Cardinal DiNardo

Yesterday, B16 announced that Archbishop Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Texas, will become a cardinal of the Catholic Church. It's the first time an archbishop who leads a flock in the U.S. South has received this distinction. The cardinals who are under age 80 elect the pope.

Archbishop DiNardo's receipt of the "red hat" is a sign of the times for the U.S. Catholic Church -- it recognizes the growing role of The Faithful in places removed from the urban centers of the Northeast and Midwest.

A proud aside: Archbishop DiNardo is a native of the Pittsburgh area. According to the P-G, He was born in Steubenville and grew up in Castle Shannon. The Trib has a story, too.

Two native Pennsylvanians actually got the papal nod yesterday. Archbishop John Foley, a Philadelphia native and longtime Vatican official, also will become a cardinal. Many will know Archbishop Foley as the sonorous voice heard describing Midnight Mass from St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican each Christmas Eve. I had the opportunity to meet the archbishop earlier this year at the Catholic Media Convention in Brooklyn.

Hat-tip: Excellent and thorough coverage by Rocco Palmo at Whispers in the Loggia.