CCCB Media Relations during the 2013 Conclave

Wednesday, March 06 2013

(CCCB – Ottawa)…The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) advises media on the following procedures during and after the Conclave which will begin during the coming days. The CCCB assures media it will collaborate fully in responding to requests for interviews with the two Cardinal electors from Canada and with the CCCB official spokesperson in Rome, the President of the Conference The Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton.

• The CCCB will only assist with requests from national media. Local media are invited to communicate directly with Catholic dioceses and eparchies in their region. Their contact information is listed on the CCCB website.
• National media should send their requests to CCCB Media Relations Director Mr. René Laprise, who can be reached in Ottawa by phone at 613-241-9461, ext. 225, or by email at communications@cccb.ca.
• The Director for Media Relations will be in direct and regular contact with the CCCB media attaché in Rome, Ms. Laura Ieraci. Ms. Ieraci will facilitate communications with the two Cardinal electors from Canada (Their Eminences Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte and Thomas Cardinal Collins) and also with Archbishop Richard Smith, who will be in Rome during the Conclave and for the inaugural Mass of the new Pope. Originally from Montreal, Ms. Ieraci speaks English, French and Italian, and has been engaged by the CCCB to assist Canadian media in Rome for the Conclave. 
• The CCCB President will issue a statement following the election of the new Pope. This will be posted on the CCCB website and sent to Canadian media.
• The day after the election of the new Pope, the CCCB has scheduled a news conference in Rome with the two Cardinal electors from Canada and the CCCB President Archbishop Richard Smith in attendance. All three will also be available for interviews. The news conference will be held at the Augustinianum Patristic Institute (Via Paolo VI, 25) the next working day after the election, at a time to be announced following the election. The Augustinianum is a five-minute walk from Saint Peter’s Square.
• The President, although in Rome, will be available for interviews in both English and French, including those from Canada. In addition, the Vice President of the CCCB, the Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau, will be available to national media for interviews from Canada. Requests to interview Archbishop Durocher should be directed to CCCB Media Relations Director René Laprise.
• Media wishing to interview His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet, now a Curial Cardinal, are to contact the Press Office of the Holy See.  

A special webpage on the Conclave is being made available on the CCCB website. This will provide media basic information and help in preparing interviews.