A flury of Vatican news bits & rumors

Rocco has a fine post with various interesting little newsbits. I've picked out the best crumbs:

"A record 51 archbishops will receive the pallium on Friday ... Of the group, there are five new metropolitans each from Canada, Mexico, India and Brazil."

"This Saturday, meanwhile, several reports are that the also long-awaited papal letter to Chinese Catholics will see the light of day."

"The Pope's own vacation, which won't see him back in Rome until late September, begins on 9 July."

"More provocatively, the April report was headlined by murmurs of a bombshell: the transfer of Cardinal William Levada from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith back to the States as archbishop of New York." [this would, of course, leave CDF vacant and in need of a new head.]

"[in response to the publication of Pope Benedict's comment re: miracles in britain:] "... the Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ penned a letter to the editor published in today's Times (of London). Saying that the "certain articles" painted "a negative picture of the atmosphere of the meetings that took place," Lombardi wrote that said image "does not reflect what really happened."

"And, lastly for now, look for the States to reap yet another share of appointment goodness in the morning..... So they're sayin'."

Eventful days!