Africa Holds Wings In Doctrine as Vatican Family

VATICAN CITY (AP) — From his spacious apartment overlooking St. Peter's Square, Cardinal Francis Arinze has something of a privileged view of the theater unfolding behind closed doors in the Vatican, as bishops from around the world wrap up a three-week meeting on how to better minister to today's Catholic families.

Once touted as the leading candidate for an African pope, the retired 82-year-old Arinze remains something of the eminence grise of the African prelates who have made their mark at this synod by holding fast to Catholic doctrine, and rejecting attempts by more liberal prelates to introduce wiggle room in Catholic ministry to gays and divorcees