Word: biffi
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...Christianity and Islam come into contentious conflict. But his long service in the Vatican bureaucracy, or Curia ("He's more Curial than African" goes a typical comment), and his recent transfer to another department have dimmed his prospects. Some electors may side with Bologna's former ARCHBISHOP GIACOMO CARDINAL BIFFI, who has suggested that non-Catholic immigration to Italy should be limited. But theirs will be a minority view. Says Comunità di Sant'-Egidio's Riccardi: "The man chosen by the Cardinals can't be a Pope of the clash of civilizations." The most common posture in conclave will apparently...
...reason that Castrillion Hoyos rides an Exercycle. A moderate public image can't hurt either. Most of the Cardinals under 80 and therefore eligible to vote are doctrinal conservatives. John Paul named 92% of them. But it's possible to take too hard a line, as when Cardinal Giacomo Biffi urged the Italian government last year to favor Catholic immigrants over Muslims...
Which Italian? Moderates might back Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi, archbishop of Genoa, while conservatives could go for Giacomo Cardinal Biffi of Bologna. And then there is Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini, a Scripture scholar and the archbishop of Milan, who has long been seen as a possible progressive successor to John Paul. "Martini would be the best candidate," says McBrien. "He'd be outstanding." The only sure bet is that whoever follows John Paul II will find the shoes of the fisherman very large to fill...
...whole church," says Van Biema. "It's pretty unlikely that the next pope will share what in the end may be more John Paul II's personal peculiarity than a characteristic of the church he has built." That much was clear in comments last weekend by Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, 71, of Bologna, touted as a leading candidate to succeed John Paul II. In a theological discussion on the Antichrist, the cardinal opined that it was very likely that the beast was already among us, disguised as a philanthropist supporting creeds such as vegetarianism, animal rights or pacifism - or advocating Catholic...
Other possible Italian candidates include Silvano Piovanelli, 70, of Florence, and Pio Cardinal Laghi, 72, who heads the Congregation for Catholic Education. Both have conservative credentials. And then there is Giacomo Biffi, 66, the Archbishop of Bologna. Biffi, for whom John Paul reportedly has a soft spot, likes to bait Italy's liberal press with his diatribes against gays, feminists, AIDS victims, unwed mothers and pro-choice activists. He has led a campaign to abolish the music of Mozart and Schubert from the Mass, and he once likened ordaining women as priests to celebrating Communion with Coca- Cola. Says...