Confirmed: Vatican laicizes former bishop to become president of Paraguay

If it's true [update: it is true], this is the first time it's happened, and Cardinal Re was mistake in his prognosis (see below):

Pope Benedict granted Paraguay's president-elect a historic waiver to allow the former bishop to take office next month without violating church rules, a Vatican representative said on Wednesday.

The Pope gave Fernando Lugo a special dispensation, downgrading him to layman's status, said Orlando Antonini, the Vatican's ambassador to Asuncion.

Lugo was elected president in April, ending more than 60 years of one-party rule in the poor South American country notorious for corruption and contraband.

"It's the first time this is granted. It was accepted because the people have chosen him and ... because his clerical status is incompatible with serving as president," Antonini told a news conference.

"The Pope has granted him the loss of his clerical status ... he's a layman now," Antonini said after meeting with Lugo. (Reuters)

I'm surprised that this story is not being reported more widely. Reuters, however, can normally be trusted to get this sort of thing basically right [update: it did this time.]

Prensa Latina adds more details:

Papal Nuncio to Paraguay Orlando Antonini delivered Lugo the resolution in which the former San Pedro bishop requested on December 28, 2007 the loss of his clerical state to aspire to the presidency in the April 20 general elections.

"The Holy See after trying to dissuade Lugo not to present himself to the Republic's presidency has suspended him in the priestly exercise," said Antonini, who noted that the Pope granted him a definitive and perpetual dispensation.

This really is the final resolution, arriving earlier than expected.

Back in May, when I last covered this story, Cardinal Re said this solution was impossible:

Lugo was named a bishop in 1994. He had since asked Benedict XVI to be able to "renounce his ecclesial ministry […] to take up again the condition of a layperson in the Church."

The petition was not accepted because, as Cardinal Re noted, "the episcopacy is a service accepted freely forever."

Curious and Curiouser.

update: considering they held a press conference, I'd say it's official:



Orlando Antonini, Vatican's ambassador to Asuncion, speaks during a news conference, in Asuncion July 30, 2008, after a meeting with Paraguay's President-elect Fernando Lugo. Pope Benedict granted Paraguay's president-elect a historic waiver to allow the former bishop to take office next month without violating church rules, Antonini said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Jorge Adorno (PARAGUAY)



Paraguay's President-elect Fernando Lugo (L) meets with Orlando Antonini, Vatican's ambassador to Asuncion, in Asuncion July 30, 2008. REUTERS/Jorge Adorno (PARAGUAY)

update 2: The Associated Press reports.

update 3: Here is the text of the Vatican communique from Cardinal Re in Spanish, with excerpts of it here in English. update 4: Here is an English translation of the most important part of the communique.