Papabile Angelo Scola
by Anura Guruge
Cardinal Angelo Scola has been on my papabili slate, since I started maintaining that slate in 2009. He started off at #5 in 2009. He was regularly mentioned in this blog in 2010 and this year. On my latest slate, for the 2011 edition of ‘The Next Pope,’ he is at #4.
Today’s announcement that he is being transferred from Venice to Milan only enhances his stature and some are even calling it the pope’s anointment of him as his successor (though pope’s are not supposed to explicitly designate their successors).
For those that are not that familiar with the hierarchy of the Italian Church, this transfer from being the Patriarch of Venice to the Archbishop of Milan may have appeared as a ‘demotion.’ Quite the contrary. It is a promotion and the highest promotion possible within Italy — hence the talk of the pope giving him his blessings.
[In case you were thinking, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, now 77, was talked about as a papabile in 2005. Then age wise he was on that cusp and now he is too old -- even by my standards, and as some of you know I am betting on an older pope.]
Milan is the largest see in Italy. It is thus considered the senior most see, next to Rome. The Archbishop of Milan automatically becomes the speaker of the Bishops Conference of Italy. So this is an influential post — not that Scola, a friend and collaborator of this pope going back to the early 1970s when they were co-founders of the influential Communio Theological Catholic Review, needs any publicity among the cardinal electors. His credentials have always been solid.
Most people know that popes Pius X (#258), John XXIII (#262) and John Paul I (#264) were from Venice — the only three popes from there.
But, Milan has had two popes two: Pius XI (#260) and Paul VI (#263).
That said, Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada and the curia remains my top pick for 2011.
The chances of there being a conclave in the next two years, i.e., 2011 and 2012, is extremely slim. Though people tell me that the pope looks tired, I am still betting on him overtaking Leo XIII’s (#257) 93 years. BUT, if there were to be a conclave prior to 2013, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, rather than Scola, is my Italian pick.
So that is my latest on papabili.
Thank you. Cheers, Anura
The huge, spectacular Cathedral of Milan
5 Responses to “Cardinal Angelo Scola’s ‘Promotion’ To Milan Bolsters His Papabile Standing”
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This is the second consecutive cardinal transferred to Milan from a see where he had already been named a cardinal…I think the first person ever to have been ordinary of both Venice and Milan (he will have to give up the more exclusive title of Patriarch to take on the much larger archdiocese).Cardinal Tettamanzi was Frank Young’s preferred papabile in his later years,after his 1999 PASSING THE KEYS in which Martini was favored in a slate of five that included Tettamanzi was obsoleted by events…he saw the transfer to replace Martini as positioning Tettamanzi for the conclave.But the next conclave will see a lot of John Paul II cardinals on the outside looking in.
Angelo Roncalli was transferred to Venice as a Cardinal. He was the Nuncio to France. It will be interesting to see if another Cardinal is transferred to Venice. Of course, I am thinking of Cardinal Ravasi, who at one time was rumored to go to Milan.
The next conclave will no longer see the tension between liberal or conservative, but rather, between two types of conservatives, the doctrinally rigid and the pastorally sensitive. I am trying to think who is in what camp. I think Scola is in the later, as is Ravasi, Schonborn, and Turkson. I think the other camp is the Bertone/Sodano camp, consisting of Llovera, Ouellet, and the likes of non-papabili, Burke and Pell. I think we will see we will see the doors of Loggia open to reveal a candidate from the pastorally sensitive group. I do not think anything Earth shattering will rise from the next pontificate, but the setting the stage for a group of electors a bit less rigid which may give rise to a moderate being elected as his successor.
One can always dream.
In announcing the 1953 consistory,Pope Pius XII included the then Patriarch of Venice,Carlo Agostini,and only on Agostini’s death between the announcement at the elevation was Roncalli substituted and transferred from the Nunciature to the Patriarchate.Nuncios do not stay Nuncios if they become Cardinals.
See Whispers today for Ouellet’s own thoughts on the subject…
Thanks Louis, very helpful.
So basically he says he doesn’t want it because it is a lot of hard work. [[ smile ]]
But, he doesn’t have a REAL choice … right?
If HS so deems, he better knuckle down and burn the midnight oil.
I am HOPING to work on your cardinalabili list ASAP.
Cheers