Cardinal is being spoken about as one of the most probable candidates to be elected as the next Pope.
The following is a report of my meeting with Cardinal Sean O'Malley who is now the Archbishop of Boston.
I visited him on Nov.9,2007 . It was the first time I met him after I left Washington D.C. in 1981.We were working together at St.Matthew's Cathedral and the Cardinal was then a young priest working as the Chaplain for the Spanish Catholics of Washington D.C. I had the special joy of welcoming the Cardinal on behalf of the Diocese of Chicago as well as for the Syro-Malabar community of Boston when he came to preside over the St.Thomas Day celebrations. He was the main celebrant at the mass and gave a beautiful homily,highlighting the role of St.Thomas Christians in India.
People of Washington D.C had a great affection for him because of his sympathy, affability and and a very low-keyed approach. He was accessible to all and he took care of the poor and the marginalized in the society. At that time, the Spanish Catholics were not organized as they are now.He was also very humble in his external appearance , wearing always his Franciscan habit and sandals.When I left Washington after my studies in I981, he was continuing his ministry as the Chaplain.Later I learned that he was appointed by the Holy See as the first Bishop of Virgin islands.From there, he came to Falls River Diocese and then to the Diocese of Palm Beach and finally to Boston.The New York Times and many other secular papers ran great stories about the Cardinal when he was appointed as the Archbishop of Boston.When I met him , he was residing at the rectory of the Cathedral , after having sold the imposing Chancery to pay compensation to the victims of abuse.
Later when I attneded a confernce of Vicars General and Vicars of priests at the Lake Mundelein Seminary,Chicago , I was sitting close to a black priest. He turned to me and asked whether I was Fr.George and whether I had worked at St.Matthew's. He then told me that he was working then as a receptionist at St.Matthews. After I left D.C. Fr.O'Malley invited him to the Virgin islands and there he went to study for priesthood and was ordained by Bp.O'Malley.Now he is a Monsignor and the Vicar General of the Virgin Islands.
(The following are the words of Cardinal Sean O'Malley in his blog,Cardinal Sean's Blog 2007,Nov.09)
On Tuesday, I met with Father George Madathiparampil, a long time friend who
was studying for a doctorate at Catholic University of America in Washington
D.C. and working as an associate pastor at St. Matthew Cathedral during 1970′s,
when I was stationed in Washington.
Fr. George, vicar general of Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago (which has
oversight of all the Syro-Malabar parishes in the United States and Canada) is
in Boston for a retreat for the Malayalam-speaking community of New England. 
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