Cardinal Law has a job again. He’s been the chaplain to a convent in Maryland since he resigned in a year and half ago, but now he’s been given the ceremonial office of Archpriest of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. It’s not heavy lifting and is usually held by a cardinal past retirement age.
It doesn’t mean the cardinal hasn’t been doing anything until now. He’s held memberships in several Vatican congregations that he had before he resigned as archbishop of Boston. What does this mean for Archbishop O’Malley becoming a cardinal in the next conclave? Well, for one thing we probably won’t see another conclave for a few years. Even so, this might open the door for him to get the red hat, although some may want to keep the number of American cardinals to a “manageable” number for a while, especially considering the damage US bishops have caused in recent years.
