VATICAN EYES ON NEW YORK............

The latest Ordinary Public Consistory of the Roman Catholic Church, convened by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, was held today in Vatican City, and created 22 new Princes of the Church, by elevating them to the College of Cardinals.  Among them were two American Archbishops, Timothy Cardinal Dolan of New York; and Edwin Cardinal O'Brien of Baltimore.  Cardinal Dolan as Archbishop of New York and the current President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops plays a pivotal role in national affairs, as recently evidenced in the church-state, government mandate versus religious freedom debate over employer provided insurance coverage for Contraception for their employees including in Catholic hospitals and other pertinent institutions.  Cardinal O'Brien, the former Archbishop of Baltimore, is now the Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre fraternal order, in Rome.  During the formal ceremonies at today's Consistory, Pope Benedict spent more time with Cardinal Dolan during the investiture, than with any of the other twenty one newly appointed Eminences.  Already talked about as, "papabili", a possible future Pope, as unlikely as that is; Vatican watchers and prognosticators, are likely to increase their speculation that the now Cardinal Dolan could be a papal contender in the next Conclave to elect a Pope.  The elevation of their Eminences Dolan and O'Brien, to the College of Cardinals, increases American representation to 12 Cardinals, behind Italy, with a total of 27 Cardinals.  In remarks meeting the media and greeting well wishers following the Consistory, Cardinal Dolan said the Red Hat which a new Cardinal traditionally receives, does not belong to him, but deserves to be hing over St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Empire State Building and Yankee Stadium............Fr.  Troy