Pope Francis nominates (2) New York bishops

Vatican Radio ^ | February 11, 2014

[NYer]

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has accepted the resignation from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Albany, New York of the Most Reverend Howard J. Hubbard in accordance with can. 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law.

The Holy Father appointed as Bishop of Albany Rev. Msgr. Edward Bernard Scharfenberger of the clergy of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and Episcopal Vicar for the area of Queens.

Also in New York state, the Holy Father has appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre (Long Island) Rev. Msgr. Andrzej Jerzy Zglejszewski of the clergy of the same diocese, currently Co - Chancellor and Director of the diocesan Office of Worship. The Pope has assigned to him the titular see of Nicives .

[NYer]

H/t to Hieronymus and ping!

[NYer]

The Diocese of Albany has issued several notices. I am on my way to the parish office and will post more details later.

[livius]

Finally! I did a quick read on your new bishop, and he actually sounds pretty good. Intelligent and supposedly an excellent preacher and very devout.

Many years!

[Dr. Sivana]

I don’t care who replaces him. Hubbard is gone! Huzzah!

[maryz]

It’s morning in Albany! When does he take over?

[BlatherNaut]

Sounds like someone Cardinal O'Malley might approve of. He officiates at subsidized bilingual group weddings. I wonder if the upcoming synod will promote this sort of approach as a reform.

...But for these working people who do attend Mass and try to raise their children in the faith, marriage licenses, church fees and a small party were not in the budget when there have been more immediate concerns like grocery, rent and car payments. All they needed was the right opportunity. That came last fall when Msgr. Scharfenberger announced in the parish bulletin and from the pulpit the annual tradition of the group wedding ceremony. Any couples who were engaged, living together or civilly married were welcome to share together in a group wedding Mass and reception for a fraction of what a traditional wedding would cost. “We were aware of many people saying they’d like to get married but it’s too expensive,” said Msgr. Scharfenberger, former head of the Diocesan Tribunal. “We ask only for a free-will donation (to cover church fees) and the reception is $20 per person.”...

.... In his homily, the monsignor held up Mary and Jesus as “our example of love and leading one another to salvation.” He told the couples that through the sacrament of matrimony, they are called to be a means of salvation for each other. He explained how Jesus’ first miracle at the Cana wedding feast is a reversal of man’s first sin in the Garden of Eden. While Eve misled Adam, Msgr. Scharfenberger said, “Jesus knows His mother would never mislead him. Jesus discovers the will of His Father, through woman, Mary, His mother.” “Mary and Jesus opened the new way,” the monsignor said, to show that “man and woman are for each other."

http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/deaconsbench/2008/02/Who-cut-the-cake.html

[Salvation]

Waiting for your details. Too bad that the turnaround of this diocese will undoubtedly be lengthy.

[Salvation]

English couples could do that too. It cuts down somewhat on the cost of a wedding.

[Jeff Chandler]

Too bad that the turnaround of this diocese will undoubtedly be lengthy.

The Diocese of Phoenix experienced a rapid turnaround with Bishop Olmstead.

[Salvation]

Perhaps I’m not being optimistic enough. Did you have so many churches close, though, and lack of vocations there as they have experienced in Albany?

[Jeff Chandler]

Did you have so many churches close, though, and lack of vocations there as they have experienced in Albany?

No, this is a growing area with vibrant, faith-filled parishes. The problems being experienced by the Rust Belt churches are partly demographics, and partly the failure of the priests and bishops to transmit the faith.

As for vocations, the Vocation Director here was, for several years, a man named Fr. Robert Clements, who was very good at his job. Fr. Clements is now pastor of the Newman Center at ASU.

[livius]

I don’t see anything wrong with that. I didn’t see that these weddings were “subsidized,” btw; a charitable act is not a subsidy.

And there are many languages spoken in the Catholic Church, so I don’t see why he shouldn’t offer some of the prayers in those languages, if they are spoken by members of the wedding parties. This is not uncommon. I believe there are a lot of German speakers in his parish, and he himself is multilingual. Of course, it would be nice if most of it were in Latin, but I guess that’s never going to happen again!

As for Cardinal O’Malley, he’s like the Pope - all over the place and not very precise in his statements. His diocese produced a huge number of attendees at the 2012 World Youth Day in Madrid, though, and he seems to be making a difference in Boston. He’s not my favorite, but it may be a matter of style rather than substance.

[jobim]

Hubbard gone finally? May the church bells sound from church to church across the diocese of Albany!

[Salvation]

Newman Centers are so important. May Fr. Clements be blessed in his position.

[Salvation]

St. Matthias’ tradition of group weddings began four years ago under former parochial vicar, Father Philip Pizzo, to address this need for affordable, sacramental unions. Nearly a dozen couples have already benefited from this opportunity.

“We have the celebration of other sacraments together – baptism, communion, confirmation, so why not marriage,” said Msgr. Scharfenberger.

[BlatherNaut]

I know the Moonies do group weddings, but was unaware that this is being done by Catholics. The idea seems to be to entice people to tie the knot by throwing in a discount party. The explanation that these people just haven’t bothered to get married because they couldn’t pony up the cash seems to imply that the peripheral details (and in particular, a costly reception) are inseparable from the Sacrament, which is obviously not the case. There is nothing to stop a pastor from waiving whatever basic fees go along with a simple, unadorned wedding celebration for someone who can’t afford to pay the organist or soloist fee, etc. The misconception that an expensive apres-wedding party is on a par with the Sacrament itself is probably one of the reasons many people continue to live in sin rather than marry.

[verga]

Now we have to get rid of the libtard DeLorenzo in Richmond.

[aimee5291]

Can anyone tell me how to address Pope Emeritus Benedict?

Dear ? or ?

this is location

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Mater Ecclesiae monastery
00120 Vatican City State

[vladimir998]

Pope Emeritus for the envelope, but in the letter it is still “Your Holiness” if I am not mistaken.