US cardinals in Rome told to stop talking to media

Source: The Guardian

Loquacious US cardinals have been told to stop talking to the media after a series of press briefings that delighted journalists, but broke with tight-lipped Vatican tradition.

This week, as the college of cardinals entered its period of "general congregations" designed to prepare it for the election of a new pope, press conferences held at the Pontifical North American College had proved a popular way of providing information during what is usually a secretive process.

However, the ensuing reports were apparently enough to provoke ire in some quarters. "Concern was expressed in the general congregation about leaks of confidential proceedings reported in Italian newspapers," said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, the US cardinals' spokeswoman, in a statement. "As a precaution, the cardinals have agreed not to do interviews."

The Vatican said it had not put pressure on the Americans to stay quiet. But a Vatican spokesman said that cardinals had perhaps decided among themselves to cancel the briefing as they increasingly appreciated "the importance of keeping things among themselves".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/06/us-cardinals-rome-talking-media