The cancellation has come at the request of the 'College of Cardinals'.

A spokeswoman for the American cardinals said "concern" was expressed at Wednesday's closed-door meeting "about leaks of confidential proceedings reported in Italian newspapers".

The US cardinals had established a daily meeting to speak openly and directly to media.

The point of interest has generally been about proceedings at the days events leading up to the establishment of a conclave to elect a new pope.

Today's briefing was to have been their third, but it was cancelled just one hour before it was due to start.

Asked about the cancellation of the U.S. briefing, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pre-conclave meetings, known as general congregations, had to take place in a "climate of confidentiality".

Lombardi said the preparation by the cardinals towards the conclave "is a path in which the college of cardinals reflects in order to reach a decision, in conscience, of each of the members for the election of the Roman Pontiff".

The cardinals journey toward the conclave is not a convention or synod but a reflection, said Lombardi.

CNS reports Lombardi told media that there is a tradition of silence around the preparation for a conclave which allows cardinals to approach important decision peacefully, but that he is not surprised the US Bishops talked to media because 'there are tons of them here.'

Lombardi says he does not tell cardinals how to handle press, whether or not to talk. "This is responsibility of College of Cardinals".

Sources

• Reuters
• CNS (Twitter)
• Image: The Good Catholic Life

Vatican spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, would not comment on the man's alleged attempt to enter the general congregations meeting.

"All I can say is that everyone seated for the congregation is a real cardinal," Lombardi said.

The impostor, Ralph Napierski is a German who said he is part of a non-existent Catholic institution called Corpus Dei (a play on "Opus Dei," a real Catholic group).

He milled around the area outside the meetings for half an hour with no problems. He told onlookers his name was Basilius and that he was a bishop in an Italian Orthodox Church, which does not exist.

At one point he posed for a photo with Italian Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani, president emeritus of the Vatican's Prefecture for Economic Affairs.

According to Robert Mickens, a veteran correspondent for The Tablet, the U.K.-based Catholic newspaper, it's not surprising this kind of attempt happens from time to time.

"The church is very hierarchical, and so it can be quite awkward for security personnel to stop a senior cleric and ask to see his badge," Mickens said.

Napierski was wearing a too-short cassock, a black fedora in place of a clergy's skull cap and a bright purple-pink sash that turned out to be a simple winter scarf. He was accompanied by a small entourage of fake priest assistants.

Napierski was stopped by security before he was able to enter the auditorium hosting the meetings. It is not clear what his intentions were in trying to enter the meetings.

Source

• USA Today

Four cardinals arrived in Rome overnight, three of them cardinal electors, cardinal Lehman from Germany, the Egyptian cardinal Naguib, and from Hong Kong cardinal Tong Hon.

Two cardinals are still to arrive, cardinal Nycz from Warsaw and Vietnamese cardinal Pham.

Cardinal Nycz is due to arrive Wednesday afternoon while Cardinal Pham is scheduled to arrive Thursday.

Source

• Vatican Radio