Posted on 01/04/2015 7:57:30 AM PST by NKP_Vet
ROME — With his picks for new cardinals announced on Sunday, Pope Francis continued his campaign to reach out to the peripheries. The pontiff bypassed traditional centers of power and awarded red hats to such typically overlooked locales as Panama, Thailand, Cape Verde, New Zealand, and the Pacific island of Tonga.
For the second time, there were no new cardinals from the United States on the list announced by Francis. There were also no Americans in the first crop of cardinals named by Francis in February 2014.
While geography seemed the determining factor in these picks for Pope Francis, who at times struggled even pronouncing the names of his new cardinals, it’s noteworthy that the list includes a couple of high-profile moderates but no one with a clear reputation as a doctrinal or political conservative.
Archbishop John Atcherley Dew from New Zealand, for instance, argued for allowing divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion at a 2005 Vatican synod of bishops. Archbishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez is president of the Spanish bishops’ conference and generally seen as a moderate opposed to the harder line of former Madrid Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela.
In all, Francis announced that he will induct the 15 new members into the College of Cardinals during a consistory ceremony to be held in Rome Feb. 14-15, pushing the total number of cardinal electors slightly past the limit of 120 established by Pope Paul VI.
At the moment, there are 110 cardinals under the age of 80 and thus eligible to vote for the next pope. After the February consistory, that number will rise to 125, with 31 of them having been named by Pope Francis.
The pope also named five “honorary” cardinals, meaning those already over 80 and therefore unable to vote in a papal election. Those nominations are generally made as a recognition of service to the Church.
In his first consistory last year, Francis demonstrated a preference for naming cardinals in countries that haven’t typically had them. In countries accustomed to having princes of the Church, Francis tended to skip the usual major archdioceses and name cardinals from smaller settings.
That pattern was clearly evident again in the nominations announced Sunday.
There was only one Vatican official in the mix, French Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, who formerly served as the Vatican’s foreign minister and now holds the top position at the Vatican’s Supreme Court vacated by American Cardinal Raymond Burke.
The other appointments are:
1. Patriarch Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente of Lisbon, Portugal 2. Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 3. Archbishop John Atcherley Dew of Wellington, New Zealand 4. Archbishop Edoardo Menichelli of Ancona-Osimo, Italy 5. Archbishop Pierre Nguyên Văn Nhon of Hà Nôi, Vietnam. 6. Archbishop Alberto Suárez Inda of Morelia, Mexico 7. Archbishop Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, Myanmar 8. Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok, Thailand 9. Archbishop Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento, Italy 10. Archbishop Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet of Montevideo, Uruguay 11. Archbishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez of Valladolid, Spain 12. Archbishop José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán of David, Panama 13. Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado of Santiago de Cabo Verde, Cape Verde 14. Bishop Soane Patita Paini Mafi of the Island of Tonga
More from Crux
Spokane Bishop Blase Cupich has been named Archbishop of Chicago. New Chicago archbishop Blase Cupich: A moderate voice Cardinal George Pell (AP Photo) Cardinals jousting in public? Been there, done that More The five honorary appointments announced by Francis were:
1. Archbishop José de Jesús Pimiento Rodríguez, retired from Manizales, Colombia 2. Archbishop Luigi De Magistris, former head of the Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary 3. Archbishop Karl-Joseph Rauber, a retired papal ambassador 4. Archbishop Luis Héctor Villalba, retired from Tucumán, Argentina 5. Bishop Júlio Duarte Langa, retired from Xai-Xai, Mozambique
The omission of any picks from the United States was not terribly surprising, given Francis’ preferences and the fact that the US, with 18 cardinals, still remains the second largest national bloc in the College of Cardinals after the Italians.
There were, however, three American prelates seen as possible picks this time. They are Archbishop Jose Gomez from Los Angeles, who would have become America’s first Hispanic cardinal; Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, who will host Pope Francis in September for a Vatican-sponsored World Meeting of Families, and Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago, Francis’ pick to succeed the influential Cardinal Francis George, who retired and is battling cancer.
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Horrible Popes pick Horrible Cardinals
I don’t know about the picks but I suspect he’s as likely to find leftists here as anywhere.
The majority of these are not wildly leftist, but they all have one thing in common: they are all mediocre. They’re the typical Vatican II enforcers, that is, not very bright, suspicious of intelligence or learning, and very uneasy with anything prior to 1965, which they regard as a different, “bad” Church.
The Spaniard is actually considered fairly conservative theologically, but he was an ineffectual bishop who unfortunately had little success in fighting against the leftwing Basque-nationalist element that had run the diocese under its prior bishop. So I wouldn’t say he’s the worst one Francis could have picked, but he’s far from the best.
He didn’t pick any Americans because Chicago’s retired cardinal is still of voting age, and Francis certainly was not about to pick the conservative Gomez or Chaput.
It may come as a surprise to most people here, but the American hierarchy is now regarded as probably the most conservative internationally, and the ones that Francis likes the least.
“and the ones that Francis likes the least”.
Cardinal Burke’s demotion is living proof of that. I lost what little respect I had for Francis will be hogtied Burke for speaking the truth of the Gospel, something Francis does not want to hear. My prediction is the next thing Francis will shoot for is Holy Communion for anyone that wants it, irregardless of whatever faith they might hold. And without a doubt he will start letting divorced and remarried without an annulment receive communion. In Argentina he gave communion to the shacked up.
No JPIIs or B16s there huh? No theological giants who understand the development of doctrine rather than puny opinions of puny minds imposing contradictory doctrine?
“The intelligent movers and shakers who deserve promotion will stay in place, while the weak people who don’t want to rock the boat(or offend the boss) will get the promotion”.
You have also just described the Obama Regime. Only yes man are given appointments, most with no experience whatsover.
That’s true. Francis is basically running the Church just like a corporation - or worse, like a big NGO, which is just a corporation that doesn’t even have to show results.
Francis has really had to reach to find such mediocrities, though, even with the bad generation of the 70s and 80s. In fact, a lot of his recent picks for bishops and archbishops have been relatively elderly, because that’s where he can still find the really mediocre ones of his generation.
He wants to pick socialists like himself so that the next pope will also be a part of the “one world” government
The Holy Peter Principle...
Francis’s passing over of Archbishop Chaput is absolutely reprehensible. Gomez I couldn’t care less about. Cupich (unfortunately my new archbishop) shouldn’t be given the title of dogcatcher.
I hope one of them can play quarterback.
Well at least Francis is practicing what he has preached to Catholic youth:
“I want a mess.”
>>Archbishop John Atcherley Dew from New Zealand, for instance, argued for allowing divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion at a 2005 Vatican synod of bishops. <<
Like Obama with the the Supreme Court, Francis is stackin’ the deck.
(I've always wanted to say that.)
I’m utterly shocked that Chaput was denied. It’s an unbelievable slap in the face/insult, especially considering the upcoming Fall Synod will be in Philly.
Gomez was in a gray area, especially with Mahoney hanging around in the background. I think Gomez will get the red hat as soon as Mahony officially retires. The size and ethnic make-up of Los Angeles will eventually guarantee a red hat.
My condolences about Cupich. When you think about who might have been elevated-what a lost opportunity. Thankfully good things appear to be coming out of Springfield & Peoria. If I still lived in the state, I would be looking to them instead of Chicago.
It’s been obvious for awhile what Francis was/is promoting, but it’s still something of a shocker to see it happening before your eyes. After Benedict, it’s like a horrible retro 1960-70’s nightmare come to life.
We’ve had a joke for a few years that my mother-in-law (who I love to pieces,btw) is more Catholic than the Pope. Bizarrely enough, now she really is!
Now we all need to pray even more for those faithful, orthodox bishops, priests & religious who are weathering the storm.
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