Word: benelli
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...Berlinguer encyclical caught church authorities by surprise. Reflecting the views of conservatives within the Italian church hierarchy, Giovanni Cardinal Benelli of Florence dismissed Berlinguer s arguments out of hand: "Christian...
Last week Paul announced that he would elevate Benelli to the College of Cardinals at a consistory on June 27 and appoint him the new Archbishop of Florence. The news stirred worldwide speculation that Paul, who turns 80 on Sept. 26 and is visibly tired and suffering from arthritis, is preparing for the end of his papacy...
...conventional speculation was that Paul was giving Benelli the cardinal's hat in order to make him a prospect for election as the next Pope. Although Benelli, 56, has a wide background as an administrator and diplomat (attaché to France, Brazil, Spain; nuncio to Senegal), he lacks the pastoral experience that he will gain as archbishop in his native Tuscany, as did Paul before he took the See of Milan. In a region long under Communist influence, Benelli will have to deal at firsthand with problems ranging from unemployment to abortion reform...
...inside interpretation is quite different. Although it is true that Pope John XXIII himself made it clear that he favored Paul as his successor, papal attempts to influence future elections have usually been ignored by the cardinals. Aside from that, Benelli's style in taking the heavy administrative burden from Paul's shoulders has made him probably the most unpopular man inside the Vatican. He dislikes delegating authority, busies himself even with such trivia as the allocation of Vatican apartments, and has trampled on a good many official sensibilities. And he is too new a cardinal...
Although they believe Benelli unlikely to become the next Pope, Vaticanologists do see a major role for him when Paul dies or retires. "Benelli would be the 'great elector' and not the candidate," predicts one archbishop. More generally, it is thought that Paul wants Benelli to possess a cardinal's clout, the better to press Pauline principles in the inner circle of the Italian hierarchy and the College of Cardinals...