Pope Benedict Names New Cardinals, Chaput Not Among Them
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Pope Benedict XVI named 22 new Cardinals Friday, including two from America. But, neither of them is Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput. Was it a snub?
"There are always more people who are in line to become Cardinals than there are slots to make them Cardinals," says Philadelphia-based Catholic journalist Rocco Palma, who runs the website WhispersInTheLoggia.com.
Palma says it is not a snub from the Vatican and puts this in historical perspective.
"Cardinal Dougherty had been here three years before he was made a Cardinal. Cardinal O'Hara had been here eight years. Cardinal Kroll had been here six years. Cardinal Bevilacqua had been here three years."
And Archbishop Chaput has been here for only four months. He is highly regarded in the Vatican, according to Palma, but there's just too much to do. Palma says extra responsibilities of being a cardinal would get in the way of issues at home like school closures, next year's parish planning and others.
"The archbishop's focus would want to be on what's going on in Philly and he wouldn't want to be diverted by added international responsibilities right now."
Palma says the 67-year-old's time could come within the next few years. The new cardinals will be officially elevated next month.
