Papacy towers over corridors of power

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=7bbd700adfb5afc8

Big News Network.com Sunday 24th April, 2005 (UPI)

While the world was focussed on the dramatic developments in the Vatican this week, a few blocks away the Italian government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was unraveling almost unnoticed.

On Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI thanked 4,000 journalists for the quality and intensity of their coverage of the death and funeral of his predecessor,Pope John Paul II. A few hours later hardly any foreign camera team was on hand when the Italian prime minister's hastily cobbled up new cabinet was sworn in by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

Once again the ancient city of Rome was living its double life, as the capital of a modern state and at the same time the center of the Roman Catholic world.

Rome does not usually have the feel of a major city, but when a pope dies and another is elected it becomes the focal point of the universe. Italian prime ministers have lived and worked in the shadow of the papacy since the unification of Italy in 1860. Before that, Rome was the hub of the pope's own sizeable temporal state, stretching across central Italy.

What used to be the pope's main residence, the Quirinal Palace, is now the official address of the Italian president, the head of state. But year in and year out the palace that tourists come to see is the Vatican, where the pope lives. Uniquely, Rome is the only city in the world to which tourists flock to see a specific world figure. Visitors can't count on catching a glimpse of the queen while on a trip to London: in fact, it's a rarity. The same is true of the U.S. president in Washington, or the king of Spain, in Madrid.

snip...
And it's a two-way street. In these dangerous times, the Vatican relies on Italy for protection, and logistical organization. Over 120 foreign heads of state and government and other dignitaries will attend Pope Benedict XVI's installation on Sunday, and the Italian government, not the Vatican, will be responsible for their security. Thousands of Italian police will also be on hand to control the estimated crowd of half a million faithful expected in St. Peter's Square and its surrounding streets.

The funeral of Pope John Paul two weeks ago, in which the list of mourners was headed by President and Laura Bush and former President Bill Clinton was another security nightmare. One of Rome's airports had to be closed to normal flights because of the constant traffic of private planes bringing in VIPs. All normal life in Rome came to a virtual standstill as crowds filled the city hoping to pay their last respects to the dead pontiff.

more...

Reality is Berceloni is out!!!