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Pope Set to Make Mark on U.S. Church
Guardian Unlimited ^ | April 12, 2007 | ERIC GORSKI (AP Religion Writer)

Posted on 04/13/2007 6:54:57 AM PDT by Frank Sheed

Two years into his reign, Pope Benedict XVI is finally poised to make a major mark on American Catholicism with a string of key bishop appointments and important decisions about the future of U.S. seminaries and bishops' involvement in politics.

Benedict's election on April 19, 2005, shook liberals and comforted conservatives who expected a doctrinal hard-liner. So far, they have found an easier hand - and someone who has not made the United States much of a priority.

When Benedict has gained attention, it has mostly been on the world stage, focusing on the re-Christianization of Europe, Islam and mending relations with Orthodox Christians. He also has stressed universal themes of faith and reason.

``The last two years have been much quieter years as far as the papacy is concerned because you have a very different personality'' than John Paul II, said Monsignor Robert Wister, chairman of the church history department at Seton Hall University's School of Theology.

``Many Americans were surprised - some happily, some disappointed - that he did not turn into the pit bull of dogma. He is taking a very pastoral approach, and I think people resonate very positively with that.''

Yet America's turn may be coming. At the top of the list is a looming generational shift among the nation's bishops, whose decisions at the local level greatly affect Catholics in the pews and can carry national weight. For instance, church leaders recently closed parishes in Boston and New York, while the St. Louis archbishop has clashed with a heavily Polish parish over control of its assets.

Key appointments are expected in New York, Baltimore and Detroit, where cardinals have reached retirement age - 75. And retirements or appointments are likely in at least seven other archdioceses...

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Moral Issues; Theology
KEYWORDS: allyourzotrbelong2us; bishops; bxvi; catholicundead; fan; fridaythe13th; guinnessisgoodforyou; jackchick; molassesmiasma; monkeyfacerocks; monkeyfacerules; orthodoxy; penguinhumor; undeadthread; usepiscopate
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Comments?
1 posted on 04/13/2007 6:55:04 AM PDT by Frank Sheed
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To: NYer; narses; wagglebee; Coleus; sandyeggo; AnAmericanMother; Campion; Petronski; ninenot; ...

US Catholic Church Ping on expected changes to the Episcopate...


2 posted on 04/13/2007 6:57:04 AM PDT by Frank Sheed (Dead Ráibéad)
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To: Frank Sheed
Comments?

IMO there's little worth commenting on, at least not until we see who he actually appoints. This one line in the article may be prescient, however:

So far, they have found an easier hand - and someone who has not made the United States much of a priority.

3 posted on 04/13/2007 6:58:23 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
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To: Frank Sheed

When is LA’s abp reaching retirement age?


4 posted on 04/13/2007 6:58:54 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: Frank Sheed
Yet America's turn may be coming. At the top of the list is a looming generational shift among the nation's bishops, whose decisions at the local level greatly affect Catholics in the pews and can carry national weight. For instance, church leaders recently closed parishes in Boston and New York, while the St. Louis archbishop has clashed with a heavily Polish parish over control of its assets.

I think the author is simply repeating words he doesn't understand, like me singing a song in Polish.

And he uses "different than" instead of the correct "different from." I can't stand that.

5 posted on 04/13/2007 6:58:56 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you.' ")
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To: AnAmericanMother

I believe Huitzilopochtli has five years to go.


6 posted on 04/13/2007 6:59:27 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you.' ")
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To: AnAmericanMother

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Cardinal_Mahony

Born: 1936. He has until he is 75 which is 2011!


7 posted on 04/13/2007 7:01:50 AM PDT by Frank Sheed (Dead Ráibéad)
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To: Tax-chick

I should check the First Things website to see what Fr. Richard has to say. He is usually shy and retiring, but we may get a quote from him!

;-o)


8 posted on 04/13/2007 7:05:17 AM PDT by Frank Sheed (Dead Ráibéad)
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To: Tax-chick; AnAmericanMother

http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=700

There is always something interesting brewing over at First Things!


9 posted on 04/13/2007 7:11:55 AM PDT by Frank Sheed (Dead Ráibéad)
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And now, News from the morality front:

Church vandalism continues to spread across Italy

Naples, Apr. 12, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Vandals continue to spray-paint slogans on Italian churches, with the latest graffiti appearing on a church in Naples.

The slogan “Bagnasco, Ratzinger: shame on you!” was spray-painted in red on the church of St. Eligius the Great. The reference was to Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, the president of the Italian bishops’ conference, and Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news).

Similar slogans have appeared during the past 10 days on the doors and walls of parish churches and other Catholic institutions in Genoa, Bologna, and Turin. The vandalism is a reaction to the Italian hierarchy’s public opposition to a legislative proposal that would give legal recognition to same-sex unions.


10 posted on 04/13/2007 7:15:41 AM PDT by Frank Sheed (Dead Ráibéad)
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To: Frank Sheed

** a string of key bishop appointments and important decisions about the future of U.S. seminaries and bishops’ involvement in politics.**

Yes!


11 posted on 04/13/2007 7:23:24 AM PDT by Salvation (" With God all things are possible. ")
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To: Frank Sheed; nickcarraway; sandyeggo; Lady In Blue; NYer; american colleen; ELS; Pyro7480; ...
Catholic Discussion Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Discussion Ping List.

12 posted on 04/13/2007 7:25:45 AM PDT by Salvation (" With God all things are possible. ")
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To: Frank Sheed
Dear me. Long time to wait (although I guess not by the geological time standards of the Vatican).

(shouldn't it be "coinean marbh"?)

13 posted on 04/13/2007 7:27:50 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: Alex Murphy

Actually, that was how I felt about JPII. He is known to have simply shrugged off the US as being out of control and beyond hope. JPII, despite our great hopes for him in 1979, did almost nothing to correct things in the Church here and did nothing about the US bishops until almost the very end, when a new nuncio was appointed. That nuncio started giving us some good bishops. But JPII was very much (too much, IMHO) into collegiality and prior to that did nothing in the face of poor performance or even defiance by bishops.

I think Benedict XVI is letting things proceed because they are actually improving, and he only has the opportunity to make changes as the bishops reach retirement age. So he does have some big challenges coming up, such as replacing Egan. Cardinal O’Connor went to the Vatican twice to plead with JPII not to appoint Egan, but JPII did so anyway. It will be interesting to see who BXVI looks to as his replacement.

That said, I haven’t been very impressed by some of his other picks - Wuerl and Neiderauer, for example. I believe the way it works is that the nuncio submits three names, and the Pope picks from among them. Of course, I don’t know who the other names were in either case! Maybe they were even worse...


14 posted on 04/13/2007 7:28:44 AM PDT by livius
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To: Salvation

The rochester diocese is firmly entrenched in the liberal agenda religion. It will take a while to filter down to me if there is a change in the wind. And our bishop was a very young man when appointed...


15 posted on 04/13/2007 7:31:30 AM PDT by tioga
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To: livius; Alex Murphy
Actually, that was how I felt about JPII. He is known to have simply shrugged off the US as being out of control and beyond hope. JPII, despite our great hopes for him in 1979, did almost nothing to correct things in the Church here and did nothing about the US bishops until almost the very end, when a new nuncio was appointed. That nuncio started giving us some good bishops. But JPII was very much (too much, IMHO) into collegiality and prior to that did nothing in the face of poor performance or even defiance by bishops.

************

Agreed, although the author paints a discouraging picture of Pope Benedict. I didn't see a lot in the article that was encouraging, but perhaps it is simply my own bad attitude today.

16 posted on 04/13/2007 7:33:33 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: livius
Actually, that was how I felt about JPII. He is known to have simply shrugged off the US as being out of control and beyond hope. JPII, despite our great hopes for him in 1979, did almost nothing to correct things in the Church here and did nothing about the US bishops until almost the very end, when a new nuncio was appointed. That nuncio started giving us some good bishops. But JPII was very much (too much, IMHO) into collegiality and prior to that did nothing in the face of poor performance or even defiance by bishops.

Had I posted that, I can think of a half-dozen FR Catholics who'd demand to have my head on a platter.

17 posted on 04/13/2007 7:34:12 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
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To: Tax-chick; Frank Sheed
Roger Cardinal Mahony has 1,415 days until his mandatory resignation letter is due on the Pope's desk.

That's 3.8 years.

18 posted on 04/13/2007 7:36:42 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: Alex Murphy

You’re wrong there. Had you used that tone and limited your remarks to that scope, no one would have criticized you.


19 posted on 04/13/2007 7:37:54 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: Salvation

I’m happy about this too.

Liberal American bishops need to be replaced, either directly or through attrition. Tough challenges are coming in the form of gay marriage, hospitals being forced to provide Plan B to rape victims, Catholic politicians who openly support abortion and a severe shortage of priests.

We need men who won’t bend to popular demand.


20 posted on 04/13/2007 7:38:26 AM PDT by kidd
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