BRAZIL
National Catholic Reporter
John L. Allen Jr. | Jul. 24, 2013 NCR Today
RIO DE JANEIRO Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York was among the 114 cardinals who elected Pope Francis in March, so he’s in a unique position to answer a fascinating question about the recent conclave and its aftermath.
The question is: Did the cardinals really know what they were getting in Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina? Or, have the first four and a half months of his papacy been as much of a revelation to them as to the rest of the world?
According to Dolan, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
The pope’s simplicity, humility and closeness to the people are no surprise, Dolan said, because the cardinals had heard all that — the only surprise is how well he seems to be pulling it off.
On the other hand, Dolan said, the cardinals also thought they were electing a dynamic manager, and so far the pace of change has been slower than some expected.
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