The Bilderberg Group is viewed by conspiracy theorists as something of a shadow world government, but a quick look at the list of participants, published on its website, reveals something a lot less threatening. While there are many famous names there from the worlds of banking, academia, journalism and politics, few are people who currently hold the levers of power in national governments.
But the cardinal’s presence is certainly worthy of comment, especially as he has not been invited before and will be the only religious figure present. The Church is deeply committed to dialogue, but, as often happens, has difficulty in finding the right partners for dialogue, particularly with the sort of people who will be well represented at Bilderberg.