. . . . perhaps an Irish-American cardinal will emerge as
the next pope. Catholic thought has it
that whenever cardinal electors (there are 115 of them in Rome today) gather in
the Sistine Chapel, the Holy Spirit guides the proceedings.
 |
Shortly before 3:00 p.m. EDT today, Angelo Scola
of Milan and Odilo Pedro Sherer of Sao Paolo, Brazil
are thought to have emerged from the first round of
voting as leading candidates.
(FoxNews TV Screenshot/by Dick Bergeron) |
If so, perhaps the patron saint of Ireland, a man who
certainly earned his wings through successful efforts to tame the Emerald Isle,
could whisper a recommendation or two in the ears of the Almighty.
I like Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York (age 62), and
Séan O’Malley of Boston (age 68), both very different, yet both highly
qualified.
Cardinal Dolan has boundless energy and a strong
character. John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter describes him
as “evangelization on steroids. . .easily
the most charismatic, media savvy and engaging personality” of the 115
candidates. Moreover, this man knows how
to draw a line in the sand.
