Italian Father Renato Boccardo was appointed chief of protocol with special responsibilities in the State Secretariat. The Vatican announced the papal appointment Saturday.
Vatican experts see Father Boccardo as a substitute for Father Roberto Tucci, who had organized papal trips. Father Tucci will soon be 80, and will be made a cardinal Feb. 21.
Father Boccardo, a diocesan priest who has been in the ecclesiastical diplomatic service, organized the World Youth Days with John Paul II in Denver (1993), Manila (1995), Paris (1997) and Rome (2000).
