Collateral Effects of Papal Transition

With all the discussion regarding Pope Benedict's resignation and who his successor should be, some interesting pieces can be missed. I would like to draw attention to just two of them that address some of the collateral issues related to the change in Church leadership and governance. First is this Washington Post article discussing, among a wide array of somewhat tangentially related issues, how the Vatican has seemed to change its policy regarding the role of Cardinals who have been accused of wrongdoing. The second, an analysis piece in the National Catholic Reporter, discusses the effect of a change in Church leadership on the ongoing dispute between the Vatican and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Whether one agrees with the analysis or not, both are worth a read to help underscore the dimension of potential change.