Cardinals Arrive for Papal Anniversary

Cardinals from around the world began arriving Monday in Rome to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s papacy and for meetings that some see as an anticipation of the conclave that will elect his successor.

With concern rising over the frail health of the 83-year-old pontiff, cardinals see the anniversary as a moment to pay tribute to John Paul’s determination to press ahead.

English Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor said he and his fellow prelates were happy to attend the celebrations and recognize “yes, his frailty, but also his indomitable will to carry on and serve the Church as long as God permits him to do so.”

John Paul, suffering from Parkinson’s disease and knee and hip ailments, kept up his schedule, meeting with the president of Uruguay and several prelates. Defying skeptics, he also suggested that his days as the most-traveled pontiff in history may not be over.

In a message to Catholic groups from across eastern Europe meeting in Ukraine, John Paul appeared to leave the issue open, saying “Providence alone knows whether I shall be able to continue my pastoral pilgrimages in your blessed lands.”

John Paul has received invitations from Austria, Switzerland, France and his native Poland for visits next year, but has not made any commitments.

The main anniversary Mass is Thursday evening in St. Peter’s Square, while the cardinals begin their closed-door sessions the previous day.

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, D.C., said they would be discussing “collegiality,” a term often equated with democracy in the Church, the role of bishops, relations with other Christian denominations and missionary work – “all the things that have been so important in the life of Pope John Paul II.”

With the entire College of Cardinals invited to attend and with a new batch of 30 prelates to be installed as cardinals next week, the sessions also offered an opportunity for the men to size one another up for the time it comes to select a successor.

“I guess it’s natural that as you get to know each other, you get to know each other better and you see who you respect the most, and who seems to have a sense of the Church in our times,” said McCarrick.

One of the newly designated cardinals, Scottish Archbishop Keith O’Brien, became embroiled in controversy when he was quoted as recently saying that the Church’s mandatory celibacy for priests and its ban on contraception should be open for discussion.

He later said his remarks had been misinterpreted and affirmed his orthodoxy by making a profession of faith that he would defend Church teachings on homosexuality and birth control.

O’Brien’s spokesman, Peter Kearney, denied claims that O’Brien had been pressured by the Vatican to make the statement.