Appointment in Milan shows Pope's decisive action

June 29, 2011

Vatican-watcher Andrea Tornielli of the Italian daily La Stampa sees the appointment of Cardinal Angelo Scola in Milan as the choice of “a pope who consults everyone, but in the end chooses for himself, completely independently, without allowing himself to be influenced in any way.”

Cardinal Scola has encountered opposition within the Vatican in the past, Tornielli notes; the Secretariat of State scuttled a bid to make him the head of the Italian bishops’ conference. And the appointment in Milan drew an enormous volume of speculation, with Vatican insiders promoting their own favorite candidates. But in the end, after lengthy consultations, Pope Benedict chose his own man: a prelate with whom he has been friendly for decades, in whom he has complete trust.

 

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Further information:

• The choice of a Pope who knows how to govern (Vatican Insider)