INTRIGUES, scandals, rumours and fears capable of impugning the credibility of the eventual new Pope are rife, as Cardinal electors from every region of the world begin to gather to pick the man to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who will step down on Thursday.
The church has suddenly found itself in uncharted waters owing to the fact that no Pope had resigned in over 600 years. But far from the feeling of sobriety and wholesomeness expected to associate the making of the new occupant of the exalted Papacy, intrigues, scandals and rumours have become the confetti on the lane being walked by the 117 Cardinals, who constitute the conclave that has the theocratic right to elect a new Pope.
The cable news are awash with ever emerging fears rife enough to influence the vote and with it the direction of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal electors must be younger than 80 years old to participate in the conclave. The average age is 72.
And interestingly, Nigeria has two (Olubunmi Anthony Okogie and John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan) among the 11 cardinals from Africa, who are part of the conclave. Others are Polycarp Pengo (Tanzania), Gabriel Zubeir Wako (Sudan), Wilfrid Fox Napier (South Africa), Theodore Adrien Sarr (Senegal), John Njue (Kenya), Robert Serah (Guinea), Peter Kodwo Apiah Turkson (Ghana), Antonios Naguib (Egypt) and Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (Democratic Republic of Congo).
After the February 11 retirement announcement, various reports on inside happenings at the Vatican appeared to underscore the backbiting at the Vatican, which the retreating Pope was unable to control. Some of the stories making the rounds in the Italian media and streamed by New York Times stretched the high stake intrigue theory beyond bounds, alleging gay sex scandals in the Vatican.
Others focused on particular Cardinals stung by the child sexual abuse crisis, which suggest internal struggles as prelates scramble to consolidate power and attack their rivals in the dying days of a troubled Papacy. The reports, which the Vatican has vehemently refuted, touch on some of the most vexing issues of Benedict's nearly eight-year reign, including a new round of accusations of child sexual abuse by priests, and international criticism of the Vatican Bank's opaque record-keeping.
The recent explosion of bad press, which some Vatican experts say is fed by carefully orchestrated leaks meant to weaken some Papal contenders, also speak to Benedict's own difficulties in governance, which analysts say he is trying to address, albeit belatedly, with several high-profile personnel changes.
In a strongly-worded rebuke and rebuttal, the Vatican Secretariat of State issued a rare statement at the weekend calling it "deplorable" that ahead of the conclave, there was "a widespread distribution of often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories that cause serious damage to persons and institutions."
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The man wants to have peace of mind. I like truthfulness but some matters cant be discussed in the open. The out going pope knows and if he cant fight it, he sees it as a necessary step tp step down for someone who can. May Allah guide him to the part of truth. Amin.
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