from THE SECRETARY OF STATE of the VATICAN
Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013
The freedom of the College of Cardinals, which is responsible for providing, under the law, the election of the Roman Pontiff, has always been strongly defended by the Holy See, as a guarantee of a choice that was based on evaluations addressed solely to the good of the Church.Over the centuries, the Cardinals have faced multiple forms of pressure exerted on the individual voters and the same College, which had as its goal to influence decisions, bending logic of political or worldly.If in the past were the superpowers, namely the Member to seek to rely on his conditioning in the election of the Pope, now you try to put into play the weight of public opinion, often on the basis of assessments that do not capture the 'typically spiritual aspect of time that the Church is experiencing.It is regrettable that, with the approach of the time of the start and the Conclave Cardinal electors shall be bound in conscience and before God, to express freely their choice, multiply the dissemination of often unverified or not verifiable, or even false, even with severe damage to people and institutions.Never before in these moments, Catholics focus on what is essential: pray for Pope Benedict, pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten the College of Cardinals, the future Pope to pray, trusting that the fate of Peter's boat is in the hands of God