Expanding the College

Texas will get its very first Roman Catholic Cardinal.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI named 23 new cardinals Wednesday, giving Texas its first "prince" of the Roman Catholic Church in a clear recognition of the growing Latino presence in the U.S. church.

The appointment of Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston brings the number of American cardinals to 17 — second only to Italy — and increases the American contingent's clout in any conclave to elect a future pontiff.

I didn't know that there were more American Cardinals than anywhere but Rome. I'll bet $50 none ever gets elected Pope between now and doomsday. The only problem is if I'm wrong and dead, you could have trouble collecting.

Benedict tapped Vatican officials, academics, diplomats and archbishops from five continents. Eighteen of the new cardinals are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave; five others, including the patriarch of Baghdad, were named in recognition of their service to the church.

Now the Patriarch of Baghdad must be a very brave man. His counterpart in Mexico City should take a lesson from him.

Benedict said he would give them all their red hats at a Vatican ceremony Nov. 24.

The naming of DiNardo, 58, of Galveston-Houston was something of a surprise since there are several other U.S. archdioceses which usually have cardinals leading them, including Washington and Baltimore, but the pope did not elevate their archbishops.

The Cardinal of Boston should be removed just on the basis of what employees of the Palm Beach Diocese did in regards to a pregnant mother on hospital bedrest when the Cardinal was Bishop of the Diocese. $100 a week to for 2-3 months to pay the mother's insurance(She was and is a diocesan employee) to ensure the safe delivery of a baby was apparently too big of an expenditure for Cardinal Sean or he simply didn't care. Either way it points out the hypocrisy of the Church today. Give them the chance to protect their money or two human lives, a Roman Catholic Bishop will choose the money.

This is all true, I got the letters to the father from the diocese. They make interesting reading.

Linked to- High Desert Wanderer, Pirate's Cove, Right Wing Nation, Webloggin, The World According to Carl,