Pope Benedict XVI made the announcement in Rome shortly before noon, around 6 a.m. in Pittsburgh. The only other American to be named was Archbishop John Foley, a native Philadelphian who has worked for many years in the Vatican. Cardinal-designate Foley is grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, but was for many years the head of the Pontifical Office for Social Communications, which handles electronic media for the Vatican.Many people had expected another Pittsburgh native and longtime prelate here, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington D.C., to be named. However Archbishop Wuerl had been actively discouraging speculation on the matter, saying it was very unlikely. The reason is believed to be that his predecessor in Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, is still very active and is eligible to vote in a conclave until he turns 80 in July 2010. It is virtually unheard of to have two voting cardinals in the same archdiocese.
1 comment:
It is great that another 'bugher has risen to a level of prominence. Shows that Pittsburgh truly is a center of moral good.
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