Well, "Red Hat Giveaway" might be more accurate. (Slightly.)
What I’m saying is this: The pope named a buncha new cardinals yesterday–twelve of them under voting age for the next pope, and three more over it.
It came as no surprise that Archbishop William Levada (formerly of San Francisco, now head of the CDF) got a red hat. His new job is a red hat job.
Archbishop Sean O’Malley of Boston also got one.
John Paul II’s former personal secretary–now Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwitsz of Krakow–also did.
In making his selections, B16 continued the global diversification of the college of cardinals. Only 2 of the 12 new voting age cardinals were Italian.
B16 has also called ALL of the cardinals to Rome next month for a meeting of prayer and reflection the day before the consistory in which he installs the new cardinals.
This is a new thing. It certainly makes sense, though, and it will be interesting to see if it sticks with future popes (and future such events by this pope).
