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.