- APFeb. 18, 2012: Newly-elected Cardinal, Archbishop of New York Timothy Michael Dolan, of the U.S.A., receives his biretta hat from Pope Benedict XVI during his elevation inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
In just a decade, Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York City, has risen from a local bishop to becoming a prince of the Catholic Church. He returned from Rome after receiving his cardinal's red hat and ring, like a rock star; a bevy of cameras and lights in tow.
Worldwide buzz around the newly minted
Cardinal Dolan is that with his popularity, political savvy, and passion
for the church, the question is being raised as to whether he could be
the first American pope.
And it's more than just wishful thinking.
"There is something qualitatively different
about the speculation surrounding Cardinal Dolan in New York right now,"
John Allen, senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter,
said.
Dolan, the shepherd of New York's nearly
three million Catholics, was coy when a journalist in Rome posed the
question, answering only "Um, non parlo inglese," meaning, "I don't
speak English"
And again on his home turf, he was equally
evasive, pointing to his ears and claiming the jet lag was still
affecting his hearing.
Predicting who the next pope is never a sure
bet. In 1978 no one saw a Polish pope, Karol Woytyla, who became John
Paul II. And in 2005, many thought Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now
Benedict VXI, was too old, too European and too controversial.
Papal politics, says Allen, is not like the Iowa caucuses,
candidates don't declare themselves, you don't have yard signs and
bumper stickers. The cardinals choose the pope's successor in secret
conclave at the Vatican, after the death of a sitting pope.
Americans, though, have always been
considered long shots. Conventional wisdom holds that the nation's super
power status runs counter to the Church's outreach mission. And, Dolan
himself lacks a mastery of foreign languages, useful skills that other
popes possessed as head of a global church.
Still, the possibility of an American as the
next Bishop of Rome has never been so strong Allen, whose latest book,
"A People of Hope", is a lengthy interview with then Archbishop Dolan,
says,
"With Timothy Dolan there is some of the JP II magic (Pope John Paul II).
This guy is a rock star in any room he walks into. He exudes charisma,
it's almost as if its charisma on steroids. At a time when the Catholic
Church is suffering from an image problem I think a lot of people see in
Dolan someone who can put a positive face and voice on the Catholic
message."
Right now the message has turned political
as the nation's bishops, headed by Dolan, are embroiled in a high stakes
showdown with the Obama administration over the contraceptive mandate
in the Affordable Health Care Act. Allen concedes that if the bishops
fail and lose this fight it might dim Dolan's star. But, the perception
is that Dolan has rung Obama's bell, and the president is paying
attention. As cardinal of the most prominent pulpit in America, Dolan
has the platform to wield a powerful political punch.
In the end though, the next pope will only
ostensibly be chosen by the cardinals. The faithful believe that
ultimately God will raise up the man who is best fit for the task.
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