Robert Mickens has news in The Tablet of further Vatican big-footing on Caritas Internationalis:

EXCLUSIVE Timothy Radcliffe dropped as speaker at Caritas summitRobert Mickens in Rome - 20 May 2011The Vatican has dropped Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, the internationally renowned former head of the Dominicans, from giving the keynote address at next week's Caritas Internationalis (CI) general assembly in Rome, The Tablet has learned.Fr Radcliffe was originally scheduled to deliver the opening address on Monday morning and speak about the theology that undergirds the work of Caritas. He had already prepared a 45-minute talk. Instead, that slot has been given to Capuchin Fr Raniero Cantalamessa, the charismatic preacher of the papal household, followed by Cardinal Peter Turkson, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.The former Master of the Dominicans is one of several speakers and panellists who have been removed from the week long meeting's programme in order to "accommodate" the demands from the Secretariat of State that Holy See officials be given the major speaking roles, a CI spokesman told The Tablet on Friday adding that it would now be more like a "Vatican-style retreat".He denied that the Vatican's main intention in changing the programme was to block Fr Radcliffe from speaking. "We're not reading it that way," he said. At least six Roman Curia officials will have major speaking roles at the 22-27 May general assembly, unprecedented in the confederation's 60-year history.[snip]People associated with the Caritas confederation have been careful not to make too much of the Vatican's recent moves to gain greater control over the organisation, fearing that any protests would only make the situation worse.

Radcliffe?! Oy vey.

David Gibson is the director of Fordham’s Center on Religion & Culture.

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