Given that the Pope is also primate of Italy, the bishops´ conference in this country is perhaps the only one in the world that does not choose its president through voting. When it was constituted, the Italian bishops expressed the hope that their president would always be the Pope, a privilege that only Italy has.
The Pontiff delegates the task, however, since he does not have enough time to carry out the duties of the office.
Cardinal Ruini said that over the next five years he will use the apostolic letter «Novo Millennio Ineunte» as his pastoral proposal for the Church in Italy.
