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While Cardinals from other countries continue to speak informally to media on the streets near the Vatican, the public daily media briefing by US cardinals has been shut down.
The cancellation has come at the request of the ‘College of Cardinals’.
A spokeswoman for the American cardinals said “concern” was expressed at Wednesday’s closed-door meeting “about leaks of confidential proceedings reported in Italian newspapers”.
The US cardinals had established a daily meeting to speak openly and directly to media.
The point of interest has generally been about proceedings at the days events leading up to the establishment of a conclave to elect a new pope.
Today’s briefing was to have been their third, but it was cancelled just one hour before it was due to start.
Asked about the cancellation of the U.S. briefing, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pre-conclave meetings, known as general congregations, had to take place in a “climate of confidentiality”.
Lombardi said the preparation by the cardinals towards the conclave “is a path in which the college of cardinals reflects in order to reach a decision, in conscience, of each of the members for the election of the Roman Pontiff”.
The cardinals journey toward the conclave is not a convention or synod but a reflection, said Lombardi.
CNS reports Lombardi told media that there is a tradition of silence around the preparation for a conclave which allows cardinals to approach important decision peacefully, but that he is not surprised the US Bishops talked to media because ‘there are tons of them here.’
Lombardi says he does not tell cardinals how to handle press, whether or not to talk. “This is responsibility of College of Cardinals”.
Sources
- Reuters
- CNS (Twitter)
- Image: The Good Catholic Life
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News category: Pope.
