A Whirlwind Week In Rome For The Newly-Minted Timothy Cardinal Dolan

Continuing a weekend of celebration -- after his elevation to cardinal in St. Peter's Basilica -- Timothy Dolan of New York said Sunday he thought the Italian press was hyping stories about other cardinals in Vatican City jockeying for power, as Pope Benedict XVI gets more frail....and allegations abound about corruption and financial mismanagement.

"In Italy, everything is hyperbole," Dolan told PIX11. "Everything is magnified." When PIX11 asked Dolan if reports about leaked documents had cast a pall over the Consistory Of Cardinals, Dolan responded, "Not for me!" And then he quoted a Protestant minister who once noted, "The Catholic Church is one of the most colorful organizations around."

PIX11 asked Dolan about the Italian newspaper reports, before he attended a luncheon Sunday for New York pilgrims, who traveled overseas to witness his elevation. Relaxed in his responses, Dolan told us, "We've always had our share of scandals and sin, but we always move forward."

Nearly 1,000 people -- from the cardinal's hometown of St. Louis; from Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- where he served previously as Archbishop; and from New York, traveled 4,000 to 5,000 miles to witness the Saturday consistory in St. Peter's Basilica. And on Sunday, Cardinal Dolan apologized that not everyone could get inside the Basilica, which only has seating for less than 10,000 people, and needed to carve up the seating allotments between cardinals from 22 countries. But, Dolan assured the pilgrims they would all get into a special, papal audience on Monday.

Dolan, 62, already has a high profile at The Vatican, after being chosen by the Holy Father himself to address the entire College Of Cardinals, the day before his elevation to their ranks. Dolan doesn't like the non-stop chatter that he could one day be the first, American pope. And it's worth noting there's a heavy European presence now in The College: 18 of the 22 elevated Saturday are European; 67 of the 125 electors, who have the power to choose the next pope are European.

The week of masses and receptions -- where Dolan has warmly embraced the pilgrims -- has moved some to tears. Amparo Sulsona of West Harrison wept after meeting Dolan. "I can't believe it; I'm just so emotional," she told PIX11, after getting a hug from Dolan.

And on Sunday, in St. Peter's Square, we met retired, NYPD Detective, Jimmy Hughes, wearing a traditional, white cape -- and black beret-- from the Equestrian Order Of The Holy Sepulchre -- which seeks to preserve sacred sites in the Holy Land. Hughes was looking up at Pope Benedict XVI as he delivered a papal message from his apartment window. When asked what it was like to be in St. Peter's Square at this moment in church history, Hughes responded, "Unbelievable. I never thought I'd be doing this. It's a great end to a great week."

Meanwhile, Timothy Cardinal Dolan is reflecting on the words of the Holy Father, as he bestowed the red hat on Dolan. "Cardinals are entrusted with the service of love: love for God, love for his Church."