POPE CONFIRMS GOVERNMENT IN OFFICE -- FOR NOW

UNCLAS VATICAN 000468 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (LEVIN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV VT SUBJECT: POPE CONFIRMS GOVERNMENT IN OFFICE -- FOR NOW ¶1. Pope Benedict XVI has reappointed Cardinal Angelo Sodano as Secretary of State (head of government) and confirmed all other curial positions -- for the time being. It is traditional for the new pope to maintain the status quo at the Vatican until he takes stock of how he plans to shape his pontificate. Cardinal Sodano served as Secretary of State under John Paul II and is a close confidant of Pope Benedict XVI. His appointment is for a five-year term. Sodano's appointment signals the new pope's desire to maintain continuity within the senior levels of the Vatican government. However, he is likely to make some changes to his administration in the future, including the nomination of his own replacement as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. HARDT