Cardinal Seán Brady, who is 85, is Ireland’s only voice at the College of Cardinals’ continuing general congregation discussions, the 10th of which took place at the Vatican on Monday. But, as he is aged over 80, he will not be taking part in the conclave to elect a new pope, which begins on Wednesday afternoon.
However, Ireland will not be without influence due to its diaspora. There is, of course, Drimnagh’s Cardinal Kevin Farrell (77), Camerlengo at the Vatican, but not on any list as a future pope.
Yet some from the Irish diaspora are in the running. Archbishop of Johannesburg Cardinal Stephen Brislin (68) is so proud of his Irish and Scottish background he included a shamrock and thistle in his coat of arms as bishop and archbishop. Unusually for an African cardinal, he is on the more liberal wing of the Catholic church.
Also talked about as a possible compromise, as in an “all-fruit-fails” pope, is Cardinal Arthur Roche (75), one of three from England in the College of Cardinals; the others are cardinals Vincent Nichols and Timothy Radcliffe.
Ireland ‘highly likely’ to have a warmer-than-average summer, says Met Éireann
US-Canada relationship no clearer as Mark Carney stands ground through Trump’s latest Oval Office blitz
Inheritance tax: How to avoid leaving your loved ones with a hefty bill
Older people and downsizing: ‘We hated selling our home but it became a necessity’
Cardinal Roche is a Yorkshire man with an Irish background and was formerly Bishop of Leeds before joining the Roman Curia in 2012. He was made cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022. If elected pope Cardinal Roche would be the first English pontiff since Adrian IV (Nicholas Breakspear).
Pope from 1154 to 1159, Adrian IV is never to be forgotten in Ireland, as it was his 1155 Papal Bull, or decree, Laudabiliter, which “gave Ireland as a hereditary possession to the illustrious king of the English, Henry II”. Perhaps Cardinal Roche as pope might consider a reverse decree?
Of the US cardinals, the one spoken of most favourably as “papabile” is Archbishop of Newark and Irish-American Cardinal Joseph Tobin (72), a member of the Redemptorist congregation.
[ Watch: Vatican releases video showing preparations in Sistine Chapel ahead of papal conclave ]
Very much of the Francis wing, he was part of the Vatican team sent to Ireland in 2010 to investigate the male religious orders following publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports in 2009.
Somewhat more conservative is Irish-Canadian Cardinal Thomas Collins (78), former Archbishop of Toronto who might be too old for the papacy. He was also sent to Ireland in 2010 to investigate the Cashel archdiocese following publication of statutory abuse reports in 2009.
It is believed unlikely an American will be elected pope as, generally speaking, the College of Cardinals steers clear – assisted by the Holy Spirit, of course – of electing someone from a major world power.
It does not mean Americans themselves do not speculate, in hope more than confidence (unusually), about a pope emerging from their ranks. Two of their leading would-be contenders are Irish-Americans: Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan (75) and Cardinal Raymond Burke (76).
Whatever slender hope Cardinal Dolan may have had might have been scuppered by Donald Trump who offered his support to Cardinal Dolan as pope. The cardinal led opening prayers at the US president’s inauguration last January.
Cardinal Dolan has been to Ireland many times, where he would be somewhat less than beloved. This has been particularly so since 2012 when it emerged that, following a report of his on the Irish College in Rome, three senior priests there were removed from their posts while a fourth resigned in protest.
Ireland’s Catholic archbishops at the time described Cardinal Dolan’s report as the result of “a deep prejudice” against the college.
Cardinal Burke could have been described as leader of the less-than-loyal-opposition to Pope Francis. He too has been to Ireland many times, taking part in annual conferences at Fota, Co Cork.
Deeply traditional with a fondness for the flamboyant vestments of the pre-Vatican II era, his chances of being elected pope are slim – such is the strength of his traditional views they could split the church.
