Early on, the pope, whom he sees daily, assured him of access to the Vatican bureaucracy.

When the Vatican bureaucracy shepherded a beatification through its arcane channels in a mere 17 years, critics said it had shown unseemly haste.

His position was by no means all-powerful because, though personally popular at all levels of the Church, he was unable or unwilling to reorganize the Vatican bureaucracy.

His deep knowledge of the Vatican bureaucracy, linguistic ability and intellectual heft also played important roles, the cardinals said in interviews and news conferences.

The millennial "examination of conscience," too, is seen as a step around the Vatican bureaucracy.

At least one cardinal showed up eager to contest the power of the Vatican bureaucracy.

So many important people are coming to St. Peter's for the funeral that the Vatican bureaucracy has limited the size of delegations.

It's also true that the Vatican bureaucracy is arrogant, secretive, suspicious of outsiders, and given to the use of almost impenetrable jargon.

He had lunch with members of the Curia, which is the Vatican bureaucracy.

Monsignor Pietro Gasparri came, to ask for help in the Vatican bureaucracy.