Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston has drawn considerable interest lately in the Italian press as a possible papal candidate, and there’s a lot to be said for the 68-year-old Capuchin prelate.
Not only does O’Malley have a profile as reformer on the child sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, but he’s a genuinely spiritual and humble man who incarnates the Capuchin spirit of closeness to the people. The fact that he said recently he has «no ambitions» to be pope only reinforced his attractiveness.
However, his anti-abuse credentials have been questioned by victims’ groups in the United States, who say he drug his feet on releasing the names of accused priests. One critic says O’Malley gets an «A plus for symbolism», but lower grades on substance.
Moreover, some wonder if O’Malley has the toughness to be pope. In 2004, amid a painful round of parish closings, he said he sometimes hoped God would “call him home” and let someone else take over.
If he struggled under the burdens of Boston, some wonder, what might happen in Rome?
None of this means O’Malley is out of the running, but it does suggest that he brings some question marks along with his sandals and brown habit.
