Check out the brief NPR interview with National Catholic Reporter’s John Allen about the batch of new cardinals named by Pope Benedict and what it may mean for the future of the Church. In short, probably nothing dramatic. Allen says the announcement would be like a midterm election in which all the incumbents win reelection. Nothing groundbreaking in the interview itself, but still encouraging when Catholic culture is covered well in mainstream media. Have a listen.

Michael J. O’Loughlin is national correspondent at America and author of Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear.