Posted on 03/06/2013 2:28:58 PM PST by NYer
.- The College of Cardinals has decided that its members will no longer speak to journalists after several cardinals gave too much information to Italian press.
“Concern was expressed in the general congregation about leaks of confidential proceedings reported in Italian newspapers,” said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ media director.
“As a precaution, the cardinals have agreed not to do interviews,” she added in her March 6 statement to journalists who were hoping to attend a press conference with Cardinals Francis George and Theodore McCarrick.
The American cardinals have been the only ones to organize press conferences during the general congregation phase of the Sede Vacante period.
Before the decision was made to maintain media silence, three press briefings were held at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, attracting outlets from all over the world.
But the Italian media was also interviewing cardinals of other nationalities.
A source familiar with the cardinals general meetings told CNA on background that the primary reason for the cancelation was that some Italian cardinals were divulging too much information to the Italian press.
He added that at this morning’s general meeting, the names of those cardinals who revealed too much were read off in front of the assembly.
Today was the third day of preliminary meetings as the cardinals prepare to vote for a new Pope.
The Holy See press office director, Father Federico Lombardi, said he was not surprised that the American cardinals were offering the press briefings.
“The Americans are well organized, they have a good relationship with the media and so much American media with many people has come here (to Rome),” he said March 6 at the Vatican press office.
“So I’m not surprised the American cardinals have paid attention to communicating with them,” said Fr. Lombardi.
He added that other cardinals, including Germans and Italians, had not organized press conferences because “they’re either not so numerous or not as well organized.”
But Fr. Lombardi stands by the decision of the College, saying, “it’s natural that their discernment progresses into more reflection and more silence,” and during the conclave “there will be absolute silence.”
“The congregations are not a synod or a congress in which we try to report as much information as possible,” he noted.
“They are on a path towards arriving at the decision of electing the Roman pontiff.”
Fr. Lombardi observed that in the beginning “there were moments of openness and communication.”
“Afterwards, in harmony with the rest of the College, it has been established whether and how to communicate,” he said.
The full complement of 115 cardinal electors will be present in Rome by Thursday.
Polish Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw will be arriving later today, and Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam will land in Rome on March 7.
Updated at 6:02 p.m. Rome time with comments from Fr. Lombardi througout and more details about background to the decision.
Ping!
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Sandro Magister had a good article on this. He said it was basically that the Italians wanted to show their strength, since the American cardinals really weren’t leaking anything. They were doing what Americans do, which was explaining the process, trying to create a climate of openness, and saying everything they were going to say in public. Nothing was “leaked” and it was mostly just a way of this group trying to reassure the public about the stability and honesty of the proceedings.
However, he said that the Italian cardinals (not all, but mostly the anti-Ratzinger wing, of which the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Sodano, is unfortunately a member) are not coming out publicly but are talking privately with the Italian press, which of course really is “leaking,” and are hoping that the press will run out and give their version as the only one.
That, of course, is exactly what’s happening, with Scherer already having been annointed by them as the next Pope. He’s Brazilian, but is perceived as Italian-friendly, has spent most of his career in Italy, and is a weak manager and a “progressive.” The liberal Italians, who are unfortunately all in the powerful curial old guard, don’t feel they have enough clout to get one of them elected, so they are presenting Scherer as a “Third World” candidate (what a joke!) who is at the same time most like them. And they are doing this through leaks to the press.
That said, I can’t believe Sodano’s move against the Americans won them many friends.
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