In Rome, media finds Boston cardinal wields wicked sense of humor

Published: 2006-03-24

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Always looking for the big scoop, television and print media made a surprising discovery when they covered Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley receiving his red hat in a March 24 consistory at the Vatican. They found out that underneath the formal veneer of a top church leader and the flowing brown Capuchin robe, Boston's new cardinal wields a wicked sense of humor. While following the cardinal in Rome, it became impossible for Boston's local media to concentrate exclusively on the hot-button issues swirling around an archdiocese that is still feeling the shock waves of the clergy sex abuse scandals that broke in early 2002. Here on neutral ground in the Eternal City, the cardinal could breathe freely and crack jokes about the handiness of now having the new red robes if he were called to go hunting with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. "The media didn't realize he had a sense of humor," said Msgr. Steve Avila, who served as secretary to Cardinal O'Malley when he was bishop of Fall River, Mass.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .