If the Catholic Church were to act according to its own law and order, then the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki, would be in at least one respect more firmly in the saddle than ever.
More than three months have passed since his return from a "spiritual break" at the end of March.
Because the Pope did not approve Woelki's resignation request within this period, it is considered unacceptable under canon law.
Cause finita?
Not at all.
Francis would not be Francis if canon law served him at best as a rough guide.
So Woelki will have to be patient for a while.
Perhaps it would speed up the decision-making process in the pope's mind a little if he were to compare his statements about various requests from Woelki (time off, resignation) with those that the Cologne cardinal made on various occasions.
To put it simply, Woelki claims to have asked for something of his own free will on both occasions, which the Pope wrested from him against his will.
At least one of the versions cannot be correct, although the idea that one of the two gentlemen is deliberately leading the public behind the pine tree is hard to bear.
But if it is not according to law and order, it is probably the same with truth as with beauty: it is in the eye of the beholder.