Consistory in the square; reception in the palace

It's the first day of spring, and I'm off to Rome. Archbishop O'Malley and his aides flew over Saturday; much of the Boston media is heading over early this week. The consistory at which he becomes a cardinal is to be Friday at 10:30 a.m. Rome time (that's 4:30 a.m. in Boston), and then there is the Mass of the rings, which the new cardinals will concelebrate with Pope Benedict XVI, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The consistory is where O'Malley is to get the red hat that is the sign of his status as a cardinal; the Mass is where he will get the ring, signifying his bond with the pope.

The Vatican announced this morning a change in plans -- the ceremonies were initially scheduled to be indoors, but both have now been moved to St. Peter's Square, which is a spectacular setting, and the location Pope John Paul II had chosen when he created cardinals.

The Vatican also said that a reception for Cardinal Sean, as he wants to be known, will be held in the Sala Regia, one of the rooms at the apostolic palace, Friday afternoon. O'Malley will celebrate jointly with the other new American cardinal, Archbishop William J. Levada, who was the archbishop of San Francisco and is now the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.