Word: pontiff
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...echoing sound system out in St. Peter's Square. As the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Ratzinger is widely expected to play a pivotal role in the coming conclave to choose a successor to John Paul II, and is even tipped by some Vatican officials as a potential pontiff himself. So,we were keen to glean hints from his homily about his thinking on the challenges facing the Church. On Good Friday, for example, Ratzinger surprised many with a sharp denunciation of what he called the ?filth? in the Church, which he characterized as a boat shipping water...
...Vatican City, April 7, 9pm Who are the Front Runners? Even though the conclave to choose a new pontiff is still 10 days away, much of the media here is hard at work searching for signs of what kind of man the cardinals may be looking for. I've been sounding out my Vatican sources on how the race to replace John Paul II may shape up, and that has meant meeting in trattorias and cafes further and further away from St. Peter's Square - some Vatican sources don't like talking when other journalists or clerics might walk...
...Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, who has been John Paul II's chief theological enforcer. Tettamanzi would probably be the leading Italian contender; Hummes would represent a turn to the developing world where the Church continues to grow; and Ratzinger would represent a concern to appoint a pontiff capable of whipping the Church's vast bureaucracy into shape...
...obvious reasons, though, the press office run by longtime Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls will continue to operate through the transition period. Despite continuing complaints that he is not as forthcoming as some would like, Navarro-Valls has gotten good grades for his handling of the pontiff's last months. After he had rushed to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 1, there was an initial attempt to sweeten the picture of John Paul's health: the Vatican feared a groundswell from the faithful questioning the authority of an enfeebled (and potentially incapacitated) pontiff. But the pontiff's final 72 hours were...
...conclave to choose a new pontiff has been scheduled to begin Monday, April 18. There will be one ballot that afternoon, which traditionally is a chance for Cardinals to vote for a sentimental choice as a special honor. The real race begins Tuesday morning, with the first two ballots. More to come in this diary, of course, on what's at stake in the campaign for succession...