kind of openness made him one of the hardest voices against Francisco’s social advances about issues such as homosexuality, the treatment of those divorced in the Church, the relationship with other forms of the Christian faith or even the vaccines of the COVID-19. Extreme traditionalist, the Pope degraded him to direct the order of Malta – a merely symbolic position and without specific weight – and ended up withdrawing his economic assignment and his official apartment in the vicinity of San Pedro.

If he was secretary of state and being considered one of the ‘preferriti’ to be a potato, Becciu ended up going in the history of the Catholic Church for being the first cardinal to be convicted by the Vatican Court. He was accused of embezzlement, corruption and the prohibition of exercising official positions of the Holy See, which for practical purposes forbids participating in the next conclave (unless Francisco has left an acquittal in his will). The reason: he gave a friend the money destined to the rescue of a nun kidnapped by Al-Qaeda and recorded without his permit conversations with the Pope.

Together with Burke -at the head of the Court of the Apostolic Signature -, the German Cardinal Müller forms one of the pillars of the most conservative side of the curia. Ancient prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, is one of the ones that has criticized Francisco in decisions and opinions, but never reaching the direct confrontation as the American has done. In a moment of ‘pre -aware’, he is trying to stay away from what he has called “power movements” although within the Vatican halls it is indicated as one of the ones that most and better handles politics in these circumstances.

In a moment of political effervescence in the Vatican, the presence of these three – among others – openly critical cardinals with Francisco praying the rosary in San Pedro has given much to talk about.

However, and beyond conspiracy theories as much of modern cinema or literature, many Catholics have read in the presence of Burke, Becciu and Müller – who sat together – as A unit call of the Christian world around its leader in the most difficult moments of his life.

In addition to critics facing Francisco, Cardinals were also present as Robert Prevost (Prefect of the Dicasterio de los Obispos), José Tolentino (prefect of the Dicasterio for Culture and Education), Marcello Semeraro (Prefect for the cause of the saints) or sor Rafaella Petriniwhich in the next few days will take possession as governor of the Vatican State.

Prevost, Tolentino and Semeraro will be three of the 140 voters (the greatest figure in history, overcoming the roof of John Paul II in 2001) will be in the eventual conclave to decide who will carry the fisherman’s ring when Francisco is no longer.