ROME
National Catholic Reporter
by John L. Allen Jr. | Mar. 7, 2013
Rome —
While we wait for a date for the conclave, there are three fresh developments in the pre-conclave drama worth bringing up to speed.
A boost for Dolan
Veteran Italian writer Sandro Magister has offered a major plug for the candidacy of Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York as the next pope, styling him as the great hope of non-Roman cardinals who want to break the grip of “the feudal lords of the curia.”
Magister upsets conventional wisdom by suggesting Dolan is actually a stronger runner than his fellow North American, Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who usually finishes much nearer the top of candidate handicapping lists.
He also suggests that the candidacy of Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer of Brazil is being floated by the Vatican’s old guard, who, Magister asserts, see him as “docile and bland.” In part, the analysis is based on the fact that Scherer served in the Congregation for Bishops from 1994 to 2001 under Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, a consummate Vatican insider and presumably one of those “feudal lords” Magister had in mind.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.