Papal candidates - Short List?

[mcrow]

The Chicago Tribune article says he is very socially conscious and favors world financial reform. Sounds a little socialist-minded to me. I am no expert on his personal biography, so I am merely speculating. If true, however, I prefer a more conservative candidate similar to our most recent pontiffs.

I don’t care about politics as long as he’s orthodox which it seems he probably would be. Don’t confuse orthodoxy with political leanings. The Church seems to be pro immigration which certainly is more of a “liberal” stance but doesn’t mean they are not orthodox.

As for the politics, it would really depend on what sort of reform he’s talking about as there are two polar opposites and everything between.

 

[Protector]

tabycat;10345101] And a baptised Catholic and, I think, at least eighteen years old. :knight1

Australian Cardinal Pell fits those two requirements, but I’m not sure if he is a polyglot.

Protector

 

[New_World_Man]

Dolan did a tremendous job in Milwaukee cleaning up the mess left from Rembert Weakland. He is also extremely outgoing and personable. I also doubt we would have to worry about him yucking it up with Obama.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I’m an adult baptized male.

Just kidding, I would NOT want to be Pope.

 

[gus]

I guess by requirement, you mean increasing the likelihood. Our first pope probably only spoke 1 or 2 languages. ( hebrew and aramaic ) I guess that’s what they might consider, but the only strict requirement is that the candidate be a human male. At least that is my understanding.

He probably spoke some Greek and Latin

 

[gus]

Dolan did a tremendous job in Milwaukee cleaning up the mess left from Rembert Weakland. He is also extremely outgoing and personable. I also doubt we would have to worry about him yucking it up with Obama.

I certainly hope not to
Burke or Chaput are the 2 best Americans
Ouillet is courageous in a difficult place.
I don’t have an opinion on the Latin Americans

 

[gus]

Although I am far from an expert on all Cardinals, my pick would be Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, a 65 yr old Sri-Lankan.

At 65, he would be young enough (approx. a decade younger than Benedict, when he was elected as Pope).

Cardinal Ranjith can speak 10 languages, (more than Pope Benedict), and so meets Cardinal Dolans criteria (and then some). He can fluently speak Italian, German, French, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Spanish, English, Sinhala and Tamil.

Cardinal Ranjith is also very traditionally minded, especially with regard to the Liturgy and how we receive communion.

He is favourable towards the SSPX, having stated last year he would like them to run his diocesan seminaries.

catholicknight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/breaking-cardinal-ranjith-wants-sspx-to.html

He is also on record as discussing the return to the Latin Mass with Bishop Bernard Fellay of the SSPX. See this article extract:
A progressive like Schoenburg or some of the others mentioned would be a disaster. Your candidate
sounds good tome Arinze was my favorite last time but are last Pope was awise choice

See article dates 22/01/11 at eponymousflower.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Cardinal%20Ranjith

It very much seems to me that Cardinal Ranjith is the* ideal *candidate to complete the work - the renewal of the Church through tradition - which Pope Benedict has started.

Cardinal Ranjith is strongly against communion-in-the-hand, and a strong advocate of the Tridentine mass. Fantastic policies in my eyes.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Ranjith

I also think the fact that Cardinal Ranjith is not a white man, with English is his first language, will count in his favour. The Church is a global entity, not sjmply a regional one, and the Papacy should reflect this. (We have only had something like 3 Popes in all history who were not white Europeans).

I do not think a North American Pope would be a good idea. I think there are several fine North American Cardinals, (Burke, O’Malley), however I think an American Pope might lead the Papacy to be seen as a puppet of the White House, (see the cosy photos of Cardinal Dolan giggling away with Obama), which would adversely affect Holy See relations with Russian, China, Islamic nations in the middle east etc etc.

(I am not saying there can never be a Yankee Pope, I just don’t think now is the right time).

So, its Cardinal Ranjith for me, and that is what I will be praying for - please do join me!

We simply cannot have a liberal / modernist at any cost. Whoever ascends to the throne of Peter simply** must ** be a resolute defender of the faith and morality, in this perverted age of abortion-on-demand and gay-marriage etc.

 

[stormcloud]

Yes, I think Turkson is a very strong candidate indeed. I just don’t think we’re going to see a Pope any younger than him at this point. It seems the Bishops are in favor older Popes these days.

Personally I’m pulling for Cardinal Dolan because I think he has the charisma to attract people like JP2 did and I think he’s pretty orthodox and younger. Very long shot though, but Turkson could make a great Pope as well. Cardianl Dolan is much of polyglot though.

As much as I’d love to see Cardinal Dolan elected, I think the fact that the US is the last remaining superpower will disqualify him due the the impression (regardless of the facts) that it’ll give the US influence in the Vatican. I’d also have to disagree with you about the age factor, Given the demands of a Pope in today’s information and travel age combined with the fact that Pope Benedict is resigning for health reasons brought on by age, I don’t think anyone over the age of 70 would stand a chance. As for Turkson, if the facts in the wikipedia article are true (and I admittedly haven’t taken the time to verify them), his resume is top notch!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Peter_Turkson

 

[LisaA]

Please, God, no “liberation theologians.”

THAT would be dreadful but apparently unlikely since all of the current Cardinals were elevated by either Blessed John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI. Neither were fans of that bit of heresy!

I remember the last Conclave since it was the year of my conversion. I think the threads are still here in the archives. I remember hoping that Cardinal Ratzinger would be the new Pope and my joy when the window opened and I saw that indeed he was.
Lisa

 

[stormcloud]

He is favourable towards the SSPX, having stated last year he would like them to run his diocesan seminaries.

Actually I think that would work against him and considering all the controversy about the SSPX I can understand why.

 

[stormcloud]

And if I remember correctly, Ratzinger wasn’t even being discussed when he got elected as B16. He was not on anyone’s “short list” or even in the ballpark as far as discussions were going.

Not according to what I’ve been reading and hearing today, Actually he was the first Pope in a very long time to be elected after only two sets of ballots. If you want to go one step further into the past Pope John Paul II was a real dark horse.

 

[mcrow]

As much as I’d love to see Cardinal Dolan elected, I think the fact that the US is the last remaining superpower will disqualify him due the the impression (regardless of the facts) that it’ll give the US influence in the Vatican. I’d also have to disagree with you about the age factor, Given the demands of a Pope in today’s information and travel age combined with the fact that Pope Benedict is resigning for health reasons brought on by age, I don’t think anyone over the age of 70 would stand a chance. As for Turkson, if the facts in the wikipedia article are true (and I admittedly haven’t taken the time to verify them), his resume is top notch!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Peter_Turkson

Well, what I mean is we’re not likely to to see a Pope in his 50’s any time soon. 75 would be the absolute highest they’d go but I would expect closer to 60 than 75.

 

[stormcloud]

Please, God, no “liberation theologians.”

Considering all of the current Cardinal electors were appointed by JPII and BXVI, I don’t think you have to worry about that.

 

[mcrow]

Considering all of the current Cardinal electors were appointed by JPII and BXVI, I don’t think you have to worry about that.

Yeah, given the current crop of Bishops I don’t see any “liberalization” of the church happening any time soon.

 

[Digitonomy]

And if I remember correctly, Ratzinger wasn’t even being discussed when he got elected as B16. He was not on anyone’s “short list” or even in the ballpark as far as discussions were going.

As stormcloud pointed out, Ratzinger was by no means an unknown. He was actually on everyone’s short list, and had the shortest betting odds of any of the papabile. There was some feeling among observers that Ratzinger’s closeness to John Paul, and his similar conservative outlook, would bias many cardinals toward a different candidate for more of a “change” after 25 years of John Paul. That guess, by John Allen among others, was obviously mistaken, and may have been the germ of this notion that Ratzinger was a Cinderella candidate.

 

[LisaA]

Not according to what I’ve been reading and hearing today, Actually he was the first Pope in a very long time to be elected after only two sets of ballots. If you want to go one step further into the past Pope John Paul II was a real dark horse.

Yes, my recollection was that early on the two most likely were Arinze and Ratzinger. I understand then Cardinal Ratzinger was quite adamant he did not want to be Pope but he was and is a faithful servant.

I was driving to work listening to EWTN. They announced they THOUGHT they saw white smoke and I was breaking speed records to get to my office so I could watch instead of just listening!

Lisa

 

[whipp711]

I really think Dolan has zero chance. I like him a lot, but the Church would catch flak from the rest of the world. A Pope from a super power. Nope. Face, the U.S. doesn’t have a really warm and fuzzy reputation. It would be a political hot potatoe from a secular standpoint.

 

[stormcloud]

I honestly believe that the next Pope will be under the age of 70, and if he’s not from the southern hemisphere, he’ll be from Italy.

 

[friarpark]

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera?

 

[GWright]

Actually I think that would work against him and considering all the controversy about the SSPX I can understand why.

Hiya Stormcloud,

What controversy?

You know they have thrown out Bishop Williamson, he was the only controversial figure associated with them, which I was aware of?

When I mentioned to another member of my parish that I was considering checking out a traditional mass at the SSPX chapel nearby, they told me “Ooh, they insist on taking your name and details if you go into one of their churches”.

I thought to myself “That sounds like the kind of gossip which Protestants would propagate about Catholics*”.

That made me think alright.

(*Where I live, Protestants have traditionally been very hostile to Catholics, since the reformation - but their protestant churches have all but died out by now Now the resultant secular people are very hostile to Catholics lol)

Anyway, it turns out they don’t insist on taking your name and details if you go into one of their churches - I was there on Sunday.

I am not considering defecting from my (very well loved) Jesuit parish, I just wanted to check out traditional Catholicism - which was, in Scotland, how everyone from St Mungo to William Wallace to Bonnie Prince Charlie to my Granny would have worshipped. “The mass of all time” indeed.

My only criticism of my parish is that even mentioning tradition tends to draw a response as though you had just passed wind.

I honestly think reconciliation with the SSPX would be a very positive thing, but we will have to wait and see what happens.

EDIT - Id have been more that happy to check out traditional Catholicism at a diocesan Church, rather than SSPX, but sadly the local ordinaries continue to obstinately make little or no provision for it.