Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Red Hat Speculation Begins...

Before I send you off into the pregame show of an ecclesial spectator "sport" that comes around every few years (the making of Cardinals - known more plainly as - a consistory), I want to toss in another item that I was unable to post on last week. 

Blogging Canonist Ed Peters was recently at a Canon Law Conference at the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  Also there, was another blogging canonist, Fr. John Boyle, of the UK who is spending a year in Marquette, Michigan (I got to know Fr. Boyle through blogging and we hope to see him at Assumption Grotto should he venture down to the lower part of the "mit"!).  Also there, was Father Z (the three are in the pic below and Father Z promises us that he is not that short, but that these guys are just that tall). 



There has been periodic discussion in the blogosphere about the next consistory, ever since the last consistory.  As I mentioned in my recent post on Archbishop Burke (which has been updated, by the way, after I noticed that I missed his membership in the Congregation for Clergy), the next conistory is rumored to take place anywhere from this fall to early spring 2011.  I have mentioned in other comboxes, that I believe it will take place in 2011 because of the number of Cardinals Electors soon to be turning 80 (if this list is not organized by age, then click the "Birthdate" link and they will appear at the top of the list). 

Dr. Peters looks at this much deeper and his analysis left me hopeful that another rumor would not come to pass.  Many have speculated in recent years that Detroit will lose it's red hat because we can't tip the balance of American "Cardinal Electors" to say... the Italians (bear in mind that there is a cap at age 80, at which time a Cardinal is no longer eligible to vote in a papal conclave).  But, I like the rationale used by Dr. Peters and it gives me hope that Detroit will keep it's red hat and that Archbishop Vigneron may very well be among those named in the consistory.  Just how many Americans might we see elevated?  Follow the link to read his most interesing (and fun) analysis.

Musings on the next Consistory

In the mood for some completely personal musings on an important topic that none of us have the slightest control over? Okay, how about papal elections? Rome basically shuts down in August, and here in the USA summer vacation is winding its way toward Labor Day. So it’s a great time to speculate on the next Consistory, rumored to be scheduled for as early as this Fall, but more likely in the Spring of 2011. Or, not. We'll see.

Here is a pic of Archbishop Burke and Ed Peters at the recent conference (hmmmm  - as Father Z pointed out earlier, methinks Archbishop Burke isn't that short, but it's that Peters is that tall).  As an aside, Dr. Peters is speaking to his new boss.  He was recently named a Referendarius by Pope Benedict XVI.  If you don't know what that is.... go have a read.




Let the [speculation] games begin!


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