Cardinal Bertone may call it a day

Vatican  insiders are watching development closely as tomorrow, 31^st August, Cardinal Secretary of State for the Vatican Tarcisio Bertone will be handing in his resignation from what id effectively the Premier’s position in the tiny state. Cardinal Bertone will be stepping down as he will soon be celebrating his 79^th Birthday. Sources close to the Vatican consider it likely that Pope Francis will be nominating Archbishop Pietro Parolin in his stead. Parolin is Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela. Cardinal Bertone, ordained as a Salesian of Don Bosco, was appointed to office in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI after the resignation of his predecessor Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Taking up the reins in September, he had been immediately faced with the controversy which had flared up following the Pope’s speech in Regensburg regarding remarks about islam. The new Secretary of state is likely to be  Italian born Pietro Parolin, ordained priest in 1980 and attached to Vatican Diplomatic service in 1986. He occupied various high post including the equivalent of deputy minister for foreign affairs where he worked closely with Cardinals Sodano and Bertone. (Source : Vatican insider)