Rorate Caeli

The pre-consistory meeting of March 23: what to expect

Pope Benedict XVI will create 15 cardinals on Friday, eve of the Annunciation, and tomorrow will host a meeting with all 178 cardinals (or 193, if the quasi-cardinals, whose presence is not clear, attend). The meeting will probably have the following format: after being addressed by the dean of the College of Cardinals (Sodano), the Holy Father will make a welcoming speech and then the floor will be open to all sorts of questions, comments, speeches, or suggestions -- and the Pope will listen, though he will probably order the possible debates.

Will the Traditionalist issue be discussed? La Croix reports that it may be, as we had already anticipated here, but probably any serious issue brought up by any of the cardinals could be discussed. The main issue seems to be the reform of the Roman Curia. More concrete gestures are to be expected from the meeting with the heads of the dicasteries next April 7 (and managing a discussion among a couple dozen people is easier than a little parliament of almost 200).