FRIDAY-THURSDAY
volume 11, nos. 262-268
Daily Issues for Week of December 15-21, 2000

Could a red biretta be in the cards for four US Archbishops?              Two new cardinalates are relatively assured. They are Archbishop Edward M. Egan of New York and Archbishop Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C. But could there be a possibility the Holy Father might look farther west to St. Louis and Denver to select two more - Archbishop Justin F. Rigali and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap respectively in his upcoming Consistory early next year?

    In our editorial this week, we focus our attention toward the new year. Dealing cards is always a gamble and our speculations on just who might be in line for elevation to the cardinalate probably are long-shot odds at best, but our reasoning makes sense and so we offer which American Archbishops we think His Holiness Pope John Paul II could possibly bestow the coveted red biretta on at his yet-to-be-announced upcoming Consistory in Rome in late January or February. There are 25 slots he must fill and it is highly probable he will expand the list. Many are of the mindset that this could be his last Consistory so he is sure to pad the ranks, so to speak, with solid, conservative, loyal, orthodox prelates who will effectively carry out the Doctrines of the Church in the face of a liberal wing that continue to resist this great Pontiff. Some of those reside within the ivory towers of American Sees and they are stubbornly stalling the Holy Father in the Mandatum he has issued for both Catholic institutions of higher learning and Catholic Health Care. In both of these, the bishops have waffled and dropped the ball. The left clings to hopes of outlasting the Pope by doing nothing. In doing nothing, they are doing nothing for their flocks as well. It's time for them to act! For our commentary, It's time for our Bishops to be Shepherds, not Shirkers! see CATHOLIC PewPOINT