He also worked for Edward R. Murrow at the Rome bureau of CBS, covered the Vatican for United Press, and wrote seven books.

In 1951, he joined the Rome bureau of the United Press, and three years later moved to CBS with special reporting for Edward R. Murrow.

He covered the presidential campaign of George W. Bush and the first eight months of the Bush administration, and went to the Rome bureau in 2002.

Burdett retired from CBS in 1978 after 22 years in the Rome bureau.

At the same time, he clearly enjoyed the international exposure and took the occasion to have the Rome bureau arrange an audience for him with the Pope.

He'd tried to get Atlanta to check with the Vatican, but that story would be handled by the Rome bureau.

He was assigned to the Rome bureau in the mid 1930s, but was expelled from the country in 1936 due to his reporting.

FRANK BRUNI is the chief of the Rome bureau of The Times.

The bride, 33, is a news assistant in the Rome bureau of The New York Times.

The 25-person Rome bureau will be reduced, but no correspondents or producers there will be affected.