Greeley: Third World Pope Need Not Apply

For whatever his opinion is worth, Andrew Greeley reports the following "news" from Rome:

"No Third World cardinal need apply for the job, so says the buzz here in these grim, rainy days after the burial of the pope. It is not yet the time for a South American or African pope -- kind of like the days when it was said it was not yet the time for a black baseball player or a black quarterback or a black head coach in the NFL. The buzz comes from certain Italian and especially curial cardinals (not all of either) and their allies in the "new" movements like the Legionnaires of Christ. It is designed to counter the media buzz of a few days ago about the possibility of such a choice -- an idea not totally lacking in intelligence."

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If you keep reading, it is not altogether clear that there really is any impediment to the election of a Pope from the Third World, and Greeley offers no real proof - only "buzz". In addition, it becomes clear that when Greeley says "Third World", he's actually saying "Brazil": Greeley spends the entire piece talking about Catholicism in Brazil, not Catholicism in the "Third World".

So, one is left with the impression that Greeley favors electing a Pope from Brazil, which, to my mind, indicates his partiality towards Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, O.F.M., Archbishop of São Paulo.

Now, I know very little about Cardinal Hummes, so wouldn't presume to pass judgment on his papability. Furthermore, Greeley does have a point about Brazil being the "most Catholic" country in the world. But I also know that if Andrew Greeley favors a particular candidate to lead the Catholic Church, something deep inside of me hopes the Conclave will look elsewhere for the next Pope.

UPDATE:
Here is what someone on FreeRepublic.com said about Greeley's opinion piece:

Facts:
(1) Greeley is a known scumbag.
(2) He was something of a Vatican insider in the early 70s, but following John Paul II's election he lost his juice.
(3) He was always a critic of John Paul II from the get-go, because of above-listed fact (1).
(4) He wants a Brazilian candidate because the only Brazilian candidate with enough prestige is liberal enough that Greeley can deal with him.
(5) Greeley wants to avoid the election of Cardinal Arinze at all costs and will talk down the chances of a Third World cardinal in general while advancing the Brazilian cause in particular.
(6) Greeley is a known scumbag.