Updates from Inside the Vatican 4/15

VATICAN CITY, Saturday, April 16, 2005 -- As I walked down toward the Vatican today shortly before 1 p.m., just after the end of this morning's meeting of the cardinals who are preparing to enter the papal conclave on Monday afternoon, I saw two black cars pull up in front of the Mater Dei house near our office on the via delle Mura Aurelie.

Out of one car stepped the Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Angelo Scola....Out of the other car stepped the former cardinal archbishop of Paris, Jean-Marie Lustiger, the German cardinal Karl Lehmann and a fourth cardinal with white hair, a round head and a powerful build whom I could not quite place, but who may have been, I think, from Latin America. I went through a book of cardinals' photos at lunch a half hour later, and tried to place the cardinal, but could not. Still, the other three identifications are certain.

Scola, Lustiger, Lehmann and the fourth cardinal went into the Mater Dei house, presumably for lunch.

Scola is normally thought to be close to Raztinger, and Lehmann is thought to be in some disagreement with Ratzinger on a number of issues. Lustiger is the most eminent cardinal from France, and was long considered a "papabile," but now is not normally considered "in the running" because of a throat condition that has caused him to almost lose his voice. People in Rome are saying this lack of a strong speaking voice makes it impossible for the cardinals to consider him seriously.

More - See "Friday Lunch (April 15/05)"