A report from Andrea Tornelli at Il Giornale has American Father J. Augustine DiNoia, O.P. moving from his post at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith to Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.
Father DiNoia was hired by then-Cardinal Ratzinger to be the under-secretary at CDF in 2002. DiNoia had served at the USCCB’s doctrine committee for years before that.
If I may be permitted a personal note, Father DiNoia is one of the smartest people I have ever met. Even when we disagree, which was not infrequent, his arguments and his depth of learning made such disagreements a learning experience for me. He inhales literature and has always read the most recent journals of ideas, not just of theology but of politics and literature. I remember by mother once spending an entire brunch discussing novels with the good father while my Dad and I discussed the Red Sox. He is unfailingly gracious.
DiNoia’s selection for a post dealing with an issue that is near and dear to the Holy Father’s heart makes sense. The two have collaborated closely in the past. They know each others’ minds. It is not every day that you encounter news from Rome that is thrilling, but this is thrilling.
