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.c The Associated Press
Pope John Paul
II will be accompanied, as usual, by his closest aides and advisers as well as
several Latin American specialists on his trip to Cuba. Here are thumbnail
sketches of leading members of his entourage:
Monsignor Stanislaw Dziwisz, a Pole, served as the pope's private secretary
when the pontiff was archbishop of Krakow, Poland. When Cardinal Karol Wojtyla,
as he was then known, was elected pope in 1978, Dziwisz joined him at Vatican.
Dziwisz holds the title of the pope's private secretary, but he is John Paul's
closest aide and a virtual chief-of-staff, screening visitors and planning the
pontiff's day.
Monsignor Piero Marini, Italian, is the master of ceremonies for papal
religious services and stands beside John Paul during Mass. It was Marini who
grabbed the pope's arm when he lost his balance during a Feb. 11 ceremony in the
Sistine Chapel.
Joaquin Navarro-Valls, a Spaniard, is the pope's chief spokesman. A layman,
he previously worked as Rome correspondent for a Madrid newspaper.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, an Italian, is Vatican secretary of state, No. 2 in
the Vatican hierarchy behind the pope. He presided at Mother Teresa's funeral in
Calcutta last September.
Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, born in the African country of Benin, has held
several key Vatican posts. He now heads the Pontifical Commission for Latin
America.
Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, a Frenchman, heads the Vatican's Justice and
Peace Commission. He has publicly criticized Helms-Burton, the law tightening
the more than three-decade-old U.S. economic embargo against Cuba.
Monsignor Orlando Antonini, an Italian, heads the Cuban desk in the
Vatican's secretariat of state.
Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, an Italian, is the pope's personal physician. He
accompanies John Paul on all trips.
Camillo Cibin, an Italian, is the pope's chief bodyguard.
AP-NY-01-17-98 1404EST |