Cardinal Schonborn will presumably be attending the first consistory called by Pope Benedict this week, in which case it is safe to assume he is already in Rome.

We here at Schonborn Sightings will be watching news coverage of the event to find any pictures or interviews with the Cardinal during his time with his fellow Princes of the Church.

In the meantime, here is an informative article on the consistory:

ROME (UCAN) -- Cardinals from 67 countries are arriving in Rome for a one-day extraordinary meeting, a consistory at which Pope Benedict XVI has invited them to make "free interventions on the problems that most interest the Church and the world."

The March 23 event, sources say, is a kind of "brainstorming" session for the cardinals to discuss contemporary hot issues in the Church and the world.

The German-born pontiff introduced this kind of event at the World Synod of Bishops last October when participants were invited to intervene freely during a one-hour session at the end of each working day. The exercise met with such approval that the pope seems to have extended it to the College of Cardinals. He views it as an exercise in collegiality at the Church's highest levels.

His predecessor, John Paul II, called six extraordinary sessions of the College of Cardinals to discuss major problems facing the Church, but they usually lasted more than one day. Convened in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1994 and 2001, they were an important instrument in his government of the Church.

At those meetings, the cardinals focused on problems ranging from the reform of the Roman Curia and the Holy See's financial situation, to the Church and contemporary culture, celebration of the Great Jubilee in 2000 and prospects for the Third Millennium.

On Feb. 22, when Pope Benedict announced his call for this gathering of cardinals, he did not refer to it as a consistory, but simply called it a one-day "meeting for prayer and reflection" in advance of the public consistory on March 24 at which he will create 15 new cardinals, including three from Asia.

Even so, few in Rome take his description of the meeting at face value. Most find it hard to believe the pope would convene the Church's 193 cardinals, including the cardinals-elect, for a simple day of prayer and reflection.

Observers in Rome sense the Holy Father has something else in mind for the participants, including the 20 from Asia: Hong Kong (1), India (5), Indonesia (1), Japan (2), Korea (2), Lebanon (1), Philippines (3), Syria (1), Taiwan (1), Thailand (1) and Vietnam (2).

This intuition was confirmed within two weeks when Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals and the Vatican's secretary of state, sent a letter informing all the cardinals that Pope Benedict does indeed have a specific purpose for the gathering. Cardinal Sodano explained that the pope wants them to speak freely at the consistory, to be held behind closed doors, on problems of "most interest" to the Church and the world.

Read the rest.