Vatican watcher: Pope has chosen Archbishop Timothy Dolan for New York

Rome, Italy, Feb 13, 2009 / 12:30 pm

The eagerly anticipated appointment of the new Archbishop of New York appears to be just around the corner. The well-connected Italian journalist Paolo Rodari, who writes for Il Reformista, is reporting that Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee will soon be announced as the new head of the most important U.S. diocese.

Church watchers have been itching to hear who will replace Cardinal Edward Egan for almost two years and as Rodari reports, "the announcement should arrive shortly."

Rumors have been circulating with increasing frequency over the past several weeks, including a January 29 report by Edward Pentin on Newsmax.com that pointed speculation in the direction of Dolan.

Rodari reports today that Il Riformista has "collected leaks" that say "Pope Benedict XVI has decided on Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee."

Rodari also claims that although other American prelates would have preferred a stronger personality to take on the Obama Administration’s animus towards Catholics, Dolan is being tapped as a pastoral leader with a "soft touch."

Agreeing with Pentin’s earlier report, Rodari says that Archbishop of Hartford Henry Mansell, Archbishop of Atlanta Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Newark John Myers and the Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico Roberto Gonzalez Nieves, were all in the running.