Top Italian journalist examines who holds influence at the Vatican

Rome, Italy, Oct 20, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Who holds power and influence at the Vatican? One of the top Vatican journalists in Italy, Sandro Magister, provides his insights on the matter in his latest article, published in the Italian weekly L’Espresso.

A literal translation of Magister’s headline reads: “Who governs in the shadow of John Paul II: the quadrilateral Vatican.”

Magister names Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Pope’s personal secretary, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Angelo Cardinal Sodano, secretary of state, among the most influential. He also cites the pivotal role of Vatican spokesperson Joaquin Navarro-Valls.

But Magister goes beyond name-dropping and provides evidence and analysis of historic and behind-the-scenes activities to support his claims.

For instance, Magister says Church historians have never known the pope’s personal secretary to have such importance in papal affairs. He states that the list of new cardinals created in 2003 passed through Archbishop Dziwisz.

Cardinal Ratzinger is also the first prefect of the Congregation of the Faith to issue letters to the bishops of the world, beginning with “Dominus Iesus” in August 2000, Magister points out. 

Those who have lost influence at the Vatican, according to Magister, include Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re, head of the Congregation of Bishops, and Camillo Cardinal Ruini

For whom should Vatican watchers be on the look-out? Magister says a rising force at the Vatican is Julian Cardinal Herranz Casado, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, canon lawyer and member of Opus Dei..

Read Magister’s full column in English, available Friday online, at:
www.chiesa.espressonline.it/english