Bishop makers: Pope Benedict XVI recently appointed Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, former bishop of La Crosse who is head of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature, to the Vatican Congregation for Bishops. At 61, he is the youngest of the four Americans on that congregation. He joins Cardinals Justin Rigali, 74, of Philadelphia, J. Francis Stafford, 77, and Bernard Law, 77.

Given the ages of the last three — all of whom have Francis as their middle name, I would not be surprised once Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, 59, becomes a cardinal that he would be named to succeed one of them on that congregation.

Speaking of Archbishop Dolan, he already has an additional job. Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has named the New York archbishop moderator of Jewish affairs for the USCCB.    

Five more years: Holy Cross Fr. John I. Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, was elected to a second five-year term Oct. 16 by the university’s board of trustees. Praised by the board for awarding an honorary degree to President Obama last May, Fr. Jenkins certainly must have garnered the votes of trustees from the blue states.