Al-Rahi Elected Assistant to Vatican's 'Interim Pope'
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi was elected Thursday as one of three cardinals who will serve as assistants to Vatican number two Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the camerlingo or chamberlain who will be "interim pope" until a successor to Benedict XVI is found.
The three cardinals were elected for a three-day mission related to the preparations that will preceed the conclave that will elect the new pope.
“We are preparing a meeting of all Orthodox and Catholic Patriarchs of the MidEast to promote unity among Christians and deal with the problems and suffering that we share in this difficult moment in history,” al-Rahi said on Wednesday evening from the Vatican.
The camerlengo has traditionally had the role of officially certifying the death of a pope.
He is also charged with destroying the "Fisherman's Ring" -- a gold signet ring specially cast for each new pope -- originally to prevent forgery during the Sede Vacante. Today its destruction in the presence of the cardinals at their first gathering of the Sede Vacante simply symbolizes the end of a papacy.
The Vatican on Thursday said cardinals had not yet decided on a start date for a conclave to elect a new pope after the resignation of Benedict XVI.
"There has been no decision on a date for the conclave," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said after the latest in a series of meetings of cardinals from around the world that began on Monday.
Lombardi also denied a media report that St Peter's Basilica had been booked for a special pre-conclave mass on Monday.
Divisions have emerged between some cardinals who want more time for pre-conclave discussions on the reforms needed for the Catholic Church and others who want to move to a conclave right away.
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