Cardinal-Nepos

And the buzz is building....

DUBLIN -- The office of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has sought to play down reports linking him to the position of Vatican Secretary of State, the office primarily responsible for the diplomatic and political activity of the Holy See. The archbishop is among a number of people tipped to succeed Cardinal Angelo Sodano in what is seen by some as the second most important job in the Church, after the Pope. Cardinal Sodano, who will be 78 in November, was Pope John Paul II's Secretary of State from 1991 and was re-appointed by Pope Benedict XVI following his election in April. It is widely expected that Sodano, already past the Vatican's official retirement age of 75, will vacate the position by the end of the year.

Time to stock up on more champagne... An Irish Secretary of State is a blessing....

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