Timothy Dolan: Cardinal

The former leader of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, will be named a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI.

This was expected, given that Archbishop Dolan replaced Cardinal Edward M. Egan to lead the Archdiocese of New York. It was only a matter of time.



From FOX6 News:

Timothy Dolan, a former Milwaukee Archbishop, is among the new 22 Cardinals named by Pope Benedict. Dolan was the Archbishop in Milwaukee from 2002-2009, now Dolan is the Archbishop of New York.

Dolan is one of the most prominant ones on the list, others are from Brazil, Spain, Canada, Protugal, Germany, Czech Republic, China, Romania, Belguim, India, Malta, Romania, and the Netherlands.

Eighteen of the new Cardinals are under the age of 80, this means they will be eligible to enter a secret conclave. The Red-Hatted "Princes of the Church" are the Pope's closets aids, and will one day choose his successor.

I wonder if Archbishop Dolan would like the nickname "Prince."

Here's video, from FOX6:

 

From the New York Times:

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, who has led the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for nearly three years, will be named a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican announced on Friday.

The Archdiocese of New York is widely considered the spiritual heart of the American church. It counts about 2.6 million Catholics in a sprawling jurisdiction that includes includes Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and several suburban counties.

“As a kid, I just wanted to be a parish priest,” the cardinal-designate said in an early morning news conference at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. “And to think that now the pope has named me a cardinal— that’s awesome.”

...One person, however, was ready for the news: Archbishop Dolan’s mother, Shirley, whom he called after receiving the news from the Vatican’s representative in Washington on Thursday morning.

“She said it’s about time,” the archbishop said, laughing. “Only moms can say that. ”

Archbishop Dolan, 61, who was born in Missouri and headed the archdiocese of Milwaukee before coming to New York, is highly respected among his fellow prelates, and he serves as the elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Archbishop Dolan deserves this appointment.

He's a very special man. He can express the abstract and the spiritual in concrete terms that are both understandable and inspiring.

Archbishop Dolan was a great gift to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

He touched the lives of so many people in southeastern Wisconsin.

We were blessed to have him here to guide us through that very difficult period of scandal, including the shocking misdeeds of Archbishop Rembert Weakland. Although I was so disillusioned, I credit Archbishop Dolan for helping restore my confidence in the Church. No small task.

My first impression of him, back in 2002, was that he really loves what he does. That never changed. One of the things that I found most endearing about Archbishop Dolan was the way he wanted to be involved in the lives of his flock on a very personal level. He wasn't aloof or cold. He shared in our joys and sorrows.

I was blessed to know the depth and sincerity of his compassion. I'll always be grateful.

Although he left Milwaukee in 2009, he left a lasting legacy here in our hearts.

Congratulations, Archbishop Dolan!