Posted on 04/02/2005 8:17:39 PM PST by sinkspur
Who Will Be the Next Pope? These 20 candidates have possibilties By John L. Allen Jr. Rome
Prognostication is a notoriously hazardous business, and the trash heaps of church history are littered with the carcasses of journalists who have tried to predict the next pope. Almost no one, for example, correctly anticipated that the archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyla, would emerge from the second conclave of 1978 as Pope John Paul II.
In that spirit, the intent here is not to "predict" who will become the next pope, which is a futile exercise. Instead, the aim is to identify cardinals whose backgrounds, accomplishments, and personalities guarantee they will at least get a serious look as possible papal material. Doing so will illustrate the criteria cardinals typically employ in trying to size up who among their peers might be able to step into the "Shoes of the Fisherman."
Will the next pope be one of these 20 men? Perhaps. But all are certainly under consideration, and that by itself makes them worth a look.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalcatholicreporter.org ...
Huskar was an American citizen, until he forfeited his citizenship to return to his native Ukraine.
It is said, but I don't know where that came from. In two out of the last five conclaves, the front-runner was elected (Eugenio Pacelli in 1939 and Giovanni Montini in 1963).
My own thought is that the cardinals will turn to an Italian again, to get his arms around the administrative issues of the Church. The foremost is the desire of most bishops for a decentralization of authority. A moderate like Tettamanzi is more likely to be amenable to this devolution.
OTOH, if the cardinals want someone who will be able to deal head-on with the Muslim emergence, Arinze is well-equipped for that challenge.
The informal conversations among the cardinals themselves over the next two weeks will set the stage for the conclave. You can bet the media will be doggin' these guys everywhere they go!
I just heard Cardinal McCarrick say just that LIVE on tv mere minutes ago.
He's one who votes.
We'll see.
Well, mere numbers don't tell the story. It's not like "our part of the world versus your part of the world." Latin America and Africa hold more votes, combined, than any other bloc, so they will determine the future of the Church.
However, one must remember that the Pope is also the bishop of Rome, with all that entails. Many cardinals would like to "take a breather" by electing an interregnum who will not be the superstar that JPII was, but will focus on the Church, first and foremost. Others want to continue the social agenda.
So, who knows?
Me figures their thoughts are "OK, we gave you furuhners a shot at it for a while, now we're takin' it back, thank you very much ..."
My money is on a an aged Italian (pope, not wine).
How about telling us which ones are "liberals" (suport liberal views of the church. Changing religion to suit man.)
Historically, after a very long papacy, cardinals choose someone they believe won't stick around very long. They did it after Pius IX in 1878 (though Leo XIII lived into his 90s), and after Pius XII in 1958.
China is not viewed, in the eyes of the Church, with near the alarm that the Soviet Union inspired. The rise of Islam is considered much more urgent.
That is why Cardinal Arinze is such an important candidate.
Thank you for the excellent suggestion on the Novena to the HOly Ghost.
Siobhan
"He has rejected the identification of Islam with terrorism,"
Strike one, to me??
I noticed too that there were a lot of "3rd Worlders" on the list. I guess there are a lot of people who want to "feel good" about themselves.
A "3rd Worlder" will do for the Catholic Church what Kofi Annan did for the UN.
Why is no Irishman being considered for Pope?
I think you would be pleased with Ivan Cardinal Dias or the good Cardinal from Argentina.
Or Pope C. Evert Koop I
Hummes is seen as a "German" and in general that just isn't a good thing in the Conclave up to now. (He is a German-Brazilian.)
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