Commentary: Law could be the next pope

UPI ^ | Roland Flamini

[Dallas]

WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- What would Cardinal Bernard Law do with his life if he was forced to resign as archbishop of Boston? Well, for one thing, he could become the next pope.

Unlikely? Yes -- particularly since he has come under fire in the wave of sex scandals that currently bedevils the American Catholic Church. Impossible? Hardly. Stranger things have happened in papal elections.

The meeting of the 12 U.S. cardinals with Pope John Paul II apparently failed to resolve the question of Cardinal Law's future. Forced to admit publicly that he had repeatedly reassigned from parish to parish at least one priest he knew was a child molester, he is under pressure to resign.

In Rome, the American cardinals sidestepped the issue. Bishop Wilton Gregory, the chairman of the American Conference of Catholic Bishops told a press conference Wednesday the matter of Cardinal Law's resignation was "up to the pope and the cardinal himself."

But even if Cardinal Law quits as Archbishop of Boston, he will still remain a cardinal and therefore eligible to vote in the conclave that elects the next pontiff of the Roman Catholic church.

A few years back Bernard Law was on many Vatican experts' list of cardinals who were "papabile," that is, having the qualities to be considered a serious candidate for the papacy. There seemed a reasonable chance that he would be elected the first American pope. A cardinal since 1985, the Harvard-educated prelate was highly regarded in Rome as an effective archbishop in a major U.S. Catholic archdiocese.

In the wake of his handling of the child abuse cases in his archdiocese, that likelihood is, of course, remote.

But the centuries-old procedure for electing a pope is as much a political process as voting for a new ward captain in Chicago, and the process is famous for stunning upsets and unexpected choices.

Following the death of the pope, all the cardinals under the age of 80 are locked into a section of the Vatican and not allowed to leave until they pick a successor by secret ballot. Voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel beneath Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes until one them receives two-thirds plus one votes.

Before each round of voting the cardinals pray to the Holy Ghost to help them make the right choice. But little is left to divine intervention. The cardinals campaign actively for the man of their choice. The relative merits of each candidate are discussed in smoke-filled rooms, and the leading "papabili" are discreetly questioned about how each would approach the major problems facing the church.

Cardinals are the personal creations of the pope, and their main role is to assist the pontiff in running the church's affairs. A cardinal heads each of the Vatican departments, or decasteries, and also many of the leading archdioceses throughout the world. Because cardinals are known as the princes of the church, a king is supposed to address a cardinal in correspondence as "brother."

Given Pope John Paul's failing health, the next conclave could be held soon. As of now, 137 cardinals will participate in the conclave including, of course, Cardinal Law. He is no longer talked of as "papabile" -- but there are precedents enough for upsets and surprise choices.

In 1958, the voters, seeking an "interim pope" to occupy the office until the favorite, Archbishop Giovanni Battista Montini of Milan, was made a cardinal elected the relatively unknown 81-year-old Patriarch of Venice, Angelo Roncalli.

The new pope took the name of Pope John XXIII. As expected, his was a short pontificate, but against all expectations he launched the Vatican Council and revolutionized the church.

In 1978, the conclave was deadlocked over two candidates and settled on a compromise choice -- another Patriarch of Venice, Albino Luciani, who was unknown outside Italy.

When Luciani (Pope John Paul I) died suddenly after less than a month in office, the cardinals stunned the world by choosing the first non-Italian pope in over three centuries -- Cardinal Karol Woytyla of Krakow, Poland.

As the American cardinals returned home Friday there were reports that Cardinal Law would be "reassigned" to the Vatican, which is taken to mean a desk job in Rome far removed from the scene of his errors of judgement.

And with a field of potential successors to John Paul that has no front-runners, who knows what can happen?

Copyright © 2002 United Press International
 

[syriacus]

Law's possible promotion to a position in Rome brings new meaning to the phrase "Kicked upstairs."

[CWW]

It is not a promotion for Cardinla Law, who is assigned to one of crown jewels in Boston to be removed from his post and ordered to the Vatican. It is a demotion plain and simple. To assert that the Varican is trying to shield him is not only insulting, its factually baseless. He will not be able to leave this contry without providing numerous depositions, both civil and criminal. And, the last time I checked, we have a treaty with Italy and with the Vatican the prohibits the Church from providing refuge to felons (if it gets that far). People need to step back, take a deep breath and ask themselves if their criticisms are factually valid, or are they just the product over an overactive, anti-Catholic imagination. One thing is certain, the Church, the bishops and the victims of these horrible crimes need the prayers of ALL Christians.

[dighton]

Better show me some respect, 'cuz I'll be Pope before he will.

[John W]

Don't leave out "President of the United States William Jefferson Blythe Clinton".

[nickcarraway]

This person doesn't know what they are talking about; Cardinal Law didn't have a chance of becoming pope before this happened. Don't hold your breath about anyone from the U.S. becoming cardinal.

[VA Advogado]

What an ignorant writer.

[mom-7]

Couldn't say it any better. An American being elected Pope is far fetched. The next Pope will be a conservative not an American liberal. It is time for the conservatives in the Church to stand up and be counted.

[proxy_user]

My, my, what a juicy target that would be for the Attorney General of Massachusetts! He could become the first US official to indict a Pope.

[Texbob]

It is unbelieveable, the Catholic Church has become as immoral as the Clinton Admin.

[sinkspur]

The next Pope will be a conservative not an American liberal. It is time for the conservatives in the Church to stand up and be counted.

With all due respect, if the cardinals elect an Italian, he may or may not be a conservative.

Arinze, the Nigerian, is a wild-card. He is doctrinally conservative, apparently. But, like Supreme Court Justices, one never knows how someone will interpret the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when the Spirit is the only One to whom one must answer.

[leadhead]

The next Pope will be an African. Take it to the bank.

[Cicero]

This writer is completely ignorant of the possibilities.

First, it's extremely unlikely that any American will be elected Pope, because most people consider America to be too powerful already.

Second, Cardinal Law was never considered to be a likely candidate anyway.

Third, Whatever you think of his handling of the mess in Boston, he has obviously failed to control it. Whether he deserves it or not, his name is mud.

Sending him to Rome was just a graceful way of getting him out of Boston without publicly humiliating him.

No doubt the writer of this article could be the next President if enough people decided to write his name in on their ballots. But to say the least, it's extremely unlikely. The same with Cardinal Law becoming Pope.

[RobbyS]

Whoever wrote this suffers from terminal sophomorism.

[Dog Gone]

Smoking crack does a funny thing to a reporter's head.

[rbmillerjr]

The Church has real problems,,,,,,this is bait for the Catholic haters.

[Romulus]

The one and only good result of this wretched business is the guarantee that the next pope will not be American. Deo gratias.

[Dallas]

I think that's a given....

.

Cardinals pose for the American Cardinals Dinner in Philadelphia Friday, April 26, 2002. Seated from left: The Most Rev. William J. Levada of San Francisco, Cardinal Avery Dulles of Fordham University, The Very Rev. David M. O'Connell of Catholic University, Cardinal James Hickey, retired archbishop of Washinton, and The Most Rev. Gabriel Montalvo, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. Standing in rear left: Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua of Philadelphia, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, and Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore. (AP Photo/Dan Loh, Pool)

[Land of the Irish]

will interpret the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
You don't interpret anything, you obey what God commands. The Holy Ghost does not give us choices.