UNITED STATES
Catholic Culture

By Phil Lawler February 26, 2013

As the date of the Pope’s resignation draws near, thousands of “news” stories are posted about a confidential Vatican report on the “Vatileaks” scandal and on the likely candidates for the papacy. Let me caution readers once again about putting any credence in these reports. The “Vatileaks” scandal has not been seen by anyone in the media; stories about its contents are entirely conjectural. As for the odds of any particular prelate’s chances to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, the old Vatican saying is particularly applicable: “Those who know don’t tell, and those who tell don’t know.”

Today, rather than correcting outright errors, let me answer a few questions that have been asked frequently, and needlessly.

•Could Cardinal Peter Turkson become the first African Pope? That’s easy. No, he couldn’t. Not because he is unlikely to be elected (although I…