The Pope had good reason not to tell anybody of his decision to resign ahead of today’s staggering announcement. After all, the news would have been leaked to Italian media the moment somebody internally disclosed it to the Vatican’s Press Office. Still, it was painful and rather ridiculous to see Father Frederico Lombardi, spokesman for the Holy See, stumbling around at this morning’s press conference. “The pope took us by surprise,” he said. We know the Pope cares little about the media and their reportage. Yet disclosing the news to Lombardi late last night and giving him the overnight to prepare, alone and sequestered, would have helped the Vatican avoid looking so foolish.
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