Could the Next Pope Be a Texan(Lord Help US)

Sit back and imagine this scene. The world after mourning the loss of Pope Benedict is excited about the election of a new Pope. Suddenly there is a white Smoke. A Cardinal comes out on the balcony and says “Habemus Papam” ( We have a Pope). Out the new Pontiff Comes and first gesture is not the sign of the cross but is rather

HOOK EM HORNS!!!!!!

Thousand of anti Catholic sites and media will be convinced the Pope has given some satanic sign not realizing that the new Pontiff is sending a signal(via the Univ of Texas Longhorn Symbol) that Texas has indeed arrived.
Well this scenario at least entered the realm of theoretical possibility with the surprise announcement by Pope Benedict that His Excellency Daniel DiNardo from the Archdiocese of Houston Galveston had become a Cardinal elect.

This move is quite striking and important in so many ways. It will take days for the secular media to realize the religious and indeed the political and cultural ramifications of this move.

I am quite shocked even thought rumors of a Cardinal Seat have been in the wind for either this See or the See of San Antonio.

Father Z has some details on this at Cardinals Elect: Galveston-Houston! .

Whispers in the Loggia has this post and will have must read coverage during the day at Don't Mess With Texas: In a First, the Red Hat Goes South .

I shall be updating during the day. I also might add for Texas and Louisiana readers. Keep a eye on the Papal trip that is coming up next year. That schedule while very East Coast right now might be seeing a side trip out West. Possible.

The significance of this I shall go into much later. Have no doubt that this is a historic moment. Let me add one piece of political importance. Though the Cardinal Elect is Italian do not overlook the significance of this to Hispanics in the United States for the future. Also the Holy See and Pope is quite aware that Houston is in many ways the Commercial and Cultural bridge to much of Latin America in the United States. The question becomes could the unthinkable happen and Texas not have just one but two Princes of the Church. Could a Red hat go to the historic Archdiocese of San Antonio in the future?

I shall update during the day as news both religious and secular is published in reaction to this.

Updates Throughout the day and Night-

Archbishop DiNardo Elevated To Cardinal( Good Read from Houston TV station Video of News Conference and DiNardo Quotes)

Parsing the Pope's New Cardinals(Time Magazine) Let me quote a paragraph from Time:

The relative surprise was the designation of Galveston-Houston Archbishop Daniel DiNardo as cardinal. Though DiNardo is of Italian heritage, the nod is taken to be an acknowledgment of the growing influence of Latinos in the U.S. Church, and could eventually be a bridge between North and South American Cardinals to some day help elect the first-ever Latin American pope.

Texans Celebrate State's First Cardinal(AP)