
By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The Pope announced the names of 24 new cardinals Wednesday, but New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan wasn't one of them.
Rumors abounded in the months before the Pope's announcement that Dolan would get the nod, according to published reports.
Nearly all of Dolan's predecessors as Archbishop of New York have received the "red hat" that distinguishes members of the Cardinalate, including the man he replaced last year, Edward Cardinal Egan, the New York Times noted.
The retired archbishop, now 78-years-old, will continue to have a vote in any future papal elections, which are decided by the cardinals, until his 80th birthday under Vatican rules, according to the Times.
This is likely the reason Dolan was not one of cardinals named on Wednesday, experts told the paper, as it might be seen as unfair to have two cardinals from the same diocese.
Dolan, 60, will likely become a Cardinal after Egan loses his voting rights, the Times reported.