I’m on the grounds of the Fall River Archdiocese. Cardinal Sean O’Malley presided over this working class city for 10 years as a bishop, putting out the fires of the church abuse scandal, taking in the protests of the aggrieved and saying mass at local parishes over disillusioned Portuguese, Cape Verdean and other immigrant congregants.
But when the white smoke finally billowed from the Vatican, there was real hope here that O’Malley -- Fall River’s hometown celebrity -- might be the next pope. I happened to be in the area when the news alert went out that the announcement of a new pontiff was just moments away. The announcement came just as John Kearns, of the diocese communications office, was pulling into the parking lot.
“I was coming over here to the bishop’s office, listening on the radio, and I just heard it’s the cardinal from Argentina, and I did not even get the name, so I’m anxious to learn more about the man,” he said.
Kearns said “disappointed” would be too strong to describe his reaction to O’Malley being passed over.
“We knew enough around here to know you have to take the reports you hear and look at it in the bog picture that there are a lot of names being thrown out there, and then they seem to get amplified as the news media pick up on them,” he said. “So we welcome the new pope, we promise him our prayers, and I look forward to learning more about him.”
Just being considered, Kearns said, is an honor.
“Certainly, the fact that his name was in the mix, to whatever degree, is an honor to him, and it’s certainly a testament to his many gifts that he brings the church, and we’re still very happy that he’s our neighbor in Boston.”
Kearns said one benefit from all the attention is that is has also focused attention on Fall River. Whether that leads to increased church attention, he said, is a factor not yet known.
