All The Pope's Men. The Seguito

If anyone is following  Pope Benedict XVI as he arrives for his 4 day visit on September 16, it might be useful to get to know his papal entourage.

Composed of Vatican diplomats, secretaries, and curial officials, the seguito, as the papal retinue is known,  will accompany the Pope during his public events but will also be involved in behind the scenes diplomatic work with their hosts. 

When people complain of having to pay for the Papal visit they might take this into consideration.....

The talks they will hold with civil servants and ministers, including a major dinner at Lancaster House, will be a chance to discuss some of the most crucial matters affecting the world today, with people who could well make a difference. 

There are several reasons why: the Catholic Church has a vast network of people on the ground, working in developing nations. Its global social services organisation, Caritas, is second only in size to the International Red Cross. 
The Church acts as a useful influence on other nations' views on such vital issues, and it's also a superb conduit of information from around the globe; its diplomats are legendary .

The Pope will address not just Catholics but the whole nation during his visit. It is hard to know what impact he will make on our lives. But this visit could change the lives of people in Africa and Asia too.

The Catholic Herald has a useful aide memoire for the papal team 

Click here to identify the key figures and a brief description of Who's who
or you can click on the links below for profiles of the men in the photo. ( apart from the Pope himself !)




Walter Kasper

Kurt Koch 
Tarcisio Bertone

Angelo Amato
Dominique Mamberti
Guido Marini 
Federico Lombardi
Georg Ganswein

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