The old truism that he who goes into the conclave a pope comes out a cardinal came in for a lot of ribbing in the run-up to the papal election, and with good reason, since favorites often run wire to wire.

But in this case the odds-on favorite, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, did in fact falter. Only problem is that someone apparently forgot to tell the Italian bishops conference, which wins the award for most embarrassing start to a pontificate with this press release, sent to journalists, congratulating Scola on becoming pope:

CONFERENZA EPISCOPALE ITALIANA

Ufficio Nazionale per le comunicazioni sociali

“Gioia e riconoscenza”. Il Segretario Generale esprime i sentimenti dell’intera Chiesa italiana nell’accogliere la notizia dell’elezione del Card. Angelo Scola a Successore di Pietro: “Il mistero della Chiesa – corpo vivo, animato dallo Spirito Santo, che vive realmente della forza di Dio – costituisce per tutti noi la ragione e la passione della vita. Al nuovo Papa, con le ultime parole di Benedetto XVI, la Chiesa italiana promette già da subito incondizionata reverenza ed obbedienza”.

Well, at least they didn’t pick the new non-pope’s name. And why didn’t they just read Andrea Tornielli of La Stampa, who apparently has better contacts inside the conclave than the Italian bishops?

I wonder if this means we have three popes now — one real one, one emeritus, and one pope manque.