Former Milwaukee Archbishop a possible candidate to be next pontiff

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It’s only been a couple of hours since Pope Benedict said he would resign at the end of the month. And already, there’s speculation that former Milwaukee Catholic Archbishop Tim Dolan could be a candidate for the next pontiff. Marquette professor Steven Avella tells W-T-M-J Radio in Milwaukee that a long list of candidates will be reviewed by the College of Cardinals and quote, “Dolan’s name will likely come up.” Dolan headed the 10-county Milwaukee Archdiocese for much of the previous decade, before becoming the Archbishop of New York. The Associated Press calls Dolan a “long-shot” candidate to replace Benedict. Dolan is considered very popular, and he supports the pontiff’s conservative line. But the A-P said the general thinking is that the church does not need a pope from one of the world’s superpowers. Marquette’s Avella said anything can happen – and the speculation will cover a wide range. Much of that speculation is that the next pope could come from Africa or somewhere else outside Europe. The 85-year-old Benedict will resign February 28th, and a conclave is expected to name the new pontiff before the end of March. Popes generally die in office, and Benedict is the first to resign since Gregory-the-Seventh in 1415. Benedict said today’s world requires the Catholic church leader to have a strong body and mind. And he said both have quote, “deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

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