{"id":2430642,"date":"2025-05-04T07:17:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T11:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-wants-cardinal-dolan-as-pope-but-hes-an-unlikely-candidate\/"},"modified":"2025-05-04T07:19:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T11:19:26","slug":"trump-wants-cardinal-dolan-as-pope-but-hes-an-unlikely-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-wants-cardinal-dolan-as-pope-but-hes-an-unlikely-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump wants Cardinal Dolan as pope, but he&#8217;s an unlikely candidate"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-wants-cardinal-dolan-as-pope-but-hes-an-unlikely-candidate%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2430642&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses President Donald Trump&#8217;s comments about the possibility of an American becoming the next pope, especially mentioning Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. When asked who he would prefer as the Bishop of Rome, Trump humorously replied that he would like to be pope himself but acknowledged Dolan as a suitable candidate. However, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/crisis-as-bad-as-2008-democrats-spotlight-consequences-of-a-us-default\/\" title=\"Crisis as Bad as 2008: Democrats Spotlight Consequences of a US Default\">article emphasizes<\/a> that appointing an American pope is highly unlikely given the past precedent of papacy predominantly held by europeans, especially Italians, over the centuries. <\/p>\n<p>Cardinal Dolan is described as a charismatic figure with a robust pastoral reputation among U.S. Catholics, yet his potential election to the papacy would surprise many observers due to the conventional norms within the Vatican. The article also outlines the complexities involved in papal elections, including the unique challenges of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">balancing national affiliations adn global responsibilities<\/a>, ultimately suggesting that while Dolan&#8217;s candidacy would be seen as improbable, believers still hope for divine intervention in such matters.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump likes Cardinal Dolan for pope, but an American pontiff seems a non-starter<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2112298\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a> was coy when asked this week who he would like to see become the next Bishop of Rome.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to be pope,&rdquo; he told reporters outside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/White-House\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">White House<\/a> on Wednesday. He smiled and paused for a comedic beat. &ldquo;That would be my No. 1 choice.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3400318\/singapore-long-ruling-party-wins-landslide-election-boost-new-prime-minister\/\">Singapore&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/musk-gets-his-texas-wish-spacex-launch-site-is-approved-as-the-new-city-of-starbase-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Musk gets his Texas wish. SpaceX launch site is approved as the new city of Starbase ... Washington Examiner\">long-ruling party wins<\/a> another landslide in election boost for new prime minister<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3400295\/ukraine-russia-issue-threats-three-day-ceasefire-proposal-crumbles\/\">Ukraine, Russia issue threats as three-day ceasefire proposal crumbles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/3400290\/sheinbaum-reveals-she-told-trump-rejecting-offer-us-troops\/\">Mexico&#8217;s Sheinbaum reveals what she told Trump after rejecting offer of US troops<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Pushed for his honest opinion, his demeanor became more nonchalant &mdash; &ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t know, I have no preference,&rdquo; he said, though noting, &ldquo;I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who&rsquo;s very good, so we&rsquo;ll see what happens.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The shout-out to New York&rsquo;s archbishop, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, is unsurprising from the Queens-born champion of America-First patriotism. <\/p>\n<p>But if Dolan were actually to be elected to the Holy See, it would be the shock of a lifetime for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/vatican\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Vatican observers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks with Cardinal Timothy Dolan at the 79th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dolan in the Big Apple <\/h2>\n<p>Dolan is largely viewed by U.S. Catholics as an exceptional administrator and pastor of his archdiocese, ingrained with his flock despite being born and raised in Missouri. <\/p>\n<p>He&rsquo;s a proud Irishman who leans on his ethnic background in his sermons and public comments. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian. He&rsquo;s a Yankees fanatic, encouraging fellow Catholic fans to pray for them in the World Series, though he acknowledges on the topic of baseball he &ldquo;can be pro-choice.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncronline.org\/news\/vatican\/catholic-bishops-debate-hiring-spokesperson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">self-described<\/a> &ldquo;fat, balding Irish bishop&rdquo; has a jovial demeanor and gift of gab that lend themselves to clicky headlines and oft-repeated one-liners.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am going to give these to a hungry person,&rdquo; he once <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/01\/08\/nyregion\/timothy-dolan-new-yorks-next-cardinal.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> after receiving a box of French pastries from a radio producer ahead of an interview. &ldquo;Namely me at about 4 o&rsquo;clock.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He recalled in 2009 his thoughts upon being called to head the New York archdiocese: &ldquo;Go away, Lord. I&rsquo;m not your man. My Spanish is lousy and my English not much better.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Though his self-reported reluctance was conveyed with levity, it is a very real burden to head perhaps the U.S.&rsquo;s most prominent archdiocese &mdash; and Dolan&rsquo;s episcopacy has not always been heavenly. <\/p>\n<p>His office is <a href=\"https:\/\/archny.org\/ministries-and-offices\/child-protection\/statement-of-cardinal-dolan-on-cardinal-mccarrick\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">responsible for overseeing<\/a> the archdiocese&rsquo;s response to over 45 years of sexual abuse claims alleged to have been carried out under predecessors in his position. It&rsquo;s been a grim business, dragged out in courts for years.<\/p>\n<p>Dolan was also left holding the bag after friends of a transgender atheist drag queen asked to hold a funeral service in St. Patrick&rsquo;s Cathedral without disclosing the nature of the deceased. At the service, speakers blasphemed Catholicism and Christianity in a manner the rector called &ldquo;sacrilegious and disrespectful.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The cardinal expressed regret over the incident but was criticized by some Catholics for failing to vet the program and not taking the scandal seriously enough.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It&rsquo;s an Italian thing<\/h2>\n<p>Regardless of what anyone thinks of Dolan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-big-will-the-midterms-red-tsunami-be\/\" title=\"How Big Will the Midterms Red Tsunami Be?\">common wisdom<\/a> says efforts to crown an American pope are a non-starter. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; Cardinals walk through St. Peter&rsquo;s Square ahead of Pope Francis&rsquo; coffin at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo\/Andreea Alexandru, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For centuries, the Holy See has been predominantly occupied by continental Europeans. The Italians are most commonly represented in the pantheon of past popes, befitting their geographic centrality to the Vatican. Out of 266 pontiffs, 213 have been Italian.<\/p>\n<p>The French are a distant second with only 16. From there, the numbers continue to drop dramatically. <\/p>\n<p>A dozen or so popes originated from regions that are either completely transformed or no longer extant, such as Roman provinces in north Africa and the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Pope Adrian IV is a notable outlier in the roster, the only Englishman that held the papal office.<\/p>\n<p>This trend seems to be changing, however. Pope John Paul II, born in Poland as Karol J&oacute;zef Wojty&#322;a, broke a long string of Italians heading the Vatican.<\/p>\n<p>He began the process of diversifying the electors within the College of Cardinals by handing out red hats to prelates in far flung nations.<\/p>\n<p>Pope Benedict XVI was the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/germany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">German<\/a> pontiff in 950 years and the doors may have been fully flung open by the late Pope Francis, the first pope in history to come out of the New World.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Balancing powers<\/h2>\n<p>While the Bishop of Rome does not have a military at his disposal, he is still seen as one of the most powerful men in the world with over 1.4 billion Catholics within his spiritual communion.<\/p>\n<p>He also has the sole authority to speak infallibly on matters of faith and doctrine. He can propagate dogmas, permanently end debates, and bind Catholics to his teaching. These powers are only rarely invoked out of prudence and self-preservation.<\/p>\n<p>The cardinals are extremely hesitant to hand this power over to someone from a country with secular hegemony &mdash; probably fearing the possible abuses that could come with the mix of temporal and spiritual supremacy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cardinals listen to Pope Francis as he celebrates a Mass in St. Peter&rsquo;s Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015. (AP Photo\/L&rsquo;Osservatore Romano, Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When a cardinal becomes pope, his unique allegiances to his country of origin are supposed to be cut in favor of pastoring a universal, worldwide church. They get new citizenship in Vatican City &mdash; but they don&rsquo;t always give up their passports back home. Francis retained his status as an Argentinian. Benedict XVI&rsquo;s legal citizenship is unclear, but John Paul II remained a Pole through his pontificate.<\/p>\n<p>Even if a cardinal comes into the papacy with every intention of impartiality, there is always the threat of blackmail, espionage, and other clandestine influences executed by their home government. The more powerful a nation&rsquo;s intelligence apparatus, the bigger the risk of meddling.<\/p>\n<p>The field of papal electors is massive, packed with 13 more electors than the ostensible 120 cardinal limit.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3399423\/sistine-chapel-chimney-installed-conclave\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>SISTINE CHAPEL CHIMNEY INSTALLED BY VATICAN FIRE CORPS AHEAD OF CONCLAVE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>They arrived this week in Rome from countries as diverse as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hungary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Hungary<\/a>, Japan, Sudan, and Tonga.  Among them are 10 U.S. citizens. Common sense dictates that Dolan leading the nearly 2000-year-old church is a virtual impossibility.<\/p>\n<p>However, cardinals are instructed to listen to the Holy Spirit when they enter the Sistine Chapel &mdash; and believers would argue that with God, anything is possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2112298\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2112298\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump favors Cardinal Dolan for pope, but it&#8217;s unlikely<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2430643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AP24292050628412.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[43285,9592,3634,54567],"class_list":["post-2430642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cardinal-dolan","tag-pope","tag-trump","tag-unlikely-candidate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AP24292050628412.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2430642"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2430646,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430642\/revisions\/2430646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2430643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2430642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2430642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2430642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}