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Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone of Italy, a longtime aide to Pope Benedict XVI and the first major church official to speak out against "The Da Vinci Code," was appointed Thursday as secretary of state, the Vatican's No. 2 official.The pope also accepted the retirement of American Cardinal Edmund Szoka, 78, as governor of Vatican City and named Italian archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, 71, the Vatican's foreign minister, to succeed him.Szoka is a former archbishop of Detroit.The appointments nearly fill Benedict's team, which the German pontiff has been slowly assembling since assuming the papacy 14 months ago.The Vatican said Benedict accepted the resignation...

(ANSA) - Rome, June 19 - The most important move in Pope Benedict XVI's reshaping of the Vatican administration after his election in 2005 will be announced soon, according to Vatican-watchers in Italy . The current Vatican Secretary of State, the 79-year-old Cardinal Angelo Sodano, is widely expected to step down later this year and Benedict must choose a replacement . It is a crucial choice because the holder of the position, akin to that of a prime minister, is second only to the pope in the Vatican hierarchy. He is in charge of all the political and diplomatic activities...

Jun. 14 (CWNews.com) - New rumors about changes in the Roman Curia are sweeping through the ranks of Vatican journalists, with the most intense speculation involving the post of Secretary of State. While mentioning the names of prelates believed likely to be appointed to top Vatican posts, journalists are also speculating about the timing of the appointments. Some Vatican-watchers had predicted an announcement on June 10. When that date passed without any major news, speculation began to center on June 29: the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Vatican Radio has commented on the widespread expectation of an "imminent reshuffling...

The New Curia of Benedict XVI Looks toward Asia The new prefect of “Propaganda Fide” comes from India. And the new secretary of the congregation for the liturgy is from Sri Lanka. His first public address was the presentation of a book. And it was revealing by Sandro Magister ROMA, May 26, 2006 – On his first anniversary as pope, Benedict XVI asked God “to grant that I may be a gentle and firm Pastor.” He is already gentle and firm, to judge by his recent actions. It’s enough to consider how on May 19 he imposed retirement from public...

Saturday, May 20, 2006 The Tsunami, Wave One Some weeks ago, you all were advised to expect the first major throes of Benedict XVI's curial reshuffle before the Pope's departure for Poland on the 25th. Well, right on time and just as predicted for about a year, this morning the Holy See announced that Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, heretofore prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has been appointed archbishop of Naples in succession to the retiring Cardinal Michele Giordano. To succeed Sepe, the long-standing buzz was also confirmed: the new Red Pope is Cardinal Ivan Dias, the...

Vatican City, Mar. 11, 2006 (CNA) - By accepting one Cardinal’s resignation and bringing four major dicasteries under two authorities, Pope Benedict has wasted no time starting what could be a significant change within the Roman Curia. His announcements came immediately after finishing his Lenten Spiritual Exercises today.The Pontiff began by accepting the resignation of Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, who reached the retirement age of 75. Until now, he has served as President of the Pontifical Council for Migrants.In light of the resignation, Benedict also decided to bring Cardinal Hamao’s former dicastery under the authority of the Pontifical Council for...

The Lenten season, which started with Ash Wednesday, is “a good time for a thorough evaluation of one’s life in reflection, prayer and penitence”, the pope said today.... Turning to the gospel of the day, which is about Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, “where he overcame the temptations of Satan” (cfr Mk 1:12-13), the pope exhorted Christians to follow “their Teacher and Lord… to face together with Him ‘the struggle against the spirit of evil’.” He said: “The desert is rather an eloquent metaphor of the human condition.” The pope also recalled the experience of the people of Israel...

It’s Sunset Boulevard for the Cardinal Secretary of StateHe should be the pope’s foremost collaborator. But for Benedict XVI, cardinal Angelo Sodano is more of an obstacle than a help. Especially after his failed maneuver against cardinal Camillo Ruini by Sandro Magisterbr>ROMA, March 2, 2006 – For the Vatican curia, the upcoming consistory from March 23-25 will be very Lenten, and really hardly festive at all. Only three of the curia heads waiting for the cardinal’s purple will receive it. Of those left standing at the gate, the most famous, archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, not only was not promoted as a...

Andrea Tornielli runs his summary of yesterday's meeting in today's Il Giornale, reporting that the summit ran "several hours." The summit of the dicastery heads "did not solve the argument," Tornielli writes, saying that a second meeting of its kind -- scheduled for 23 March -- "represents a novelty in the Vatican and indicates that the Pope intents to listen to and value the work of his collaborators in the Curia, just as he did when he led the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith," while at the same time not letting slip one bit of his own desision-making...

Today the Pope’s meeting with the Capidicasterio  about the SSPX finished with the decision of “keeping the discussion open” until the next meeting in late March.According to some sources, the canonical aspect of the possible agreement that would bring the Lefebvrists fully back to the Church is well under way, but Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation of the Liturgy and the Discipline of the Sacraments seems to be hesitant about making easier the use of the old Missal.According to the sources, the Cardinal fears that if the Mass of Pious V would be made available without the need...

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI meets with top cardinals in the Sala Bologna at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 13, 2006. The pontiff convened top cardinals and heads of Vatican departments on Monday to discuss relations with the schismatic ultraconservative movement founded by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, HO) More as it's verified....

The other night, I advised everyone to put as much stock in Saturday's ADNKronos report as you would in James Frey's next book. Well, the rumours that a consistory for the creation of new cardinals will be held on the Solemnity of the Annunciation got a firm boost this morning from Andrea Tornielli in Il Giornale. Translation: "Ratzinger plans new cardinals, curial changes for his Church" The first consistory for the creation of new cardinals in the pontificate of Benedict XVI could be called before the end of this month and celebrated next 25 March. If the leaks which come...

The Italian newsweekly Panorama has a very interesting prognosis of the major events of 2006 in the Roman Curia in its last edition (with the same title as the one chosen for this post). The main points of the article: FIRST, after eight months, Pope Benedict has filled only two positions with his men: CDF Prefect, vacated for obvious reasons; and the Secretary for Divine Worship, who was picked because he was needed to "continue the dialogue with the traditionalist Catholics" (Panorama's words). SECOND, and this has been well known for a few months, the Holy Father has chosen...

Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI recalled the "fright" he felt at being elected pope, telling cardinals during his year-end speech Thursday that he never imagined he would be chosen and only agreed to it because he had great faith in God.Benedict reviewed what he called the "great events" that affected the Roman Catholic Church in 2005, highlighting the suffering and death of Pope John Paul II, the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the World Youth Day celebrations in Cologne, Germany.He left the April 19 conclave that elected him pope to the end of the lengthy speech,...

With several leading Vatican officials are already beyond the normal retirement age, Pope Benedict XVI is expected to make major changes in the Roman Curia sometime in the near future. Catholic World News reports that Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, celebrated his 75th birthday yesterday. In accordance with canon law, he has therefore submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news). Pope Benedict is free to accept the French cardinal's resignation as he wishes. Cardinal Poupard, who has served in the Roman Curia since 1980, has held his current post since 1988 -...

Analysis: New pope's style takes shape UPI - Sunday, July 17, 2005   Date: Sunday, July 17, 2005 11:51:21 PM EST By ROLAND FLAMINI, Chief International CorrespondentWASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- When Pope Benedict XVI left Rome for his two-week vacation in a chalet in the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps last week he took with him a piano and three suitcases of books. This was a significant change from his more athletic predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who spent his holidays in the same location, but packed a knapsack and hiking boots.Pope Benedict may have been chosen...

New status for Cardinal Arinze Vatican, Apr. 25 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI has raised Cardinal Francis Arinze (bio - news) to the rank of cardinal-bishop, making him one of the ranking members of the College of Cardinals. The cardinal-bishops hold the top ceremonial status within the College of Cardinals. There are normally six cardinal-bishops, and since Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (bio - news) had held that rank, his election to the papacy had created an opening, which is now filled by Cardinal Arinze. Cardinal Francis Arinze, the 72-year-old prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, had previously served as Archbishop...

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR. Recent weeks have seen yet another round of speculation about "who's in charge" in the Vatican. A Nov. 5 piece in The Washington Post, picking up on a cover story in L'Espresso by Italian Vatican writer Sandro Magister, pointed to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican's top doctrinal official, as an increasingly important behind-the-scenes force (as well as potentially the next pope). Meanwhile, Roman gossip continues to tap Archbishop Stanislaw Dzwisz, John Paul's private secretary, as virtually a "vice-pope." First, no one, not even the pope, is ever "in charge" in the sense of making all...

ROME - German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a close advisor of Pope John Paul II, has issued a strong attack against "secular Europe", which he accuses of "decadence", "intolerance" towards Christians and ostracism towards God. In an interview published on Friday by the Italian daily La Repubblica, the cardinal speaks of a Europe that is living through a major transformation - from one based on Christian culture to an aggressive and at times intolerant (form of) secularism". "Secularism is no longer neutral," the cardinal said, it is beginning to transform itself into an ideology that imposes itself through politics and does...

ROMA - On Sunday, October 17, the first day of the twenty-seventh year of John Paul II's pontificate, the Old Testament passage read in all the Catholic churches in the world was the one from Exodus in which Aaron and Hur support the arms of Moses, which "grew tired." The idea of Karol Wojtyla as a new Moses is a comparison that provides the title for a biography of him which he particularly cherishes. That he is exhausted in body is apparent to all. Less well known is who are the Aarons and the Hurs in the Vatican who stand...