Ever since April 2007, when Cardinal Edward M. Egan turned 75 and sent the pope a letter offering to retire as Roman Catholic archbishop of New York, speculation has raged over which prelate will be named to succeed him. In recent days, the talk has reached a rolling boil. Catholics in Rome and the United States who track movements in the hierarchy say the Vatican is close to announcing who will claim what may be the most high-profile bishop’s seat in the American church.
Cardinal Egan has rarely used that bully pulpit, focusing more on closing a huge budget deficit and, in the process, closing parishes and schools. His successor is expected to be far more eager to engage the public and the news media.
Several names have surfaced repeatedly, but the candidate mentioned most frequently by Catholic insiders in Rome and New York is Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee. Born and raised in Missouri, he has no personal ties to New York. But those who know him say he is like many bishops who have led the archdiocese in the past — an affable, outgoing, brainy Irish-American.
“He has a great sense of humor, a big laugh and a real sense of warmth,” said the Rev. David M. O’Connell, president of the Catholic University of America in Washington, where Archbishop Dolan earned his master’s and doctoral degrees and sits on the board of trustees. “I think in many ways if the part of archbishop of New York could ever be scripted, Archbishop Dolan would really be cast in that role.”
He is not the only bishop considered a front-runner, and even the best-informed church experts say nothing is certain until the Vatican makes its announcement.
Other bishops frequently mentioned as under consideration include Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, a Spanish-speaker who served in the Dominican Republic and now ministers to Catholics in the American military; Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, an African-American who was president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and its public face at the height of the church sexual-abuse scandal; Bishop John J. Myers of Newark; and Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn.
Despite the active speculation, officials at the archdiocesan offices in New York said they had no knowledge of an imminent transition.
In Milwaukee, Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff to Archbishop Dolan, said, “I’m very comfortable saying that the archbishop has no knowledge of any announcement or pending announcement or anything else.”
He added: “We’ve been plagued by these rumors every two, three or four years — whenever there’s a diocese open. He was going to Boston, to Baltimore, then to D.C. But he’s still here and happy to be here.”
Still, church insiders in Rome and in the United States said Pope Benedict XVI had already settled on his selection. The process is secretive, but involves a wide circle of people.
Every bishop is required to submit his resignation at age 75, but the pope does not have to accept it. The apostolic nuncio, the papal representative in Washington — who is currently Pietro Sambi — consults widely with church officials and then advances the names of three candidates to the Vatican, making a note of his preference. There, the Congregation for Bishops votes and sends its choice to the pope, who is free to accept the selection or choose someone himself.
Four American cardinals serve on that body — three of them based in Rome, including Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned as archbishop of Boston at the height of the sexual-abuse scandal. The only one still leading an American diocese is Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who came to know Archbishop Dolan well when Cardinal Rigali served as archbishop of St. Louis and Archbishop Dolan was his auxiliary bishop.
If Archbishop Dolan succeeds Cardinal Egan, he would continue a chain of Irish-Americans in the post that has been interrupted only once, in the 19th century, by a native Parisian who had fled the French Revolution. Archbishop Dolan, who turns 59 on Friday, would also be the first in the archdiocese’s 200-year history to replace a living predecessor.
Recent rumors about Cardinal Egan’s imminent departure have focused on the one household possession he is known to treasure: a baby grand piano. A classically trained pianist who plays every day, the cardinal brought the piano with him from Bridgeport, where he was bishop, and is certain to take it with him to his next residence. In recent weeks, several priests and other officials who had been to the cardinal’s residence on Madison Avenue reported that the piano was gone.
On Wednesday, Joseph Zwilling, the cardinal’s spokesman, said there was no truth to the rumor.
“The piano is in the cardinal’s residence, where it has always been,” he said.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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(Source: PCN)