College of Cardinals Now Has an Iowa Connection

Papa Benedetto released the names of his new appointments to the College of Cardinals today. There were 23 new Princes added to the list. 18 will be eligible to vote for the next pope after their elevation during the consistory on 24 Nov 2007. The other 5 named are over 80 & thus inelligible to vote. In an interesting turn of events 2 American Archbishops who were expected to be named weren't (Archbishop Wuerl of DC & Archbishop O'Brien of Baltimore). Instead Archbishop Daniel DiNardo (right) of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was appointed instead. Observers see this as a recognition of the growth of the Catholic Church in the South & Western parts of the USA. the other American Bishop named was Archbishop Foley.

Cardinal Designate DiNardo has an Iowa connection. He was born in Steubenville, Ohio. He was ordained a priest for the Pittsburg Diocese in 1977. After 20 years of service to the Church in variour roles he was appointed Coadjutor* Bishop for the Diocese of Sioux City, IA in 1997 by Pope John Paul the Great. In 1998 he took over as Bishop upon the retirement of Bishop Soens. In 2004 he was named named Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. Upon the elevation of the diocese to archdiocese, he became Coadjuter Archbishop. When Archbishop Fiorenza retired in 2006 he became Archbishop. I am not sure, but I think he is the 1st Cardinal to have spent a part of his priestly ministry in Iowa.

Another name that was of interest to me because of my involvement in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement was that of Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes. Archbishop Cordes served 10 years as Episcopal Advisor to the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office (now ICCRS) in Rome. He has written several books on various aspects of the Charismatic Renewal.

The full list of Cardinal Designates is as follows (Source: Vatican Information Service release):

New Cardinal Electors:
1. Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches
2. Archbishop John Patrick Foley, Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
3. Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Governance of the Vatican City-State
4. Archbishop Paul Joseph Cordes, President of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum"
5. Archbishop Angelo Comastri, Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, Vicar General for the Vatican City-State and President of the Administration of St. Peter’s
6. Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
7. Archbishop Raffaele Farina, Head of the Vatican Archives and Library
8. Archbishop Agustín García-Gasco Vicente of Valencia (Spain)
9. Archbishop Seán Baptist Brady of Armagh (Ireland)
10. Archbishop Lluís Martínez Sistach of Barcellona (Spain)
11. Archbishop André Vingt-Trois of Paris (France)
12. Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco of Genova (Italy)
13. Archbishop Théodore-Adrien Sarr of Dakar (Senegal)
14. Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Bombay (India)
15. Archbishop Francisco Robles Ortega of Monterrey (Mexico)
16. Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston (USA)
17. Archbishop Odilio Pedro Scherer of São Paulo (Brazil)
18. Archbishop John Njue of Nairobi (Kenya)

Honorary Cardinals:
1. His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans
2. Archbishop Giovanni Coppa, emeritus Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic
3. Archbishop Estanislao Esteban Karlic, emeritus of Paraná (Argentina)
4. Fr. Urbano Navarrete, S.J., former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University
5. Fr. Umberto Betti, O.F.M., former rector of the Pontifical Lateran University

Praise God for the blessings he has bestowed on these men in giving them this honor. May God grace them with all of the gifts of the Spirit thjey will need in their new role as advisors to Papa Benedetto.

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* A coadjutor is a (arch)bishop named to a diocese as an assistant to the current bishop. He is co-ruler of the diocese in all but ceremonial precedence. He also automatically takes over as bishop when the current bishop dies, retires, resigns, or is reassigned. A coadjutor is usually appointed when the current bishop' health or (sometimes, but not always) when the current bishop is nearing retirement age. His appointment enables him to become familiar with the diocese before he has to fully take over.