Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of France cooed at babies on Sunday at a church in the Monti neighborhood of Rome. Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary asked for prayers for fellow cardinals at a church near the Colosseum. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of Congo joined priests from across the globe behind the altar of a church in western…
There are so many unfamiliar faces, cardinals are wearing name tags. The Vatican guesthouse for out-of-towners coming to choose the next pope is overbooked. Daily Vatican meetings have taken on the feel of theological speed-dating sessions. “The cardinals don’t know each other so well,” said Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden, who has spent recent days…
In the days surrounding Pope Francis’ death, Cardinal Pietro Parolin was everywhere. The No. 2 figure in the Vatican, he visited Francis in the hospital, and then helped seal the papal apartments after the pope died. He welcomed cardinals he knew from around the world to the pope’s funeral, talking to former President Joseph R….