"Young Pope" Needed to Reform Church, Says Cardinal

Gazzetta del Sud
February 14, 2013

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/34631/-Young-pope--needed-to-reform-Church--says-cardinal.html

Vatican City, February 14 - Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, Archpriest emeritus of the papal basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome, on Thursday said a "young pope" was needed to steer the Roman Catholic Church through its present difficulties following the shock announcement by Pope Benedict XVI of his resignation earlier this week. "Vigour and youth are needed to tackle the various tasks at hand," said the prelate who, at 88, is too old to vote in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope, adding that geographical provenance is not important. "There are certainly many things that need changing, reforming and improving, the unresolved problems undoubtedly concern the need to bring the Church up to date in its inner workings and structures, problems that are related to its need to be better inserted in the present time," said Cardinal Montezemolo. "I do not think that the community of the faithful should feel disorientated by Benedict XVI's gesture; I think that for a moment one should feel more inspired to reflect," he added, describing the pope's historic decision to step down from office at the end of February due to old age as "an act of great faith and of great courage".