Archbishop Burke Is All Over The Place

First, we find out from Rocco Palma that he's been named to the Congregation for Bishops.

Earlier today, B16 named the church's "chief justice" Archbishop Raymond Burke to the membership of the Congregation for Bishops, giving the 61 year-old prelate a seat at the dicastery's all-important Thursday Table, whose votes recommend prospective appointees to the Pope.

Did you read that last part? An American who is a staunch defender of orthodoxy now has a place in vetting new bishops. The awesomeness is overwhelming. In case you don't recall, Archbishop Burke, canon lawyer par excellence, has been highly vocal in his insistence that pro-abortion politicians be denied the Eucharist. One would think he'd be looking for like-minded folks.

Though it can only be gauged with time, the emergence of a potential -- and potentially significant -- "Burke effect" on Stateside appointments bears watching.

Let's not worry about degree right now. Let's just be glad that we can at least assume an effect of some sort.

On a side note, and just as good news:

Also named to Bishops this morning was the Vatican's "Worship Czar," the Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, whose longstanding ties to Pope Benedict have seen him dubbed the Ratzingerino, or "Little Ratzinger."

But back to Archbishop Burke.

Even with this appointment, he still had time to celebrate a Pontifical High Mass at St. Peter's in Rome. Per CNS:

The Gregorian chant of the Tridentine Mass filled the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 18 as U.S. Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, head of the Vatican's highest court, celebrated a pontifical high Mass.

Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, said in a statement Oct. 19, "The Mass represented an extraordinary event, an event authorized on the occasion of the conference."

The cardinal declined further comment, but another Vatican official said the Mass probably was the first pontifical high Mass using the 1962 rite to be celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica in almost 40 years.

Forty years since we had one of these. Almost criminal.

Anyways, it's all very good news. We have to assume at this point that +Burke is in line for a red hat at the next consistory. After that, who knows?