What is Francis trying to say? A Lenten confession, perhaps?

Catholic World News reports that in the latest Vatican yearbook, the Annuario Pontificio, the title "Vicar of Christ" does not appear on the listing for Pope Francis.

In the 2020 edition of the Annuario, the page devoted to Pope Francis is headed simply by his name: Jorge Maria Bergoglio. Past editions have always been headed by the titles accorded to the Pope, beginning with "Vicar of Jesus Christ".

Other titles have been "Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province, Sovereign of the Vatican City-State." In the 2020 edition, these titles appear at the bottom of the page devoted to Pope Francis, where they are identified only as "historical" titles.

Such a change would undoubtedly have required the approval of the Pontiff. What, then, is the significance of this deletion?

In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI dropped another traditional title: "Patriarch of the West". The Vatican explained that the elimination of this title "could prove useful to ecumenical dialogue." The statement also noted that the significance of that title "was never very clear, and over history has become obsolete and practically unusable."

But this change is different. The title "Vicar of Jesus Christ" has a clear and unmistakable theological significance. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, called the downgrading of the title a "theological barbarism."

To date the Vatican has not issued any explanation for the change, but Walt has a thought... or two... From the very beginning, the legitimacy of Cardinal Bergoglio's election has been called into question. There were those who said, with the weight of precedent behind them, that the position of Vicar of Christ (etc etc) wasn't open, since the incumbent, Benedict XVI, was still alive. His purported resignation, they said, was a nullity. One pope at a time is enough!

Then, leaks from within the conclave of Cardinals which chose him suggested that a good deal of campaigning and lobbying was done, contrary to the norms for such events, and that all necessary steps were taken to ensure that (as the hockey metaphor says) the puck was nailed to Jorge's stick.

Favours were promised, they said, and any number of things Pope Bergoglio said and did after his elevation to the Chair of Peter suggest that the promises were kept. Many somewhat traditional bishops were cast out, and liberals put in their places. The Church founded by Jesus Christ has now become simply the "church of accompaniment". One wonders if the next word to be deleted will be "Catholic".

And then came the Amazon Synod, which seemed even to many "moderate" Catholics -- never mind the Traditionalists -- a step too far. Was God Himself displeased? Is it merely a coincidence that the entire world, and particularly the once-Catholic countries of Italy and Spain, have been smitten with a modern-day plague -- the corona virus? Could Covid-19 be God's way of telling us -- especially you, Francis -- "Wait just a minute there!" And just in time for Easter too!

Could it be that Pope Bergoglio -- if "pope" he is -- has seen the error his ways? He was leading us into heresy -- women priests, sodomy not a sin, you don't have to be Catholic to be saved -- and now God, who will not be mocked, is telling him to set things right, and quick too! Stripping himself of the title "Vicar of Christ" could be a tacit admission that he was not legitimately elected, and therefore not pope after all.

From there, it would be easy enough to step down. In theory (as I understand it) that would leave Benedict XVI in the position. When he dies, a new pope could be elected -- one who, we pray, would be worthy of the title "Vicar of Christ".