Weary-looking Pope leads new cardinals in mass
Weary-looking Pope leads new cardinals in mass
VATICAN CITY — Looking weary during a third straight day of speeches and ceremony, Pope Benedict led 22 new cardinals in a Sunday mass and prayed for help so that he and his aides can continue to carry out the Catholic church's worldwide mission.
Many of the men who sat before the Pope in front of the Baroque central altar of St. Peter's Basilica, dressed in white robes and wearing their new red hats, will likely vote in secret conclave for Benedict's successor after his death.
...Benedict, who turns 85 in April, read a long homily in a hoarse voice and looked tired on the third straight day of speeches, rituals and appearances for the new cardinals. Benedict told the new cardinals their main task is to "bear witness to the joy of Christ's love."
The Vatican has been embarrassed by months of intrigue involving alleged corruption and apparent jockeying for power within the hierarchy with a view to the next papacy. The leaking of documents and a rash of in-house scandals have been interpreted by observers as indications that Vatican insiders see Benedict's attention to the Holy See's bureaucracy as waning.
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