Could Next Pope Be American? Italian Paper Claims "Powerful Italian Cardinal Is Secretly Lobbying for Ny's Dolan"
By Michael Zennie
Given his prominence, Dolan has been questioned about the prospect repeatedly, brushing it off each time. 'You know, listen, all the cardinals are really embarrassed to talk about that, and we’d be uncomfortable talking about it, so I’ll leave it at that,' he said on Wednesday. Another uncomfortable issue is that Dolan has been criticized in the past for his connection to the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic church in the United States for the past decade. He faced questions from lawyers in New York on Wednesday about his handling of allegations that priests in the Archdioceses of Milwaukee had abused children. Dolan led the archdioceses from 2002 until 2009.
His tenure in New York has been dogged by lawsuits from 575 alleged victims of priest abuse in Wisconsin. Their lawyers have accused him of stalling and keeping the allegations quiet until the statue of limitations expired. The general consensus in America is that Dolan is the most likely U.S. Cardinal to be chosen to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who shocked the world last week by announcing he would step down at the end of the month. However, the National Catholic Reporter newspaper says Rome is buzzing about a different American: Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, the Archbishop of Boston. O'Malley, 68, has a reputation as a humble monk, who prefers wearing the simple brown robes of his Capuchin Order and insists on being called 'Cardinal Sean.' He is widely seen - in both the U.S. and in Rome - as having successfully cleaned up the Archdiocese of Boston after he took over in 2003 following some of the most shocking allegations of sex abuse and official cover-up. He also speaks Spanish and has worked extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean - two of the new strongholds of the Catholic faith.
He's also media savvy and uses his blog and Twitter account to connect with parishioners and appeal to non-believers. 'Right now, it's tough for an American journalist to walk into the Vatican Press Office without fielding questions from colleagues about him,' National Catholic Reporter columnist John Allen writes. While O'Malley is garnering praise from top Vatican-watchers in the Italian press, Cardinal Roger Mahony, another prominent American, is being urged not to attend the papal conclave in Rome next week that will choose the next Pope. Mahony, the retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, is accused of shielding priests accused of child molesting from prosecution. He has long been vilified by advocacy groups over allegations that he quietly kept pedophile clergy in the church - allowing them to continuing abusing children. Groups on both sides of the Atlantic are urging Mahony not to attend the meeting of Cardinals. He has said he plans to go anyway.
Both Dolan and O'Malley will attend the papal conclave, as well. Mahony is expected to give a deposition to lawyers representing abuse victims later this week. He is scheduled to be questioned Saturday in a lawsuit over a visiting Mexican priest who police believe molested 26 children in 1987. The Rev Nicolas Aguilar Rivera fled to Mexico in 1988 after parents complained. Rivera has been ousted from the priesthood but remains a fugitive. Though Dolan, 63, has worked to build a reputation as a reformer amid the sex abuse scandal, questions remain about his tenure as the Archbishop of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Archdiocese faces allegations from 575 people. Archbishop Jerome Listecki, the current Milwaukee church leader, sought bankruptcy protection in 2011, saying the process was needed to pay victims fairly while ensuring the archdiocese could still function. Milwaukee is the eighth diocese in the U.S. to seek bankruptcy protection since the abuse scandal erupted in 2002 in Boston.
Frank LoCoco, the lawyer for both the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and Dolan, said in a phone interview that the Cardinal was asked about his decision to publicize the names of priests who molested children. 'The names were published so that people would come forward, share their story and begin what Cardinal Dolan and all those involved would be a healing process,' LoCoco said. Additional church officials deposed in connection with the bankruptcy and lawsuits include another former Milwaukee archbishop, Rembert Weakland; a retired auxiliary bishop; an archdiocese official who helps victims; the archdiocesan chancellor; and others, according to LoCoco and a spokesman for the Milwaukee archdiocese. The Milwaukee Archdiocese recently said it was going broke. Its legal and other fees have reached nearly $9 million, according to court filings. Advocates for victims have accused the archdiocese of trying to shield assets by transferring millions of dollars separately into a cemetery trust fund and a parish fund several years ago. Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the New York Archdiocese, said Dolan had long-awaited the chance to discuss his decision to publicize the names as part of his efforts to help victims. 'He has indicated over the past two years that he was eager to cooperate in whatever way he could,' Zwilling said in a statement.
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