ROME
National Catholic Reporter
by John L. Allen Jr. | Oct. 26, 2012 All Things Catholic
One could argue that in its strong focus on Western secularism, the papacy of Benedict XVI has been somewhat Eurocentric. When that case is made, however, the consistory of Nov. 24 will have to be recorded as a counter-example.
This will be Benedict’s fifth crop of new cardinals, and for the first time, there’s not a single European in the bunch. Granted, there are only six total, but most observers still expected a couple of guys from the old continent — for instance, German Archbishop Gerhard Müller, the new prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or Rino Fisichella, an Italian and president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.
Instead, Benedict announced he would hold a consistory one month hence that includes only one Westerner: Archbishop James Harvey, a Milwaukee native, following 14 years as prefect of the Papal Household. The pope said he plans to name Harvey as archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The other five come from the developing world: one each from the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, and two from Asia. In that sense, November’s consistory reflects the rise of a “world church” in which leadership will increasingly come from the southern hemisphere.
Immediately, the consistory would seem to elevate two figures into the ranks of the papabili, meaning candidates to be pope:
• Luis Antonio Tagle, 55, of Manila in the Philippines
• John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, 68, of Abuja in Nigeria
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