The Cardinal praises Pope Francis and denies any claims of a rift with the Holy Father. The Vatican did not provide a reason for the removal of the outspoken conservative. Cardinal Sarah, who turned 75 in June 2020, was the most senior African prelate at the Vatican, appointed head of the liturgy department by Pope Francis in November 2014. Pope Francis is making it abundantly clear that this is no longer to happen. (Story cotinues below) Subscribe to our daily newsletter He had previously served as the president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum and as secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea as head of the Vatican's liturgy department, removing a conservative who was seen as … Staff Reporter. REUTERS/Yara Nardi. Pope Francis recently said that certain liturgical reforms in the wake of Vatican II were "irreversible," but African Cardinal Robert Sarah is providing a different perspective. Francis Rocca, who covers the Vatican for The Wall Street Journal writes that by “accepting Cardinal Sarah’s resignation, the pope has removed a subordinate out of step with his approach to liturgy, homosexuality and relations with the Muslim world.” It is clear that Pope Francis is purging those who don’t agree with his worldview. Sarah, who turned 75 in June 2020, was the most senior African prelate at the Vatican, appointed head of the liturgy department by Pope Francis in November 2014. February 20, 2021 at 5:46 pm “. The 2011 English Missal would not have been issued in its present translation on Pope Francis’s watch, it is safe to say. Sarah’s departure may yet prove to be just the first in a series of curial dominoes to fall in a wider Roman reshuffle by Pope Francis. Cardinal Robert Sarah, seen in February 2020, was considered out of step with Pope Francis’ approach to liturgy, homosexuality and relations with the Muslim world. Article Tags Cardinal Sarah , Pope Francis , St. Peter's Basilica , Vatican Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea as head of the Vatican's liturgy department, removing a conservative who was seen as an opponent of the pontiff's vision for the church. Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Sarah’s resignation as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on Feb. 20, after Sarah turned 75 in June 2020. By Anthony Stine on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Please take this survey for Dr. Marshall Cardinal Sarah has given his first interview since Pope Francis accepted his resignation from the Congregation of Divine Worship. Pope Francis has sent a letter to Cardinal Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship (CDW), correcting his misunderstandings of the recent motu proprio “Magnum Principium.” Cardinal Sarah published an article in the French journal L’Homme Nouveau, as Pray Tell reported, arguing for a maximal ongoing role for the CDW and continuity with previous norms. He has been widely expected to leave office this year. Pope Francis on Saturday accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. I think Cardinal Sarah is most likely to succeed Pope Francis. While Sarah may not oppose the Pope, the Pope has certainly opposed the Cardinal. Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Sarah’s resignation Feb. 20, and no successor has been appointed. Born in 1945 in French Guinea, Sarah was ordained a priest in 1969 for the Diocese of Conakry, after periods of study in Ivory … On Feb. 22 – eight months later – the pope … However, the resignation was more of a firing because Sarah was mandated to submit his resignation when he turned 75 and Pope Francis has previously allowed cardinals to serve two or three years past that point. In a statement released on Saturday, the Holy See Press Office announced that Sarah had stepped down from his leadership position. Cardinal Sarah, who has distanced himself from Pope Francis on a number of issues, participated fully in the synod and in an address to the synod fathers expressed his firm opposition to … Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Sarah’s resignation as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on Feb. 20, after Sarah turned 75 in June 2020. Cardinal Sarah was considered papabile, or a candidate for the papacy, in the 2013 conclave which elected Pope Francis. In 2017, Pope Francis issued a public correction to Sarah over the cardinal’s attempt to interpret the Pope… And just this month he has doubled down in that fight against the traditional wing of the Church. Sarah, who turned 75 in June 2020, was the most senior African prelate at the Vatican, appointed head of the liturgy department by Pope Francis in November 2014.