by Anura Guruge
on April 11, 2024
He is currently #4 in MY papabili list.
I am becoming increasingly BULLISH on him.
He can come across as a sensible, pragmatic, CENTRALIST willing to entertain some progressive reform. In this homily he does just that. Bravo. I am chuffed. Way to go Gregory. You are going to do me proud.
by Anura Guruge
on April 3, 2024
They are currently #1b & #4 in MY papabili list.
That Donald Trump will indeed become the Next U.S. President in January 2025 is what is tilting the odds in favor of a U.S. Pope.
What used to be the ‘White House East‘ issue has now been turned upside down on its head. The world is NOT going to be scared that the U.S. will wield too power, they are already concerned that the U.S. will become cease to have a ‘Worldview’. The U.S., under Trump, will become very (maybe ultra) isolationist.
Trump will have no time or respect for a WEAK Pope. Can you see Trump with Tagle? I already have a list of nicknames that Trump will use to describe Tagle if he was to become Pope and say ONE WORD against Trump, his policies or the U.S.
Trump will TOLERATE a U.S. Pope — even IF the new pope is NOT white.
Trump is SMART, v. smart. He will NOT alienate his BASE. He will play nice with a U.S. pope.
The savvy electors (and there are SOME) will know this.
Right now, the Americas have 35 electors. Europe 54. Oceania 3. That is 92. A U.S. pope should be able to get at least 70% of these votes, i.e., 64. That is 22. SHORT of the required 2/3 majority. Africa & Asia have 37 votes. So, a U.S. pope will need 22 of these votes.
But, here is what will happen. MOMENTUM. O’Malley or Gregory will garner momentum. I feel more and more confident.
I could be wrong. I could be DEAD wrong. But, you can see how and what I am THINKING.
by Anura Guruge
on April 1, 2024
He is currently #4 in MY papabili list.
But, he could quite easily leapfrog to the TOP. He has AGE on his side. Goldilocks. Not too old. Not too young. SAME AGE as Pope Francis when he was elected in 2013.
We, the Americans, should mount a campaign to get him elected. I am going to do what little I can.
Ironically, one of his competitors is Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, the Archbishop of Boston. O’Malley, however, is 3-years older. He will be 80 this June. But, he is white — albeit bearded (which is a slight negative).
Gregory will NOT be the first black pope (from what we know). There has been, in the early days, at least one pope from Africa. We, however, don’t know how dark he was. But, as with Obama, Gregory’s color could be a bonus.
So, come on, let’s all root for an American Pope — Wilton Gregory.
by Anura Guruge
on March 28, 2024
My LIST. My choices. My criteria.
You do not have to agree. That is perfectly fine by me. I respect your opinion (even if I think you may be wrong).
I have given this more thought than most of you appreciate.
Wilton Gregory can pull together quite the coalition — support from many geographies. He is not a hardliner. His age, at 77, is Goldilocks — not too old, not too young.
I am COMFORTABLE with him at #4 in MY LIST.
It will be SO NEAT IF he keeps his name and opts to be ‘Gregory XVII‘.
by Anura Guruge
on March 17, 2024
As you can see I did a post on this nearly 2-years ago! But, I still come across skeptics.
Yes, for over a decade I was in the FOREFRONT of those saying ‘No U.S. Pope’. But, that was then, and this is NOW.
The problem used to be the ‘Eastern White House‘ & the ‘Western Vatican‘, i.e., an American as Pope (in the Vatican) & a Catholic as U.S. President in Washington, D.C.
Well, John F. Kennedy, in 1961, overcame the first hurdle, i.e., a Catholic as U.S. President. We have now had a second, the current president ‘Joe Biden‘. So, that part of the problem, ‘Western Vatican’, is no longer a concern.
And now in 2024 the World (and with that many of the Cardinal Elector (Kenya’s shameless ‘John (Idi) Njue‘ always the exception) appreciates that U.S. is not the absolute Superpower it was once seen as being. Ukraine, Gaza, NATO, etc. have illustrated that there is theory and practice. Plus, there is also now China and to a lesser extent India. A U.S. Pope will not be seen as adding EXTRA clout to the power wielded by the U.S.
Simple as that.
by Anura Guruge
on July 3, 2023
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Yes, his mother, ‘Jennie Jerome‘ (1854 — 1921), was in New York, was American.
He had joked that he could have been American.
The honorary citizenship was granted in 1963, when he was 88 — 2-years ahead of his passing. He was thrilled to received it.
Kind of COOL to remember this as the 4th of July approaches.
by Anura Guruge
on June 7, 2023
First & foremost: Each to their OWN. I am a strong believer that age does play a crucial role — & I WAS RIGHT, dead right, last time around. So, I am, yet again, starting with that as my 1st & most important criteria.
Then we have geography & ‘exoticness’. Again, this is MY take. I think ‘Francis’ was enough of an ‘exotic’ for the next 50 years. The next pope is going to along more conventional lines — WITH an ‘American Pope‘ the one exception.
Up until quite recently I totally refused to believe that the Next Pope could be American. I no longer think that way. If anything I think there is a good chance that the Next Pope will be American! Wow.
This, however, is my 1st CUT.
I honestly have not been on ‘Next Pope’ watch. There is a lot of ground I have to catch up on. Lot of work I will need to do. This week & next is OUT. But, I am NOT worried. I am now convinced that Francis is the new ‘Eternal Pope’. He will be around for another 3 years, at least.
Well, this is my current take. I am being totally upfront with you. Please share YOUR thoughts. Always welcome & appreciated. Thank YOU.
by Anura Guruge
on May 18, 2022
By NO MEANS a given. The probability is increasing.
Why?
Ironic. The influence of the U.S., the ‘Western White House‘, is diminishing. A U.S. pope will not be seeing as wielding as much power as they might have done even just a few years ago. A sad fact.
Plus, the U.S. is becoming the bastion of conservative Catholicism. And then there is also the money. U.S. interests by far (by far) pour more money into ‘grooming’ potential popes than any other bloc. Until now they couldn’t — & they didn’t — squander any of that on U.S. candidates. But, that is changing.
NO, the next pope certainly will NOT be Burke or Dolan. That is a given.
But, Sean Patrick stands a decent chance. The ONE major stumbling block is his BEARD! Yes, if not for his beard his chances would be better. And NO, he will NOT agree to shave.
So, think about it. Mull it over. Not a given. Just a shift in the fundamental dynamics.