Cardinal Bruskewitz?

Ha, ha, ha.

Lefty Catholic blogger Rocco de Palmo, in his Whispers in the Loggia, has suggested that Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz is being considered for a red hat. Laugh-out-loud-funny. Bishop Bruskewitz, like his predecessor, Bishop Flavin, has done yeoman work in Lincoln and given the country some better-than-average bishops from his surplus supply of priests (not to mention, given the FSSP a central place to call its seminary home), and he's wonderful to have out there at the USCCB meetings, speaking plainly and against conventional practice of Bernardin's Boyz (although to little effect so far).

But I can't get past the fact that Bishop Bruskewitz seems to lack charm and political savvy. He's given to distemper, which while perfectly acceptable in a "progressive," is intolerable in someone who isn't. Some of the statements he's made against the SSPX, publicly and in private correspondence (I don't have them at hand), are a case in point. He could have warned his people away from the Society without viciously attacking them (they weren't, after all very active in Lincoln, because he's been rather accommodating of canonically-regular traditionalists). But attack them he did, describing them as, among other things "non-Catholic," and now there's a chance he could have to backtrack if the prayed-for reconciliation happens.

Yes, these days one needs a little charm to be a good Cardinal, in addition to being orthodox and strong-willed. Olmstead? Yes. Chaput? Oh, Yes. Burke? Perhaps. Bruskewitz? Perhaps two generations ago, perhaps two generations from now. To paraphrase one of my fellow Evil Traditionalists, a good Cardinal has all the qualities of Bishop Bruskewitz, but he also has some qualities that Bishop Bruskewitz doesn't. I can't imagine him building and leading a coalition, wielding international influence in the next Conclave. He should keep up the good work in Lincoln, or go take over and clean up what the bishops haven't squandered and the bankruptcy judges haven't expropriated from Spokane or Portland. I just can't see Bruskewitz as a Cardinal.