Apparently It's True (Levada to be head of CDF?)

Bettnet.com ^ | 5/10/05 | Domenico Bettinelli

[old and tired]

It appears, based on very reliable sources, that indeed Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco is going to be appointed the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

This is not good news. Archbishop Levada is the prelate who compromised with the city of San Francisco over the city’s demands that Catholic Charities and other Church organizations provide “domestic partner” benefits to employees. His archdiocese is also a mess with dissenting priests, homosexual activists running all over the place, the University of San Francisco trampling the faith, and more.

I’m really very surprised by this. I would have thought that Pope Benedict would have seen this for what it was, especially considering his close association with Father Fessio, who had been in San Francisco for many years.

Maybe he sees something we don’t. I hope.

[Rutles4Ever]

Also keep in mind that his rumored logical first choice was Francis Cardinal George of Chicago. They are kindred spirits, and most pundits figured George was a cinch pick for CDF. Instead, the pope told him to stay put in Chicago, the second largest archdiocese in America.

It looks to me that the Catholic American landscape is going to change dramatically in the coming years.

[sinkspur]

OTH, Vigneron allowed priests accused of sexual abuse to be housed at a Dominican seminary in his diocese:

This former seminarian attended a meeting two years ago when St. Albert's officials announced sex offenders would be moving in, and that the young men training to be priests should tell no one – not their families, not the media.

Dan Noyes: "What message does that send to the seminarians?"

Former seminarian: "I felt very clearly that they were sending a message that we were to now keep the family secrets."

The head of the Dominican's Western Province confirms that seven priests who admit sexually abusing children now live at St. Albert's and in a house nearby. Their victims include young children and teens, boys and girls. The incidents happened as long as 30 years ago, and as recently as 1999.

Father Roberto Corral: "These guys have been through their therapy, and working with their counselors and therapists, we are reasonably sure they will not re-offend."

Father Roberto Corral says none of the priests was prosecuted for sexual abuse of minors, but that the Dominicans have paid settlements to most of the victims. Corral says his duty now is to help the priests lead fulfilling lives.

Source.

[Dominick]

Pope Benedict is the equivalent of George Steinbrenner, Levada will be the equivalent of Brian Cashman, GM of the Yankees. The dealmaker is Steinbrenner. Cashman follows orders. Benedict knows his way around CDF, and Levada will be loathe to cross any boundaries already set up by then-Cardinal Ratzinger.

In this case, Abp. Levada would be George Castanza!

[sageb1]

"I floated this idea last night with Lee: Could this be a case of "Promoveatur ut removeatur"?, i.e., "to promote in order to remove"?"

This is my thought and hope also.

Perhaps Pope Benedict is a believer in your tagline :)

[Rutles4Ever]

LOL! Let's hope!

[NYer]

From SFGate.com

San Francisco Archbishop William Levada is the new pope's leading candidate to become the chief doctrinal watchdog for the 1.1 billion member Roman Catholic Church, according to Vatican sources and several media reports.

The Chronicle reported on May 4, the day after Levada became the first U. S. bishop to have a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI , that the pontiff was considering the San Francisco prelate for the head of the Vatican Congregation to the Doctrine of the Faith.

Now, Time magazine reports on its Web site that a "senior Vatican official" says the Levada appointment is "a done deal."

There has been no official announcement from Rome, and on Tuesday neither Levada nor his spokesman would respond to questions about the latest reports.

But Vatican analyst Rocco Palmo, the source of the May 4 report, predicted Tuesday that Levada, 68, would get the Vatican post and then be elevated to cardinal at a June 29 Vatican assembly.

"He will be the first American cardinal named by the new pope,'' Palmo said in an interview with The Chronicle. "He is about to become the highest- ranking American in Vatican history."

Palmo noted that Levada has extensive experience dealing with the sexual abuse scandal in the U.S. church.

"He has on-the-ground experience in the United States," Palmo said. "That is priceless."

The Levada appointment, if confirmed, would have a major impact on the Catholic Church in the United States and the Bay Area.

For years, many American Catholics have complained that the Vatican does not understand the 65 million-member U.S. church.

Levada, who worked on the Vatican staff of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1976 to 1982, has an intimate understanding of the issues facing the U.S. church, having served as the Archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995, and since then as the Archbishop of San Francisco.

During his final year in Rome, Levada worked for the pope, known then as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the head of that key Vatican office, and has kept close ties to the German cardinal over the last two decades.

"If they want to address the ethical and moral issues in the church in Europe and North America, you have Ratzinger speaking to Europe and Levada to the United States,'' said Paul Murphy, a church scholar at the University of San Francisco.

Murphy, the director of the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought, noted that Levada may serve a very liberal archdiocese, but he carries strong credentials as a doctrinal conservative.

"He won't necessarily please liberals in North America, but he is someone very familiar with the North American situation,'' Murphy said.

Levada's election would have a double impact on the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which covers San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties.

It would create an opening for the job of San Francisco Archbishop, giving the new pope a chance to put his mark on the Bay Area church.

But Former Vatican diplomat John-Peter Pham said Pope Benedict has more global reasons for considering Levada for the key Vatican post.

Pham said Benedict hopes to use his papacy to strengthen ties with the Eastern Orthodox churches, which split off from Rome centuries ago in a dispute over the power of the pope.

"Levada is the academic expert on that topic,'' said Pham, author of "Heirs of the Fisherman -- Behind the Scenes of Papal Death and Succession.''

"It would be a tribute to William Levada, theologian,'' Pham said.

Catholic author and former Vatican Radio staffer David Gibson said the Levada appointment "makes sense."

"Popes pick people they know and trust,'' said Gibson. "Archbishop Levada has shown himself to be a loyal lieutenant, and he is not going to take the spotlight away from Benedict."

Gibson, author of "The Coming Catholic Church -- How the Faithful Are Shaping a New American Catholicism," said Benedict wants to keep an eye on dissident theologians and liturgical innovation in the United States.

"America is seen as the vanguard of much of the experimentation that concerns Pope Benedict," Gibson said.

"Levada knows the scene. He know what battles to pick, and what battles not to pick.''

---

Archbishop William J. Levada

Born: June 15, 1936, in Long Beach, where he grew up.

Ordained: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in 1961 after attending seminary in Los Angeles and Rome.

Education: Graduate theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he received a post-ordination doctorate in sacred theology.

Vatican experience: In 1976, Levada was appointed to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican, where he served six years.

Leadership posts in U.S.: In 1982, he was assigned as executive director of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops in Sacramento. In 1983, he was ordained a bishop, and in 1986 he became Archbishop of Portland, Ore. Levada succeeded John Quinn as San Francisco's seventh Archbishop in December 1995.

Source: Archdiocese of San Francisco

[netmilsmom]

>>Sterling.

Was in Detroit as Auxiliary and had the Sem. A good friend taught at the Sem and was VERY impressed with the Bishop's orthodoxy, zeal, and knowledge of the Church.

Sem enrollments went up, and most of the termites were dismissed from faculty/staff positions.<<

Ugh. Couldn't we have kept him to replace Miada?

[Thorin]

>>>>For heaven's sake, people! Give BXVI some credit in being able to discern who he can trust.

Agreed.

[stop_fascism]

A number of SF churches have a regular latin mass. These include Sts Peter and Paul, and St. Patrick's.

[GipperGal]

Another Hallelujah Ping!!!

[GipperGal]

Even if it is true that Levada was ineffective as the Archbishop of San Francisco --- which I am in no position to say --- that does not mean that he would be ineffective at CDF.

No kidding! I mean, it's not like San Francisco is an easy post for a Catholic bishop. He must have felt like like Francis de Sales when he was made bishop of Geneva (i.e. "Hopefully I won't get lynched.").

[GipperGal]

Just wait until you see what is going to happen to Theodore CardinalMcCarrick, the new Archbishop of St Paul's Rocks

ROTFLMAO!!!!

[GipperGal]

I floated this idea last night with Lee: Could this be a case of "Promoveatur ut removeatur"?, i.e., "to promote in order to remove"?

Yes, this very well may be the case. For a fine example of this practise from the last pontificate, I refer you to the career of Edmund Cardinal Szoka.

[Antoninus]

"It's a done deal," a senior Vatican official told TIME on Tuesday, after days of rumors that the American was emerging as the frontrunner. "This was a decision directly from the Pope. Levada was already asked, and has accepted. If it ends up not happening, it means somebody got to [the Pope] and convinced him to change his mind."

That is a bizarre statement. Until I hear it on EWTN, I won't believe it. TIME is not a reliable source of information about the Church.

[ninenot]

You would expect Vigneron to put the Dominicans on the street someplace?

You do understand the concept of Christian charity, no?

[Fred]

Lavada's liberal lackies spinning.... yeah right... According to the "Intoduction of the Catechism", written by Ratzinger and Schoenborn, Lavada's contribution was the "index" of the CCC. The index? oh, ok, so Lavada knows how to use the index tool in Word.

How does one, as pope move a Bishop without making a big scandal. Move him "upstairs" to Rome, and replace him with someone who will get the job done in San Francisco, instead of spending all his time sucking up to the liberals.

[GipperGal]

How does one, as pope move a Bishop without making a big scandal. Move him "upstairs" to Rome, and replace him with someone who will get the job done in San Francisco.

As I mentioned above:

For a fine example of this practise from the last pontificate, I refer you to the career of Edmund Cardinal Szoka.

[murphE]

A number of SF churches have a regular latin mass. These include Sts Peter and Paul, and St. Patrick's.

Well, that article was written in 1999. I'm just curious, do you know if it is the Novus Ordo in Latin or the 1962 missal?

[sinkspur]

You would expect Vigneron to put the Dominicans on the street someplace?

Most communities have laws requiring that sexual offenders register themselves and identify their place of residence.

This wasn't done in this case, AFAIK.

Christian charity does not preclude notifying the community of the presence of sexual offenders in a place.

[Fred]

For those of you in Rio Linda...

List of the Bishops who were on the editorial team of the CCC:


The Creed
Estepa - Spain
Maggiolini - Italy

The Sacraments
Medina - Chile
Karlic - Argentina

Morality
Honore - France
Konstant - England

Prayer
Jean Corbon (while in Beirut - under attack)

Index???....(whatever)
Lavada USA