The Pope's New Cardinals

Wit

h all the shiny red hats and vestments, the elevation Friday of 15 new Cardinals reveals a lot about the (still) new man in white. Pope Benedict XVI’s first consistory comes less than a month before the one-year anniversary of his election, and the picture of the Pontiff is still taking shape. But his first additions to the top rung of the Church hierarchy — which include two prominent Americans, a Chinese prelate and Pope John Paul II’s personal secretary — give further clarity to both the form and substance of Benedict’s nascent reign.

First, it is worth noting one man who did not get his red hat. Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, the longtime president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, was thought by many to be in line for a Cardinal position. But last month, the Pope abruptly pulled the British-born Fitzgerald out of Rome and sent him to be the Vatican’s representative in Egypt, a "nuncio" posting that doesn’t come with a Cardinal promotion. Since Fitzerald had forged a rather soft policy as Rome's point man on Islam, the move was initially seen as another sign that Benedict is hardening the Vatican’s line on relations with Islam. In fact, the move was as much an administrative realigment: two weeks after Fitzgerald's appointment, his former office was merged with the Pontifical Council for Culture — and two more Vatican offices (the Pontifical Councils for Justice and Peace, and for Migrants and Refugees) were shrunk into one. Message: Benedict’s much anticipated streamlining of the Roman Curia has begun.

The first new Cardinal to get his hat, former San Francisco Archbishop William J. Levada, was Benedict’s biggest surprise. Levada was named last August to take the Pope’s old job as the Church’s point man on all doctrinal issues as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a post that Cardinal Ratzinger held under John Paul for 24 years. When Benedict gave the job to Levada, a friend since the two worked together in Rome in the early 1980s, most Vatican insiders were shocked, having expected a European intellectual heavyweight in the post. Message: Benedict knows the kind of ship he wants, and on key personnel moves, he’ll take his own counsel above all.

Less surprising was Benedict’s appointment of John Paul’s long-time personal secretary, Stanislaw Dziwisz, to the Archbishop post of Krakow that Wojtyla held before becoming Pope. Dziwisz, who gets his red hat just eight days shy of the anniversary of his mentor’s death, is also looking forward to a visit from Benedict in Poland in late May. The new Pope, known as a true believer in set rules, surprised some last spring by skipping the usual waiting period to put John Paul on the fast-track to sainthood. Dziwsz is hoping that on his Polish trip Benedict will proclaim his predecessor Blessed, which is just one step short of Saint. Message: Benedict will continue to pay steady homage to John Paul, hoping that lets him carve his own course.

The Bishop of Hong Kong, Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, becomes Cardinal as the Vatican tries to walk a delicate path toward re-establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing. The Pope had invited four Chinese bishops to the Synod of Bishops in October, only to see the government block their departure at the last minute. Many in Rome’s office of the Secretary of State have pushed for a more flexible approach to the Chinese, who until now only recognize the so-called "Patriotic Church" made up of Catholics not obedient to Rome. China also insists on the Vatican cutting ties with Taiwan. But Benedict’s choice of Zen, who has been a vocal critic of human rights abuses and an advocate of religious liberty, could be seen as a direct challenge to Beijing. Message: Benedict’s diplomacy is armed with both carrots and sticks.

Overall, the new batch of Cardinals continues John Paul's geographical mix and stern line on doctrine. Benedict's first consistory is also notable for its dimensions, with far fewer Cardinals than was John Paul's custom. Some believe Pope Ratzinger may choose smaller, more regular (perhaps annual) consistories to keep the College of Cardinals consistently close to the 120 limit. It also would be a chance for regular encounters with all his men in red hats. Benedict may be a Pope not only eager to choose Cardinals, but work with them as well.