Pope Taps Vatican Diplomat to be His Top Aide
Pope Francis on Saturday tapped a veteran diplomat as the Vatican's No. 2 to replace the Holy See's secretary of state, who in recent years increasingly became a divisive figure in the church's hierarchy.
The Vatican announced that Archbishop Pietro Parolin, 58, an Italian former deputy foreign minister at the Vatican, will take up the post held since 2006 by Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, starting Oct. 15. Bertone will remain in the position until then, giving Parolin, currently serving as papal envoy to Venezuela, time to prepare for his new duties.
Benedict XVI, who retired as Pontiff earlier this year, had relied heavily on Bertone as one of the few advisors in his inner circle. Bertone, a Genoa archbishop, had served Benedict for many years at the Vatican.
The Vatican noted that Bertone, 78, was retiring under a church law that requires cardinals who hold top curia posts to offer their resignations when they turn 75. Benedict had kept him in place, reportedly to the irritation of a rival faction of Vatican bureaucrats loyal to Bertone's predecessor, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
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