Dolan for New York - Westminster next
A trinity of priests praying for a miracle? These three priests clutching the Turin Shroud are none other than the three favourites for Westminster, Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Peter Smith, and Bishop Malcolm McMahon, from Birmingham, Cardiff and Nottingham.
As countless others besides myself predicted he would, Pope Benedict XVI has today named Timothy Dolan, 59, as successor to the retiring Edward Egan in the high-profile Archdiocese of New York. Read on for what veteran Vatican commentator John Allen has to say about Dolan. Lots more about him at Aufer A Nobis.
See Archbishop Dolan addressing the press in New York this morning. ht American Papist.
Westminster will be next.
Which one of the three will the Shroud favour? Sadly, perhaps, none, as the shroud pictured here is a replica, albeit one of just six in the world, currently on display at an exhibition in Birmingham. Read the full report at Times online faith by the spokesman for the Newman Cause, Peter Jennings.
HT to the Catholic Herald's Luke Coppen via Twitter for link to John Allen's take on the Dolan appointment. Allen writes: 'While Pope Benedict XVI’s appointment of Archbishop Timothy Dolan to New York hardly marks a dramatic break with key picks under recent popes, it may confirm an intriguing pattern-within-a-pattern under Benedict when it comes to the most important jobs in the United States.
'In a sound-bite, one might call it a choice for “the center-right with a human face.”
'In essence, that means leaders who are basically conservative in both their politics and their theology, but also upbeat, pastoral figures given to dialogue. It’s a pattern with across-the-board consequences for both the substance and the style of American Catholicism, and one that could carry particularly interesting implications for relations between church and state in the Age of Obama.'
Damian, btw, thinks Vin will definitely get Westminster. I suspect he is right, on balance, but it is fun to throw a few more names in the hat. I know for a cert that Longley is being talked about seriously in Rome.
Here's another, closer up.
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"Why should it [the Turin Shroud] not be regarded as a scam?"
- ElizabethR, 24 FEB 2009, 17:45
A scam is a fraudulent endeavour to gain money by deception. People who perpetrate scams are thieves. You are accusing someone of being a thief. Name him.
Posted by: Geoffrey Smith | 25 Feb 2009 16:12:38
Please could the godly be happy with blind faith. Desparately trying to find "evidence" for the supernatural is cringing and rather tacky.
Posted by: iain rae | 24 Feb 2009 22:55:34
"Allegation, allegation, allegation" GerSmitt
Assumption, assumption, assumption -
assertion, assertion, assertion...
Come on then Einstein, is it a forgery or a 13thc medieval shroud. Is it a theological coincidence? Is it complete? Are the various radiocarbon dating results true or false and if so which one is which, or are they all wrong? Or can you provide ANY compelling evidence whatsoever to suggest that it is genuine? Why should it not be regarded as a scam? Over to you.
Posted by: ElizabethR | 24 Feb 2009 17:45:48
"The Turin Shroud - yet another scam for the innocent."
- Edward I, 23 FEB 2009, 19:01
Allegation, allegation, allegation. It would be such a nice change if these medieval crackpots who slag off anything spiritual would come up with real proof of their boring old gripes.
Posted by: Geoffrey Smith | 24 Feb 2009 10:52:59
Sorry, David, but at the age of ** I'm too young to compete with Fr Tim Finigan, the guy who is going to get the job. I think I was included just to make up the numbers, but there is hope for me yet: with Dolan going to NY, there's now a vacancy at Milwaukee.
Posted by: Geoffrey Smith | 23 Feb 2009 19:26:10
The Turin Shroud---yet another scam for the innocent.
Posted by: Edward I | 23 Feb 2009 19:01:00
Geoffrey
I am sorry to read that you missed out on NY.
But it would be good to see a fresh face among this country's senior church leaders, more representative of those of us who are under 40 - who form quite a large proportion of Christians in this country.
Do you qualify?
Posted by: David Cohen | 23 Feb 2009 18:05:42
"Does the RC Church really not have someone a little more inspiring to offer?"
- David Cohen, 23 FEB 2009, 13:08
Well, Mr Cohen, I did put my name forward for the NY job, but Benny told me I was on the terna for Westminster, so I withdrew my nomination. Tough on NY, right?
Posted by: Geoffrey Smith | 23 Feb 2009 17:07:00
Ruth,
I think you might like this blog. The most recent post talks about the reconciliation between religion and evolution. Enjoy!
http://blog.uncertainbeliever.com/
Posted by: Chelsea | 23 Feb 2009 16:36:43
"That's why they have Virgin Mary..when you get tired of seeing Stodgy old guys..she has the "Mom" appeal..." Dah Bro
Is this the nearest you get to satire? Arf! Arf!
Posted by: ElizabethR | 23 Feb 2009 15:52:22
That's why they have Virgin Mary..when you get tired of seeing Stodgy old guys..she has the "Mom" appeal...
Posted by: Bro Ronald | 23 Feb 2009 13:50:51
They look like a bunch of tired old men.
Does the RC Church really not have someone a little more inspiring to offer?
Posted by: David Cohen | 23 Feb 2009 13:08:13