O’Malley’s bold talk is about him, not the pope

UNITED STATES
Crux

By John L. Allen Jr.
Associate editor November 14, 2014

On the cusp of a new Archbishop of Chicago hand-picked by Pope Francis taking office on Tuesday, the CBS news program “60 Minutes” is set to offer a reminder Sunday night that one doesn’t have to go all the way to the Windy City to find the premier face and voice of the Francis era in American Catholicism.

Boston, thank you very much, will do just fine.

In a provocative new interview, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston tackles head-on two issues that have been sources of chronic controversy in the American Church: clerical sexual abuse and an ongoing Vatican investigation of American nuns.

On both fronts, O’Malley doesn’t pull punches in espousing what will be seen as strong reform positions in line with the pope’s vision and direction.

According to excerpts of the interview released in advance, O’Malley confirms that Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City, Missouri, wouldn’t even be allowed to teach Sunday school in O’Malley’s archdiocese.

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