Writen by
sadataley
10:34 PM
-
0
Comments
Here is a selection of the leading Papabili.
Angelo Scola, Italy
Cardinal Angelo Scola, 71, is the most prominent Italian candidate and has been referred to by one Catholic newspaper as the "crown prince of Catholicism".
A cardinal since 2003, he was appointed Archbishop of Milan in 2011. Cardinal Scola is a conservative, who has been close to both John Paul II and Pope Benedict, both personally and theologically.
In 2010, at the height of sex abuse allegations against the church, he called the media's attacks on the Pope "an iniquitous humiliation".
Given Pope Benedict's reasons for resigning, however, it is possible his relatively advanced age may stand against him.
Marc Ouellet, Canada
Cardinal Ouellet, 68, from Canada, has headed the Congregation for Bishops since 2010 and has strong Curial connections.
A native French speaker who also speaks fluent Spanish, he has spent much of his life since ordination as a seminary professor and rector, spending 10 years in Colombia and nine in Canada before being appointed to teach at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family in 1997.
A former editor of Communio, an international journal co-founded by Joseph Ratzinger, his thinking is closely linked with that of the resigning Pope. He also has close connections with the Latin American Church.
After a brief stint as vice-president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, he was named Archbishop of Quebec in 2002 and appointed a cardinal in 2005. Since then, he has stoked controversy by speaking out on moral issues in Canada's largely secular society.
Gianfranco Ravasi, Italy
Cardinal Ravasi, 70, has been the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture - or the Vatican's culture minister - for the past five years and so has strong Curial and academic credentials.
His biblical scholarship has helped him popularise Scripture studies through Italian television, radio and popular magazines.
Some might see this as a disadvantage if electors seek to promote a pastor rather than a professor
Before he moved to Rome he was a professor and director of the Ambrosian Library in his native Milan - a highly-regarded hub of theological scholarship.
A European intellectual seen as a "moderate" ecclesiologically, he is perhaps seen as lacking global experience.
But he was chosen by the Pope to lead the six-day traditional Lenten retreat inside the Apostolic Palace, during which he was scathing about the "divisions, dissent, careerism and jealousies" that afflict Vatican bureaucracy.
Benedict XVI complimented his "brilliant" preaching, sent him a personal thank you letter and invited him for a private audience.
Christoph Schoenborn, Austria
Cardinal Schoenborn, Archbishop of Vienna, is probably the strongest non-Italian candidate from within Europe.
The son of a Bohemian count, he was born in 1945 to a family with a long history of high office in the Catholic church and the Holy Roman Empire.
He was made a cardinal in 1998 and, although seen as intellectually conservative, in 2010 he caused controversy by suggesting it was time to re-examine the issue of priestly celibacy.
Cardinal Schoenborn later issued a clarification, saying he was not "seeking to question the Catholic Church's celibacy rule".
Odilo Scherer, Brazil
The archbishop of Sao Paulo, Cardinal Odilo Scherer, 63, is the most prominent Latin American candidate.
While head of the largest diocese in the world's largest Catholic country, Brazil, Cardinal Scherer has also gained considerable Vatican credentials.
He obtained his doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and worked at the Congregation for Bishops there.
He has been seen as a compromise candidate who could satisfy both European and Latin American congregations. On the other hand, the 63-year-old German-Brazilian has not been able to reverse a marked downward trend in the number of Catholics in Latin America.
Leonardo Sandri, Argentina
Cardinal Sandri, 63, was born in Buenos Aires in Argentina to Italian parents.
He became a papal diplomat after ordination and served as apostolic nuncio to Venezuela and Mexico.
Between 2000 and 2007 he was third-in-command at the Vatican, serving as its chief of staff.
Towards the end of John Paul II's papacy, he became the ailing pope's spokesman, and it was Cardinal Sandri who delivered the announcement of the Pope's death in St Peter's Square 2005.
He now heads the Vatican department for Eastern Churches.
Peter Turkson, Ghana
Born in western Ghana in October 1948 to a Methodist mother and a Catholic father, Peter Turkson became the first-ever Ghanaian cardinal in 2003 when he was appointed by Pope John Paul II.
The 64-year-old is the relator, or general secretary, of the Synod for Africa, making him a strong candidate to become the first African pope of the modern age, taking on a mantle that was held during the 2005 Conclave by Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze.
The last two Popes both served as relators for a synod of bishops.
Cardinal Turkson is also the head of Vatican's Council for Justice and Peace, which released a document in 2011 calling for radical economic reforms to deal with the global recession.
The document condemned the "idolatry of the market", and Cardinal Turkson expressed support for the Occupy Wall Street protest movement.
Theologically, he is seen as a moderate, signalling openness, for example, to the argument that condoms might be appropriate for couples where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not.
In a BBC interview on Monday, Cardinal Turkson side-stepped a question about whether he could be the next pontiff.
Luis Tagle, Philippines
At 55, Luis Tagle is one of the youngest papabili or potential candidates.
He is archbishop of the Philippines' capital city, Manila - a 2.8 million-strong archdiocese, and he was made a cardinal only a few months ago, in November 2012.
Cardinal Tagle has gained a reputation as a man of the people - as bishop, he is once said to have ridden a cheap bicycle to a run-down neighbourhood in Manila, to deputise for a sick colleague.
He's also known for inviting beggars outside his cathedral to share a meal with him. Tagle is one of the more media-savvy cardinals. He is a frequent broadcaster in the Philippines and has a presence on Facebook.
Joao Braz de Aviz, Brazil
The 65-year-old from Brazil has had his reputation bolstered since taking over as prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in 2011.
One of eight children, he was born in Mafra, Santa Catarina, and completed his theological studies at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian and Pontifical Lateran Universities.
As a young parish priest in Brazil he was caught in the cross-fire of an armed robbery, with bullets perforating his lungs, intestines and an eye: some bullet fragments remain lodged in his body.
Having been made a bishop in 1994 he was appointed archbishop of Brasilia in 2004 and in May 2010 he organised the XVI National Eucharistic Congress to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the city.
He has focused on the welfare of the poor as espoused by the Liberation Theology popular in Latin America. But he distances itself from its ideological "excesses", saying it almost caused him to abandon his vocation.
Timothy Dolan, United States
Cardinal Dolan, 62, from the United States, is the archbishop of the influential New York archdiocese.
He has extensive pastoral experience, having headed the Milwaukee diocese before that.
An affable character who has also ably led the US conference of Catholic bishops, he also has strong theological credentials with a PhD in Church History and spent in Rome both as a student and as rector of the North American College.
However, the very fact that he is American may stand in his way - cardinals are generally seen as reluctant to promote figures from a perceived super power state.
Continue reading the main story
Keith O'Brien was created and proclaimed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in October 2003
Cardinal Keith O'Brien: A churchman with a strong voice
Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, is resigning as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, after being accused of inappropriate conduct - allegations he contests. This is the full statement issued by the Scottish Catholic Media Office on the resignation of the cardinal:
The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has accepted on the 18 February 2013 the resignation of His Eminence Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
This information will be announced and published in the Osservatore Romano of Monday 25 February 2013.
The Cardinal had already presented last November his resignation in view of his 75th birthday on 17 March 2013, and it was accepted by the Holy Father with the formula nunc pro tunc (now for later).
Given the imminent Vacant See, the Holy Father has now decided to accept the said resignation definitively.
Reacting to the acceptance of his resignation, Cardinal O'Brien said: "Approaching the age of 75 and at times in indifferent health, I tendered my resignation as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh to Pope Benedict XVI some months ago.
"I was happy to know that he accepted my resignation nunc pro tunc on 13 November 2012. The Holy Father has now decided that my resignation will take effect today, 25 February 2013, and that he will appoint an apostolic administrator to govern the archdiocese in my place until my successor as archbishop is appointed.
"In the meantime I will give every assistance to the apostolic administrator and to our new archbishop, once he is appointed, as I prepare to move into retirement.
'Failures'
"I have valued the opportunity of serving the people of Scotland and overseas in various ways since becoming a priest. Looking back over my years of ministry: For any good I have been able to do, I thank God. For any failures, I apologise to all whom I have offended.
"I thank Pope Benedict XVI for his kindness and courtesy to me and on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Scotland, I wish him a long and happy retirement.
"I also ask God's blessing on my brother cardinals who will soon gather in Rome to elect his successor. I will not join them for this conclave in person.
"I do not wish media attention in Rome to be focused on me - but rather on Pope Benedict XVI and on his successor. However, I will pray with them and for them that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, they will make the correct choice for the future good of the Church.
"May God who has blessed me so often in my ministry continue to bless and help me in the years which remain for me on earth and may he shower his blessings on all the peoples of Scotland especially those I was privileged to serve in a special way in the Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh."
Resignation statement
"I have valued the opportunity of serving the people of Scotland and overseas in various ways since becoming a priest. Looking back over my years of ministry: For any good I have been able to do, I thank God. For any failures, I apologise to all whom I have offended."
Continue reading the main story
No comments
Post a Comment