Not such a dark horse - Letters

Washington Monthly, Sept, 2002 by John Rusnak

I think eyes looking for a dark horse candidate for the next pope should look to Theodore Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, D.C. ("Pope Hopefuls," June)

Although an American, which almost completely rules against his being elected, McCarrick comes with very strong credentials. He is a holy and compassionate man with great concern for the poor: Witness his travels to Central America to help the downtrodden. He is a man who speaks five languages fluently. He has been pastor of one of the poorest dioceses in the United States--Newark--before assuming the head of the Washington archdiocese. At 70, he is also the right age--not too young, not too old, which would preclude another extremely long papacy. He is also a humble man who mixes well with any group of people. He is a workaholic, a necessity for any pope. He is also an excellent spokesman for the American cardinals and his visibility has been heightened by the recent pedophilia scandals.

Cardinal McCarrick is the only American who fits all the parameters for what the church needs at the present time.

JOHN RUSNAK
Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.