Cardinal McCarrick turns 80; number of cardinal-electors drops to 107
July 07, 2010
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired Archbishop of Washington, DC, celebrates his 80th birthday today and thus becomes ineligible to vote in a papal conclave.
Born in New York, Cardinal McCarrick was ordained to the priesthood in 1958 and became an auxiliary bishop of New York in 1977. He later served as Bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey (1981- 1986) and Archbishop of Newark (1986- 2000) before becoming Archbishop of Washington. He retired from that post in 2006. He received his red hat from Pope John Paul II in 2001.
There are now 107 living members of the College of Cardinals eligible to vote in a papal election, and 5 more cardinals will reach the age of 80 by mid-October of this year. Vatican-watchers anticipate that Pope Benedict XVI will soon call a consistory to name new cardinals, bringing the number of cardinal-electors closer to the limit of 120.
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Posted by: garedawg -
Jul. 07, 2010 10:11 PM ET USA
Ringo Starr turned 70 today...
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Posted by: unum -
Jul. 07, 2010 8:45 PM ET USA
One secular politician down and many more to go before our Church selects its leader by prayer, reflection, and being open to authentic the action of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, men like McCarrick have defined the action of the Holy Spirit as any political action they are driven to do.
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Posted by: -
Jul. 07, 2010 8:22 PM ET USA
So how old is Archbishop Wuerl?