This article translated from the Italian newspaper Il Giornale today, written by its long-time Vatican correspondent Andrea Tornielli, who wrote one of the first biographies about Benedict XVI published after his election.

Papa Ratzinger does not like decisions made in haste, and above all – contrary to the false label of “inquisititor” tagged on him when he headed what was once called the Holy Office – he has always sought not to wound the sensibilities of others.

One must attribute to this the lack of an official announcement so far, despite an uncontrolled wave of voices raised in all the media, of some important nominations that will completely overhaul the Roman Curia.

The first and most important is that for Secretary of State, who will take over from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, 78, the Vatican’s ‘prime minister’ since November 1990. It is believed that the Pope has, for some time, decided it will be Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Archbishop of Genoa, who was his second in command for seven years at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

But the nomination is still ‘unofficial’, and no date has been set for its announcement, although it is expected to be made this month.

The delay in replacing Sodano, whose retirement was already decided even in the last months of the previous Papacy, is said to be due to Sodano’s expressed desire to continue working with Benedict XVI at least until November, and due to a reported opposition in the Curia to the appointment of someone like Bertone who has never been in the Vatican diplomatic service.