David Gibson and Alessandro Speciale for Religion News Service (RNS) ask: Who’s in the running for pope? 12 names to watch:
The future of the church “does not lie in Europe,” Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, a German who Benedict tapped last year to serve as the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog, said in a separate interview in December. “I know a number of bishops and cardinals from Latin America who could take responsibility for the entire world Church.”
And then there is Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York (pictured handing out meals to the homeless on Ash Wednesday), and Marc Ouellet of Quebec and others from Africa and Asia. And who might be best for the shroud? I don’t think that will get much thought or any media coverage. But we can ponder the question.
I don’t know if Marc Ouellet would be good for the Shroud, but I’m certain of one thing: he would not be good as a Pope for the Church. I know the guy very well and he’s a member of the right-wing conservative side of the Catholic Church (the same gang than Ratzinger and many others) and I truly don’t think it would be a good thing for the Church to keep on the right-wing track it is on since too many years now. Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will blow a wind of change on the Church…
Thanks Yannick. It’s good to get some information from someone who knows the man.
As things go, the next Pope will certainly be conservative and highly intellectual. One of the European cardinals has this profile. What will the new pontiff decide about the Shroud? A lot will depend on what is said in the Shroud media.
One thing’s I know : Jesus of Nazareth was everything but a conservative intellectual right-winger… That’s why I don’t understand the actual rigidity of the Catholic Church. That kind of rigid attitude is very far from the openness and mercy of Christ’s teaching (especially concerning public sinners and women). My dream Pope would be someone that would represent some kind of mix between the attractive nature and the great strength and courage of John Paul II and the guts to change things like John XXIII. A kind of spiritual son of John XXIII would be great. Someone who would truly bring the Church into the 21st century.
Yannick,
From your lips to God’s ear.
All of the papabile were given their red hats by either J P II or Benedict. Even the Africans and South Americans are all conservatives. Don’t build up your hopes. The only way there’ll be any change is to have a Vatican III, another Council of Bishops, the ones with the real pastoral experience, and the ones who brought in the changes during the late 1960s! Check the records of the 12 names in Dan’s posting header. The conservative weight of the Electoral College won’t let in a liberal!
Don’t underestimate the action of the Holy Spirit Dave ! Remember John XXIII ? Everybody thought he wouldn’t do much and he was the one who started Vatican II under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit !!! Who knows ? Maybe the next Pope (even if he’s tag as a conservative person) will let the Holy Spirit guided him to call for Vatican III !!! On this subject, I agree completely with you ! It’s about time that a new council happen and the main subject, along with the permission for Priests to get married and for women to become Priests, should be, in my mind, a complete and profound reform of the Sacraments…
I read or heard, cannot remember where that this will be our last Pope.
R
Ron:
The Prophecy of the Popes (Latin: Prophetia Sancte Malachiae Archiepiscopi, de Summis Pontificibus) is a series of 112 short, cryptic phrases in Latin which purport to predict the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few antipopes), beginning with Pope Celestine II. The alleged prophecies were first published by Benedictine monk Fra Arnold de Wyon in 1595.
Wyon attributes the prophecies to Saint Malachy, a 12th‑century Irish Archbishop of Armagh.
112.-“Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End”.
Carlos Otal
Just by the term “dreadful judge” associate with the God of Jesus who is Love and nothing else, you can be sure that these propheties are just a bunch of rubbish ! The real judgement will be a salvation one. Look at the Shroud man and you’ll understand that it’s true…