This week was supposed to mark a major step forward in Pope Francis’ plans to reform the Roman Curia. During a reception on Tuesday at the Apostolic Palace, the Pope was scheduled to thank the outgoing Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB, and – more importantly – hand over the reins to his successor, Archbishop Pietro Parolin.
But he told the gathering of state department officials and staff members there was a slight problem. The 58-year-old archbishop could not make the ceremony. Francis announced, with a slight chuckle in his voice, that he had to undergo a “small emergency surgery” and would not actually be arriving for “several weeks”.
But neither the Pope, nor the Vatican spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, would say exactly
19 October 2013, The Tablet
Letter from Rome
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Now that I've seen Q 5:32 in its entirety, I understand why so many terrorists are so quick to write or say that what they just did was retribution for the deaths of Muslims ...