Vatican Report. John Thavis: Pope Benedict named 24 cardinals this week, and he’ll hand them their red hats at a consistory here Nov. 20. The appointment of cardinals is always a big story, and we’ll …More
Vatican Report.
John Thavis: Pope Benedict named 24 cardinals this week, and he’ll hand them their red hats at a consistory here Nov. 20. The appointment of cardinals is always a big story, and we’ll take a closer look at the pope’s choices today on the Vatican report. I’m John Thavis, Catholic News Service Rome bureau chief.
Cindy Wooden: and I’m Cindy Wooden, CNS Rome correspondent. Twenty of the new cardinals are under the age of 80. They’re the ones who can vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Eleven of the voting-age cardinals are European, so this will swing the European presence in a potential conclave back above 50 percent. In particular, this was a big day for Italy, which had 10 of the 24 cardinals named.
JT: The Pope’s list of new cardinals was important for U.S. Catholics, too. It included Archbishop Raymond Burke, who heads the Apostolic Signature, the highest Vatican tribunal. Archbishop Burke has been outspoken on issues regarding moral and political issues -- especially abortion and same-sex marriage. He’s only 62 years old, so will be a presence in the College for many years to come.
CW: Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington was the other American on the cardinal list, and his appointment will raise his profile in the U.S. capital. Now, a lot of people figured Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York would be a shoo-in for a red hat, but his predecessor, Cardinal Edward Egan, is still under age 80. There’s a Vatican tradition that you don’t have two voting-age cardinals from a single diocese.
JT: Four of the cardinals come from Africa, including Coptic Patriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, Egypt. He’s become well-known to reporters here at the Vatican because he’s the recording secretary for the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, which ends on Sunday. What’s interesting is that in one of his reports to the synod, Patriarch Naguib proposed that Eastern patriarchs like himself automatically be considered members of a conclave to elect a new pope, without being named a cardinal first. Well, now he’ll be a cardinal anyway.
CW: The list of new cardinals had 10 Roman Curia members, a pretty high number, and 10 residential archbishops. That meant a lot of places, especially in Latin America, that were hoping for a cardinal will just have to wait. The Pope kept up the tradition of naming a few elderly cardinals, who are too old to vote in a conclave, but who have given generously to the Church.
JT: That’s right, one is Italian Bishop Elio Sgreccia, who was for many years the Vatican’s point man on bioethical issues. Another of the over-80 cardinals is Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci,. He was director of the Sistine Chapel Choir for 40 years before retiring in 1997. Four years ago, he directed a concert for the music-loving Pope Benedict, and the Pope gave him a rave review. Now he’ll give him a red hat. I’m John Thavis.
CW: And I’m Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service.
John Thavis: Pope Benedict named 24 cardinals this week, and he’ll hand them their red hats at a consistory here Nov. 20. The appointment of cardinals is always a big story, and we’ll take a closer look at the pope’s choices today on the Vatican report. I’m John Thavis, Catholic News Service Rome bureau chief.
Cindy Wooden: and I’m Cindy Wooden, CNS Rome correspondent. Twenty of the new cardinals are under the age of 80. They’re the ones who can vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Eleven of the voting-age cardinals are European, so this will swing the European presence in a potential conclave back above 50 percent. In particular, this was a big day for Italy, which had 10 of the 24 cardinals named.
JT: The Pope’s list of new cardinals was important for U.S. Catholics, too. It included Archbishop Raymond Burke, who heads the Apostolic Signature, the highest Vatican tribunal. Archbishop Burke has been outspoken on issues regarding moral and political issues -- especially abortion and same-sex marriage. He’s only 62 years old, so will be a presence in the College for many years to come.
CW: Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington was the other American on the cardinal list, and his appointment will raise his profile in the U.S. capital. Now, a lot of people figured Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York would be a shoo-in for a red hat, but his predecessor, Cardinal Edward Egan, is still under age 80. There’s a Vatican tradition that you don’t have two voting-age cardinals from a single diocese.
JT: Four of the cardinals come from Africa, including Coptic Patriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, Egypt. He’s become well-known to reporters here at the Vatican because he’s the recording secretary for the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, which ends on Sunday. What’s interesting is that in one of his reports to the synod, Patriarch Naguib proposed that Eastern patriarchs like himself automatically be considered members of a conclave to elect a new pope, without being named a cardinal first. Well, now he’ll be a cardinal anyway.
CW: The list of new cardinals had 10 Roman Curia members, a pretty high number, and 10 residential archbishops. That meant a lot of places, especially in Latin America, that were hoping for a cardinal will just have to wait. The Pope kept up the tradition of naming a few elderly cardinals, who are too old to vote in a conclave, but who have given generously to the Church.
JT: That’s right, one is Italian Bishop Elio Sgreccia, who was for many years the Vatican’s point man on bioethical issues. Another of the over-80 cardinals is Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci,. He was director of the Sistine Chapel Choir for 40 years before retiring in 1997. Four years ago, he directed a concert for the music-loving Pope Benedict, and the Pope gave him a rave review. Now he’ll give him a red hat. I’m John Thavis.
CW: And I’m Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service.