First, as of July 2, Müller reached the end of the five-year term to which he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. Granted, such terms can be extended at a pope’s discretion, but the point is that it’s not really as if Müller has been “fired”. His service was up, and the pope decided to name someone else.But from the perspective of someone who spent time in corporation environments, where such personnel moves aren't unusual and can be just as hard to parse, here's my take.
Müller's term at the CDF has matched almost precisely the time span for implementing Anglicanorum coetibus, which has been a key responsibility of the dicastery. My solid impression of diocesan Catholics, including clergy, is that if you mention Anglicanorum coetibus to them, you'll get a puzzled expression and "huh?" I don't even try, I just give a 100,000-foot version of that papal provision that didn't work out for us.
From what I understand, the CDF isn't all that big, with a staff of about 25. Its proceedings are confidential, so it's hard to assess exactly what it's been doing for the last five years, but recognize that now-Bp Lopes, an up-and-coming member, must have spent a good part of his time there on Anglicanorum coetibus and the ordinariates.
Certainly a bunch of people at the CDF must have been preoccupied for six months or so just with the issues surrounding Our Lady of the Atonement -- issues that had apparently been festering since Abp Flores's time, which ought to have been disposed of at the diocesan level. None of this is a picture of efficiency, I'm sorry to say. Think of all the other things the CDF might have been able to deal with had it not used up some level of time and energy on Anglicanorum coetibus, which has been a damp squib.
The mountain labored and brought us -- a fuzzy cell phone photo of Bp Lopes celebrating ad orientem on the windowsill of a hospital chapel.
I wish the new prefect better outcomes.
