The Pope is on retreat this week, which is a good reminder to all of us, clerical and lay, that we do need time out and time away, in order to reflect on what really matters in our lives - that is, our relationship with God - and to refresh our spiritual lives. Perhaps that is why the Pope has gone to Ariccia, some miles from Rome, a place where he will be insulated from the usual pressures of life in the Vatican and "living over the shop".
That may be especially welcome at the moment. If recent reports, originating with the Italian journalist Antonio Socci, are to be believed - and presumably Socci has well-placed sources - the Vatican is currently a hotbed of intrigue. In particular, according to the Socci story, there is a plot afoot to persuade the 80-year-old Pontiff to resign.
