Westminster Whispers

According to the Sunday Telegraph, there is a whispering campaign in progress to ensure that the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor does not stay on after his 75th birthday in August 2007.

According to my sources in London this rather misses the point. However glad some people will be to see the back of Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, it is nothing to how glad he will be to see the last of them. He may already be counting the weeks.

In the wake of his recent difficulties over a trusted advisor, speculation is growing that the Cardinal cannot wait to lay down his burden and may even request the Pope to appoint a coadjutor Archbishop who would automatically succeed him on his retirement. This would ease the burden on the Cardinal and allow him to complete his term without being surrounded by speculation about his likely successor.

Such a proposal may find favour in Rome since it would make it easier to appoint someone who is not already a bishop since he could be given a year to 'learn the ropes'. If, on the other hand, the preference is to promote one of the existing bishops, the Cardinal will just have to endure the malcontents for a while longer.