Philadelphia Archbishop Says Church Needs Good Manager, Pastor in New Pope

By Mark Abrams
CBS Philly
March 8, 2013

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/03/08/philadelphia-archbishop-says-church-needs-good-manager-pastor-in-new-pope/

Charles Chaput tells KYW’s Mark Abrams his first order of business will be to rebuild the church’s reputation after a damaging abuse scandal (credit: KYW’s Bill Roswell)

Philadelphia’s Archbishop will not be attending the conclave in Rome, because he hasn’t been elevated to the post of cardinal just yet.

KYW Newsradio‘s Mark Abrams sat down with the shepherd of the region’s Roman Catholics to talk about the upcoming election.

Archbishop Charles Chaput knows many of the players. He also has a sense of what they’re looking for in the next pope.

Chaput says the electors certainly are keenly aware something has to be done to address the clergy sex abuse scandal and allegations of corruption inside the heart of the Vatican.

“People are concerned about a lot of issues in terms of the management of the church at the level of the Holy See and I think we need a good manager to care about that. But, you know, it could be also someone who just has intuitive sense about who else can help him with that. I think the pope can’t sit around and be the day-to-day manager of this huge operation. He needs assistants who can help him do that well.”

But, he suspects they’re also looking for a good pastor to lead.

“The new evangelization. Someone who has the energy and enthusiasm to remote a renewal of the church and the renewal of preaching of the Gospel and also someone who’s a good manager.”

Archbishop Chaput says the most important criteria in the search is, “The same thing that every parishioner looks for in a pastor. You know they give me a list of the qualities they want in a pastor and there’s nobody can be that perfect person. I think it’s the same thing when it comes to pope because he will be a human being too.”

So, do any of the 11 cardinals from the United States have even a remote possibility of emerging as the new pope?

“Many people in Europe and also in the southern hemisphere might think that America is too strong for the pope to be identified with the United States. But I don’t know if that’s still true or not. The more we are less a world power, the more we might be considered for the job too. I don’t know.”