New beginnings: Italian cardinal to take over as secretary of state

Published: 2006-09-01

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's papacy opens a new chapter Sept. 15, when Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone takes over as secretary of state. It's arguably the pope's biggest appointment to date, and it reunites him with a man who for many years was his No. 2 at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Does that mean the Vatican is about to turn into one great big doctrinal congregation? An Italian journalist dared to pose that question to Cardinal Bertone in August. The cardinal didn't really answer, but he suggested the doctrinal experience wouldn't hurt in the great task of announcing the Gospel "in its entirety" in every country of the world. Cardinal Bertone, 71, is at the center of what might be the longest and most scrutinized transition in Vatican history. The pope offered him the position last December, he mulled it over and accepted earlier this year, and the pope announced the appointment in June -- three months before it took effect.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .