Archbishop Wilton Gregory Apologizes

Creative Minority Report ^ | March 31, 2014 | Patrick Archbold

[NYer]

I have never been a fan of Archbishop Wilton Gregory, but I appreciate when a man acts like man and says I blew it.

“We are disturbed and disappointed to see our church leaders not setting the example of a simple life as Pope Francis calls for. How can we instill this in our children when they see their archdiocesan leadership living extravagantly? We ask you to rethink these decisions and understand the role model the clergy must serve so the youth of our society can answer Jesus’ call. Neither our 18- or 14-year-old sons understand the message you are portraying.”

So went just one of many of the heartfelt, genuine and candidly rebuking letters, emails and telephone messages I have received in the past week from people of faith throughout our own Archdiocese and beyond. Their passionate indictments of me as a Bishop of the Catholic Church and as an example to them and their children are stinging and sincere. And I should have seen them coming.

Please understand that I had no desire to move; however, the Cathedral Parish has a problem, albeit a happy one. The Cathedral of Christ the King is one of our largest, most vibrant and fastest growing parishes—but it is landlocked. The site of the current rectory could be used for expansion if the priests could be moved to a new rectory nearby. Because of the proximity of the Archbishop’s house to the Cathedral and the way it is configured with separate apartments and common space, the rector of Christ the King one day summoned the courage to ask me if I would give some thought to letting the parish purchase the residence from the Archdiocese to repurpose it for its rectory. It made more sense for them to be in walking distance to the Cathedral than I, so I said yes, knowing full well that literally left the Archbishop without a place to live.

Soon thereafter, the Archdiocese and the Cathedral Parish received a generous bequest from Joseph Mitchell, including his home on Habersham Road, to benefit the whole archdiocese, but especially his beloved parish, the Cathedral of Christ the King. Through the extraordinary kindness of Joseph Mitchell, we had a perfect piece of property nearby on which to relocate the Archbishop’s residence.

Some have suggested that it would have been appropriate for the Cathedral Parish to build a rectory on the Habersham property and have the priests each drive back and forth, and in retrospect that might be true. At the time, though, I thought that not giving up the Archbishop’s residence, which was so close to the Cathedral Parish, would have been perceived as selfish and arrogant by the people at the Cathedral Parish and might damage my relationship with them!

So I agreed to sell the West Wesley residence to the Cathedral Parish and set about looking for a different place for me and my successors to live. That’s when, to say the least, I took my eye off the ball. The plan seemed very simple. We will build here what we had there—separate living quarters and common spaces, a large kitchen for catering, and lots of room for receptions and other gatherings.

What we didn’t stop to consider, and that oversight rests with me and me alone, was that the world and the Church have changed.

Even before the phenomenon we have come to know as Pope Francis was elected to the Chair of Peter, we Bishops of the Church were reminded by our own failings and frailty that we are called to live more simply, more humbly, and more like Jesus Christ who challenges us to be in the world and not of the world. The example of the Holy Father, and the way people of every sector of our society have responded to his message of gentle joy and compassion without pretense, has set the bar for every Catholic and even for many who don’t share our communion.

As the Shepherd of this local Church, a responsibility I hold more dear than any other, certainly more than any configuration of brick and mortar, I am disappointed that, while my advisors and I were able to justify this project fiscally, logistically and practically, I personally failed to project the cost in terms of my own integrity and pastoral credibility with the people of God of north and central Georgia.

I failed to consider the impact on the families throughout the Archdiocese who, though struggling to pay their mortgages, utilities, tuition and other bills, faithfully respond year after year to my pleas to assist with funding our ministries and services.

I failed to consider the difficult position in which I placed my auxiliary bishops, priests, deacons and staff who have to try to respond to inquiries from the faithful about recent media reports when they might not be sure what to believe themselves.

I failed to consider the example I was setting for the young sons of the mother who sent the email message with which I began this column.

To all of you, I apologize sincerely and from my heart.

[NYer]

I second Patrick’s comment. Ping!

[Gay State Conservative]

Not long ago I recall having seen a story about Pope Francis having summoned a German Cardinal to the Vatican (can't recall the Cardinal's name) in order to chastise him for an extravagant lifestyle.IIRC there were accounts of a luxurious mansion,expensive limos,etc.Yes,Christ's vicars should (IMO) have all the basics (food,shelter,etc,etc) and in western countries at least that would probably include a Chevy,Toyota or VW.Four dollar a pound chicken is absolutely fine for supper (IMO)...as is a $20,000 VW or Chevy.But $30 a pound steak and a $60K BMW is way too much.

[AnAmericanMother]

Nope - I disagree completely.

The Habersham Road house, which is large, in a nice neighborhood, but somewhat antiquated, was given free and clear to the Archdiocese in Margaret Mitchell's brother's will (the Gone With The Wind lady).

The Archdiocese has been trying to figure out how to make room over at Cathedral parish, because when the land was purchased and the Cathedral built, you could have gotten all the Catholics in North Georgia into a single small house. The nave only holds about 500 people (our parish church holds 850), and the associated school and the bishop's residence take up all the land they have in a very tony part of Buckhead. They are hemmed in on one side by Peachtree Street and on the other side by a neighborhood where houses sell in the millions.

It made perfect sense for the Archbishop to turn the bishop's residence over to the dean and move to Habersham (which is not too far away). They already moved the chancery out of the city altogether, to a vacant office building in a suburb (that they bought for a song.)

I'm not sure exactly what these critics expect the archbishop to DO. He is trying to house his clergy and still have a bishop's residence - he has to live somewhere, and it needs to be convenient to the cathedral while still allowing his clergy-in-residence to be nearby as well.

My own personal take here is that Abp. Gregory is somewhat naive about politics, and has been a little careless about supporting Democrats and Socialists because he doesn't really comprehend the difference between charity and forced redistribution.

You'd think he and the rest of the naifs would have figured things out when the Obama Administration threw them under the bus over Obamacare . . . it's not charity, it's envy. If these noisy leftist agitators see that he has something that they don't, they'll hate and envy him just as much, never mind the facts.

Unfortunately, even this groveling apology will make no difference to them.

Where is "Dagger John" Hughes when you really need him? He would not take this guff off anybody, and moreover he would have been running his archdiocese with a strong enough hand that nobody would have thought to take advantage of him in this way.

Q. E. D.

[AnAmericanMother]

It was Mitchell's nephew, not her brother. But it isn't like the house COST them anything.

I do NOT understand what all the fuss is about, other than envious people attacking somebody because a nice house dropped in his lap. Should he put the house on the market, not get a good price for it because the market is still down here, have to give a cut to the real estate agent, and wind up with something less convenient, just because?

[NYer]

Thank you for putting this into perspective. You are in a better position to do so. The “rush to judgement” may be the result of Germany’s bling bishop being taken to task over his project.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Jesus said the poor you will always have and you can help them any day you want, but you will not always have me.

[NYer]

Jesus said the poor you will always have and you can help them any day you want, but you will not always have me.

That is true but I doubt he imagined the "descendants" of his apostles as living in the lap of luxury, like the German bishop. AmMom's post clarified the situation that prevails in the south. Ironically, at one time, this same dilemma confronted bishops in the north. Today, however, with population shift, the expensive, architectural wonders crafted up north, are now on the auction block. Only the other day, someone posted a thread on the sale of a beautiful church in Syracuse, to Muslims.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Sorry to hear.

[AnAmericanMother]

And Our Lord was getting on Judas' case for complaining that they could have sold the jar of ointment and "helped the poor."

The kerfuffle seems to have been started by two obnoxious Ladies of a Certain Age in Cathedral parish. One of them was on the radio this afternoon STILL berating the archbishop and saying that she was "surprised at his apology." She sounds like somebody who has never had to do business in her life.

I doubt that she has any experience in real estate, renovations, or the space and amenities required for an archbishop to do his duties.

My father was the managing partner of a large law firm for many years. It was part of his job duties to entertain clients, and that required space. It's either rent a hall or restaurant, or have a house that's large enough for hosting large groups. Given the number of visiting delegations, visiting priests, dignitaries, etc., it makes perfect sense for the abp's residence to be large enough to entertain comfortably, rather than renting a conference room at the St. Regis or the Ritz-Carlton right up the road for $$$$$. She claims she has been a member of Cathedral parish for 36 years. If so, she should know better than to aggrandize herself on the radio claiming to speak for the parishioners of the Archdiocese.

She sure as (*&^*&^%^% doesn't speak for ME.

[Berlin_Freeper]

$2.2 million is nothing these days. The property is an investment into the future for generations to come.