Canadian Cardinals Candidates for Papacy
Apr 13, 2005
Perhaps he is too young, and from the wrong continent, but Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec City has made at least one list of papal contenders that mentions no other American or Canadian cardinals.
(Obviousnews.com 12 April) Born in the small, remote town of La Motte, Quebec, and named a cardinal only two years ago, Ouellet, 60, has rapidly gained prominence and respect.
Though far from a front-runner, he has — in the eyes of some experts — the best chance of any North American cardinal to be John Paul II‘s successor. The National Catholic Reporter, a U.S.-based weekly, listed him as one of the top 20 candidates.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal, an amiable and approachable archbishop, also has been mentioned in Rome as a possible compromise choice for pope, though in Canada his prospects are viewed as slimmer than Ouellet‘s.
Ouellet speaks six languages and has traveled extensively, teaching philosophy in Colombia, earning philosophy and theology degrees in Rome. In 2001, he was consecrated bishop by the pope and the following year promoted to archbishop of Quebec and primate of Canada.
Ouellet is considered a traditionalist; he has advocated the return to Eucharistic adoration and Gregorian chant and had a good relationship with the late pontiff.
Earlier this year, Ouellet issued an open letter to Canadians, urging them to defend the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. Canada‘s Parliament is currently debating whether to make same-sex marriage legal nationwide, as it already is in seven provinces and territories.
Ouellet called gay marriage "offensive to the moral and religious sensibility of a great number of citizens, both Catholic and non-Catholic."
Some believe Ouellet is too young to be considered for the papacy; publicly at least, he seems to agree.
"I‘m just a young bishop," Ouellet said. "You have plenty of good candidates among the cardinals who have long experience."
But some local experts are excited about his career prospects.
Ouellet has "the stature of someone who could be pope," said McGill University Catholic Studies director John Zucchi. "He has an acute intelligence and intellectual capacity with a strong theological background and language skills."
If Ouellet represents the intellect of the church in Canada, Turcotte represents the heart. Turcotte, 68, seems as comfortable ministering to dock workers or soup-kitchen clients as he does in the halls of the Vatican, Zucchi says.
In 1984 Turcotte was a chief organizer of Pope John Paul II‘s 12-day visit to Canada and in 1990 was named archbishop of Montreal. He became a cardinal in 1994, and in 1997 was elected president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Although the longest-serving of three active Canadian cardinals, and mentioned in Rome as a possible contender, Turcotte "would not be on any man‘s short list," Zucchi says. "He has no broad experience beyond his own diocese."
Canada‘s third active cardinal is Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic, 75, the archbishop of Toronto.
There are roughly 13 million Catholics in Canada, about 43 percent of the population, and nearly half of them live in the French-speaking province of Quebec.
Even in Quebec, however, the Church has lost much of its power and influence. Attendance at Mass has dwindled and numerous churches have been put up for sale in recent years.
Canadian Cardinals Candidates for Papacy