Outside the Beltway

Benedict Keeps John Paul II’s Staff

James Joyner · Thursday, April 21, 2005 · 1 comment

Benedict Keeps Cardinal As Vatican’s No. 2 (AP)

Pope Benedict XVI confirmed Cardinal Angelo Sodano in the Vatican’s No. 2 post Thursday and kept all other top officials, avoiding any immediate shakeup in the late John Paul II’s administration. It was a sign that the new pope, a doctrinal hard-liner, wants to show continuity with the popular John Paul.

Sodano, the Vatican’s secretary of state, is 77, already two years past the normal retirement age for Vatican officials. The new pope is 78.

Interesting.

FILED UNDER: Uncategorized, Pope John Paul II, Vatican

About James Joyner

James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

B. Minich, PI says:

Thursday, 21 April 2005 at 16:50

I thought you meant his pastoral staff. You know, the one he was holding while he was laying in state. That’d be kinda spooky. Also, that one shot where the Pope is holding onto the staff while his robes are being blown – makes him look like some sort of wizard. Maybe his staff contains magic powers!