Saturday, April 09, 2005

Cardinals to Avoid Media; 2 Cardinals Unable to Come to Rome

Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following statement yesterday afternoon to journalists:

..."The cardinals, after the funeral Mass of the Holy Father, began a more intense period of silence and prayer, in view of the conclave. They unanimously decided to avoid interviews and encounters with the media. Journalists are therefore courteously invited to abstain from asking the cardinals for interviews or any other comments. This invitation should not be seen as an attitude of discourtesy or disinterest with regards to the media - in fact the cardinals wish to thank them for the enormous interest with which they are following events in this period - but rather as a gesture of great responsibility.

..."Two cardinals have communicated that they will be unable to attend for reasons of health: Jaime L. Sin, archbishop emeritus of Manila, the Philippines, and Adolfo Antonio Suarez Rivera, archbishop emeritus of Monterrey, Mexico."

...He also said that he had received countless questions about the beatification process for John Paul II and noted that this is entirely up to the new Supreme Pontiff. -V.I.S.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The best thing to do is to follow Saint Alphonsus Ligouri's advice when it comes to a Conclave and pray that the Holy Spirit will give us a Pope who will be a great defender and promoter of the Catholic faith.

Anonymous said...

The Apostolic Constitution Universi Domini Gregis stipulates that the College of Cardinals is to have absolutely no contact with the outside world, lest they be distracted from listening to God. The Church wants to avoid the cardinals from being unduly influenced by any events or outside factors.

alicia said...

I'm saddened that Cardinal Sin won't be there. I have always had the greatest respect for him, ond for how he has tried to keep the Phillipines a Catholic haven in the midst of the culture of death.

Anonymous said...

Here's a link to an article on one of the top papabiles.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/298275p-255366c.html

This may have been based on leaks by his enemies....campaigning and all.

Anonymous said...

John...couldn't there be a tie if all 120 were there?

And does anyone know how many of these cardinals were at the 1978 conclaves? Someone had told me Cardinal Sin was the only one?