David Gibson characterizes a campaign season as “nasty, brutish.” Doesn’t it seem to be the case? Another breach from the secular culture into the Church. These red hats had better watch out–at this rate they might end up at the fringes of the so-called Culture of Death.
Not intending to defend Scotland’s Cardinal O’Brien, who’s never struck me as a favorite, but isn’t it strange that three days after the man offers a thaw on mandatory celibacy, he’s out? And if he can’t be a kingmaker, is someone else in the college a kingbreaker?
Indonesia’s another big country without a “vote.” Cardinal Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja will stay home form Rome due to failing health.
Good thing Pope Benedict allowed conclave opening to move up, eh? What if the College continues in conclave through Holy Week? Is there a person to celebrate the Triduum at St Peter’s if there’s no pope? All almost all the cardinals will be holed up in the Sistine Chapel, right? Does some random Italian bishop take over? Or will sede vacante be expanded to triduum vacante and all the parishes in Rome on their own for hosting the pilgrims?
Catholic Sensibility 
The day the remembering of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Christ is dependant on having an inhabitant of the chair of St. Peter is the day that Catholicsm has totally lost its immortal soul.
Since St Peter’s isn’t the cathedral or (so far as I know) a parish, does it need to have the Triduum liturgies? (The evening Mass for Holy Thursday is usually at the Lateran anyway.) Roman parishes could (and I assume do) have their own Triduum liturgies. Frankly, it seems to me that the Triduum would be less a problem than the Chrism Mass. But I vaguely recall that Rome has several auxiliary bishops, not all of them cardinals. I’m sure they will find a way to manage if they need to.