I’m amazed at the interest shown by the New Zealand media at what is happening here in Rome in these days. The interviewers from back home whom I speak to each day seem really intrigued by this whole conclave phenomenon. It is something unique in the world – the perceived “power” or influence of the Read more
Hurrying in the cold and rain to St Peter’s Square this evening to await the first smoke signal, I was amazed to find that there were already thousands upon thousands of people braving the conditions there. People of all ages and stages and ethnicities from the very young to the very old all with eyes Read more
In these last lead-up days to the Conclave, some Cardinals have voiced their opinion on the state of the Church and the qualities required in a leader of the Church for the coming years. The point of view of one voting Cardinal which wasn’t expressed in these days, but was reported at the Synod of Read more
The work to choose a new pope began in earnest late yesterday, NZ and Pacific time, as the cardinals in Rome celebrated celebrated Mass for the election of the pope (Pro Eligendo Romano Pontiff). Gregorian chant echoed through St. Peter’s Basilica as the cardinals filed in wearing bright red vestments, many looking grim as if Read more
Gianluigi Nuzzi, the Italian journalist who last year published leaked confidential papal documents supplied by the Pope Benedict’s former butler, Paulo Gabrielle, has been denied media accreditation by the Vatican to cover the upcoming conclave. “This is a choice for obscurantism, far from transparency and press freedom,” Gianluigi Nuzzi said on his Twitter account. In the Read more
The 115 cardinals participating in the conclave will know the identity of the new pope before the rest of the world, but their advance knowledge is likely to last for well over an hour, and even more in the unlikely event that the candidate they choose is not in the Sistine Chapel with them. The Read more
Eleonore Schoenborn, 92, the elderly mother of Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn’s hopes her son will not become pope. Fearing she would never see him and that he would be overwhelmed by Vatican intrigues, she told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper,”The whole family is afraid that Christoph will be elected pope.” Recalling Pope Benedict’s farewell speech, which made Read more
As preparations for the Conclave heat up inside the Vatican, media too continue to search for the story angle and ‘the’ picture. A day before the beginning of the conclave at the Vatican March 11, Reuters photographer Dylan Martinez tested a 1200-1700mm super-telephoto zoom lens, that lets photographers take detailed ‘up close’ photos some 130 metres Read more
“The will of God is not entirely clear,” Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George told his congregation on Sunday, and as cardinals, yesterday, had their final day of discussions it still seems there is no clear candidate cardinals can agree on. The cardinals, yesterday, held their last pre-conclave talks where they have been talking about the qualities Read more
Vatican Spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, Saturday, gave smoke watchers, either in St Peter’s Square, on TV, or the Internet, some broad indications on what times to look for smoke once the Conclave starts on Tuesday afternoon. Two votes are taken in the morning and another two taken in the afternoon, and when the balloting is unsuccessful, Read more