C
Catholic_Press
Guest
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome
Here’s the thing about a pallium ceremony, the annual event in Rome when new archbishops receive a band of woolen cloth symbolizing their duties as shepherds and their bond with the pope: It rarely makes much news, but it does offer a snapshot of the next generation of senior leadership in the Catholic church.
That’s especially true this time around with respect to the United States. The five American archbishops who received the pallium this morning from Pope Benedict XVI range in age from 59 to 65, meaning they’re likely to play key roles for at least the next decade and a half. One, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, is a slam-dunk to become a cardinal, and it’s possible that two others – Archbishops Allen Vigneron of Detroit and Robert Carlson of St. Louis – could become cardinals in their present assignments too, though Catholic demographics these days might make that difficult.
The five are:
• Gregory Aymond, 59, New Orleans
• Robert Carlson, 65, St. Louis
• Timothy Dolan, 59, New York
• George Lucas, 60, Omaha
• Allen Vigneron, 60, Detroit
More…
Rome
Here’s the thing about a pallium ceremony, the annual event in Rome when new archbishops receive a band of woolen cloth symbolizing their duties as shepherds and their bond with the pope: It rarely makes much news, but it does offer a snapshot of the next generation of senior leadership in the Catholic church.
That’s especially true this time around with respect to the United States. The five American archbishops who received the pallium this morning from Pope Benedict XVI range in age from 59 to 65, meaning they’re likely to play key roles for at least the next decade and a half. One, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, is a slam-dunk to become a cardinal, and it’s possible that two others – Archbishops Allen Vigneron of Detroit and Robert Carlson of St. Louis – could become cardinals in their present assignments too, though Catholic demographics these days might make that difficult.
The five are:
• Gregory Aymond, 59, New Orleans
• Robert Carlson, 65, St. Louis
• Timothy Dolan, 59, New York
• George Lucas, 60, Omaha
• Allen Vigneron, 60, Detroit
More…