How to Cover the Catholic Church

Covering the Vatican

in advertising, in communications and on the Internet. Another council doc-

ument denounced pornography.

The president is Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli. The secretary is Msgr.

Paul Tighe. Phone 06-6988-3197. E-mail

Prefecture of the Pontifical Household

The grand Apostolic Palace, where the pope resides, requires some looking

after, and the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household does just that. In addi-

tion, the prefecture organizes papal audiences, both general ones and more

private ones with heads of state and other important figures, and takes care

of the pope’s schedule both at home and outside Rome, in effect serving as a

secretarial staff.

The prefect is Archbishop Georg Gänswein. Phone 06-6988-3114.

Pontifical Commission

EcclesiaDei

Pope John Paul II founded this commission in 1988 to provide pastoral care

to former followers of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The French arch-

bishop, who rejected the liturgical reforms and other aspects of the Second

Vatican Council, was excommunicated after ordaining bishops without

papal approval. The commission oversees matters related to the use among

Catholics of the Tridentine Mass as revised in 1962, before the Vatican II litur-

gical reforms.

The president is Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller. The secretary is

Archbishop Guido Pozzo. Phone 06-6988-5213. E-mail

COVERINGMAJOR VATICAN EVENTS

Conclave

If you cover the Vatican long enough, you’ll probably get the chance to cover a

conclave. This booklet will spare the details since you’ll be flooded with infor-

mation when the time comes, but here are the basics.

Foreign journalists generally invade Rome in the day or two following the

death of a pope. The

Sala Stampa

processed more than 6,000 accreditation

requests in the 10 days after Pope John Paul’s death. Funeral rites are cele-

brated for nine consecutive days, called the

novendiales

, with burial between

the fourth and sixth day after death. Before the funeral Mass, the pope’s body

lies in St. Peter’s Basilica for viewing by the faithful.