HE gave Australia its first saint -
Mary MacKillop - and now Pope Benedict XVI's resignation has opened the
door for the first Australian to become the global leader of 1.2 billion
Catholics.
While Cardinal George Pell is considered a $41 outsider, observers
said yesterday he was "not without a chance" to replace the
85-year-old Pontiff, who is stepping down because of ill health.
"If
it were to happen it would be an extraordinary tribute to the church
in Australia," commentator Professor Des Cahill said yesterday.
In his own words: The Pope's resignation
Lightning bolt strikes The Vatican
Popes who stepped down
The process of choosing a new Pope
World
Youth Day 2008 ambassador Ron Delezio reflected the mood of many
grass-roots Catholics when he said it would be a great day for
Australia if Cardinal Pell became pope: "The good thing about George is
that he is a fit man and he stays on the line of the Catholic church.
Pope Benedict greets a young fan in Australia five years ago / Pic: Stephen Promnitz
"He is the equal of any of the cardinals over there (in Rome)."
But
critics of the 71-year-old Archbishop of Sydney, including former NSW
premier and World Youth Day organiser Kristina Keneally, believe
Cardinal Pell has little chance of becoming pontiff: "Australians will
remember Benedict's papacy fondly for Saint Mary MacKillop but he failed
to deal with the sex abuse scandal.
"George Pell's response
here has been directly out of the Vatican's play book. He will struggle
to present a credible case to be part of the solution."
Source: News Limited
Cardinal Pell, who will travel to Rome to take part in the
election of the new pope, yesterday said Pope Benedict's resignation
had surprised him but he expected to return to Sydney after the vote.
"I was shocked by the timing (of the resignation)," Cardinal Pell said.