Vatican City, Sep 9, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Vatican observer Sandro Magister issued a post scriptum concerning news of the turnover taking place in the running of the basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. The Benedictine monks were to hand over the basilica to the new monastic community, the Fraternity of Jesus, but the Holy See has reversed its decision.
According to Magister, the reversal was made after the highest ranking Benedictine Abbot, Wolf D. Nokter, met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state and assured him that he would immediately strengthen the Benedictine presence at the basilica with young monks from monasteries around the world.
In addition to the abbot’s assurances, the discouraging results of Vatican investigations into the history of the Fraternity of Jesus – Magister cites the unsatisfactory results of their charge of the Church of All Saints in Florence since the year 2000 – have influenced the Vatican’s decision, Magister added.