New Cardinals?

There has been much talk over the last year or so about new Cardinals being appointed to the Church; when, where, who, etc. Today I read with interest an article on one of my favorite blogs Whispers in the Loggia. Reprinted here is a portion of that article:

Come the first days of July, B16 will literally head for the hills, remaining in residence at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo until late September. And on his return, one key decision the pontiff will face is the creation of new cardinals and the date of a consistory to elevate new members of the college which advises him in life and, upon his death, will elect his successor.

As of today, the voting complement of the "Pope's Senate" numbers 108 -- twelve short of its maximum 120; the figure's next drop will come on 7 July as Washington's Cardinal Theodore McCarrick reaches the ineligibility age of 80, with at least another six seats falling open by mid-November.

Given the scenario, a mini-frenzy was had in early March as prominent reports in the Italian press circulated that a consistory to fill the 19 foreseen slots would be held over Christ the King weekend, 20-21 November. However, recent chatter in Rome has cast some doubt over the late fall date, with some indications reporting that -- in an economical move -- the pontiff might just hold off for another six months or so, until mid-2011, by which point another half-dozen electors will have aged out of a hypothetical conclave.

Either way, between the present and the end of 2012, another whole quarter of the voting College -- some 30 cardinals -- will superannuate; add in the dozen who've turned 80 since the 2007 consistory, and the figure exceeds a third of the eventual papal electorate.

Along these lines, it's been noted here before but, given the significance, bears repeating: among the recent or upcoming retirees are a full half of the 12 American electors -- a figure without precedent in such a short time-frame.

As history goes, the period ahead offers Benedict an unparalleled free hand at reshaping the Stateside church's topmost rank... and with this pontificate's picks averaging in their early 60s on receiving the red hat, smart money can easily foresee the coming crop of cardinals holding the helm for a generation, or even more.

This fall should prove very exciting!!! Stay tuned...

Where has the time gone?

Where does the time go? I knew that it had been some time since I last posted, but GOOD GRIEF…Thanksgiving? Well, since then I have completed my Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, am on my way to Theology and I am currently assigned to Corpus Christi Parish in Colorado Springs for the summer….

7 months and that’s the best I can do? Sounds so…small. So now that you are all caught up on the doings in my life…

I am enjoying the time here at Corpus Christi. The people are wonderful and the Pastor is keeping me busy. I prefer it that way. Better than sitting around trying to find something to do. My first full week here I spent assisting the Totus Tuus team. We had the elementary kids from 9-3 and the middle school and high school kids every evening. If you don’t know what Totus Tuus is, go HERE.

Now I am keeping busy in the day to day life of the parish. I am looking at the budget to see where we can reduce expenses and increase return/income. We are starting to prepare for the upcoming school year and will start a new principle for Corpus Christi School the first of July. Between helping out at the parish, visiting parishioners, and planning some of the seminarian activities, I am keeping quite busy. It is hard to believe that next week will mark my half-way point for this assignment.

I will try to get back to regular postings again. Thanks for bearing with me and most of all thank you for the support of your prayers. Talk to you soon.

P.S. I have updated some of the other items on this site i.e. my counter, music, etc. so please look around - JS