Oct 19, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The layman Alberto Gasbarri, administrative and technical director of Vatican Radio, is the new person in charge of organizing the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI, revealed the Italian press.
Gasbarri, a father of 52 years old, was designated by the Secretary of State to replace Msgr. Renato Boccardo, informed the Vatican Correspondant for the Italian daily “Il Giornale,” Andrea Tornielli.
According to Tornielli, the naming was made this past October 14, through a letter of Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, sent to the different dicasteries of the Vatican. In the letter according to “Il Giornale,” Cardinal Sodano communicated that the Pope, “after reflecting on the structure of the work required for the preparation of his apostolic visits, and the numerous responsibilities of Msgr. (Renato) Boccardo, as Secretary General of the Gubernator, chose Alberto Gasbarri.”
Gasbarri is not new in the position. For years he worked under the direction of now Cardinal Roberto Tucci, who during almost 20 years coordinated the numerous trips of Pope John Paul II.
The first test for Gasbarri will be Benedict XVI’s trip to Poland, which he announced during his interview to the polish television, and that will take place in June 2006.