Timothy Dolan (New york) esélyes Erdő Péter mellett

The journalist who knows him best explains why Archbishop Timothy Dolan will be a vitally important voice for Catholicism
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By John L. Allen Jr. / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, February 17, 2012, 3:06 PM
   
   

Conventional wisdom holds that no American can be elected Pope of the Catholic Church, for the same reason that no American can be Secretary General of the UN - because it would upset the geopolitical apple cart. Leaders of global institutions want to be seen as fair brokers, not agents of the superpowers.
The taboo against an American pontiff held force during the 20th century, and despite the fact that we live in a more multi-polar world, it probably remains basically valid now.
Yet on Feb. 18, when Pope Benedict XVI places the red hat symbolizing status as a Cardinal on the head of New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan, it will signify more than Dolan's induction as a new Prince of the Church. It will also cement Dolan's profile as the closest thing we've got to an honest-to-God American papabile, meaning a candidate to be Pope.
Dolan always dismisses the idea, but if it weren't for his nationality, he might draw serious consideration as a possible successor to Pope Benedict XVI. He's got Roman seasoning, having studied in the Eternal City and having led the American seminary there. Since 2009, he's added running one of the world's most complex archdioceses in New York to his résumé, and he's the elected president of the American bishops.
At a time when Catholicism has an image problem, Dolan is also the most gifted communicator at the senior level of the Church.
He's certainly well-liked by many of the roughly 120 cardinals from around the world who will elect their next boss. I can testify from personal experience that when you meet a cardinal from another country, dropping Dolan's name is a great ice-breaker; usually, in about five minutes you'll both be laughing at some vintage Dolan anecdote.
His sense of humor is the stuff of legend. I recently published a book-length interview with Dolan, based on 30 hours of face-to-face interviews. Along the way, I asked if he had ever had a mystical experience, and he said he hadn't, at least in the classical sense.
Following up, I asked: "So it's not like Pope John Paul II ... if I came to your chapel in the middle of the night, I wouldn't find you prostrate on the floor in the shape of the cross?"