Italy Still Abuzz with American Pope Talk

By Matt Stout
Boston Herald
March 8, 2013

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/03/italy_still_abuzz_with_american_pope_talk

[with video]

The Italian press and its leak-fueled coverage of the cardinal confabs continued to breathe life into the once-unthinkable possibility of an American pope, with one noted member of the Vaticanisti trotting out not only Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley but now New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan as rising contenders for St. Peter’s Chair.

On a day with little news emerging from within the Vatican’s walls, the buzz over Americans not only kept its legs, but seemingly gained momentum among Italian reporters, who continued to serve as pace-setters in the hunt for Vatican information since Wednesday’s media blackout.

Sandro Magister, a respected reporter at the Italian magazine Espresso, gushed over the capabilities of Dolan, the gregarious former rector of the Pontifical North American College, while mentioning O’Malley as another possibility.

“What began in the Italian press a few weeks ago as almost playful entertainment of the idea of an ‘American pope’ has now taken on a more serious tone,” John Thavis, the former bureau chief for Catholic News Service, wrote on his blog yesterday.

Francis Fiorenza, chairman of Catholic theological studies at Harvard and a former student of now-retired pope Benedict XVI, said both bring strong resumes to the table, Dolan with his experience in Rome — and perhaps more Vatican contacts — and O’Malley with his expertise handling the church’s sexual abuse crisis. Still, Fiorenza remains skeptical.

“I’m not a betting person, but if I was, I would not put my money on a American,” he said. “But there wouldn’t be anyone I would put my money on right now.”

The chatter continued as the cardinals apparently moved closer to wrapping up their pre-conclave meetings. The last of the 115 voting princes, Vietnamese Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, arrived, meaning that a vote on a possible start date is now possible, though yesterday came and went without an official announcement.

“Setting of date for Conclave nearing,” U.S. Cardinal Roger Mahony tweeted. “Mood of excitement prevails among Cardinals.”