http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Wu0246ASGw/T-oV1RLuveI/AAAAAAAAST8/qXTFQHlUeGU/s1600/Gilda+emily.jpgnever mind.
Before Cardinal Lay committed the Cardinal sin of failure to keep an airtight lid forever on hundreds of Massachusetts rapes of children, it was said that he would be the first American Pope. Instead, he merely got promoted to a place of honor in the Vatican for his years of trying to protect the rapists and the Church.
In his place, Massachusetts got Cardinal O'Malley, who had only to do mop up operations after Lay's promotion. Word is, O'Malley is in the running to be the next Pope.
O'Malley seems very different from the uber political and arrogant Lay, who actually had the gall very dramatically to "call down the judgment of God on the Boston Globe" for daring to look into the issue of rapes of local children by their priests.
On the other hand, who knows what O'Malley would have been like if he had Lay's work to do all those years? Would he, too, have obeyed Rome and protected the Church, too? Is the Pope Catholic? I don't think rebels get to Cardinals anymore.
Anyhoo, I think it would be a huge mistake to stir the Massahchusetts pot again. I don't see it bringing them tons of converts from Massachusetts anyway, or even helping them to hold on to all the Catholics that remain today. They've tried to consolidate churches, but parishoners have been taking turns holding vigil in the churches destined for deconsecration. Some vigils have lasted 8 years around the clock, as long as Ratzo has been Baba Bennie. Most of those sitting in are older, though.
I think they should choose someone from Africa or south of the U.S. border, maybe even China. That might lead to some converts and stop loss.
That would be my advice looking at it from their perspective.