Posted on 08/07/2002 8:23:08 PM PDT by Antoninus
According to a Catholic World News article, the following are the names of the Bishops who are calling for the Plenary Council:
Archbishops Oscar Lipscomb of Atlanta, Georgia; John Vlazny of Portland, Oregon; Daniel Cronin of Hartford, Connecticut; and James Keleher of Kansas City, Kansas. Also signing were Bishops Raymond Burke of LaCrosse, Wisconsin; Robert Morlino of Helena, Montana; Daniel DiNardo of Sioux City, Iowa, and Detroit auxiliary Allen Vigneron.
What do we know about any of these guys? I don't see Bishop Bruskewitz on here, so I'm immediately suspicious.
Bishop Vigneron returned to Detroit in 1985 as an Instructor in philosophy and theology at Sacred Heart Seminary College. After earning his doctorate, he became Assistant Professor. In January 1988, Bishop Vigneron began duties at the Seminary as Academic Dean. In 1991, Bishop Vigneron returned to Rome, as an official of the Vatican Secretariat of State. In addition to these duties, Bishop Vigneron taught at the Gregorian University as an adjunct Professor. Bishop Vigneron returned to Detroit in mid-1994 to become the second Rector/President of the re-formulated Sacred Heart Major Seminary.
Sacred Heart Seminary is not one of the problem seminaries.
Seems like a reasonable list of Bishops although not the high profile names some would have liked to see.
Detroit's Adam Cardinal Maida said homosexuality is at the root of the church's sex problems. "I think what the behavioral scientists are telling us, the sociologists, it's not truly a pedophilia-type problem but a homosexual-type problem," he said. "We need to look at our seminaries and see that we're doing a good job screening candidates."
August 7, 2002
BY PATRICIA MONTEMURRI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
A Detroit Catholic bishop who runs Sacred Heart Major Seminary is one of eight U.S. bishops behind a call for an extraordinary, nationwide church council to combat the clergy sex abuse scandal by reaffirming traditional teachings.
Auxiliary Bishop Allen Vigneron, who is rector of the Archdiocese of Detroit's training college for priests, co-signed a letter that is circulating privately among the nation's 190-plus bishops.
The eight bishops want their colleagues to meet with priests and lay people in a so-called plenary council, the last of which occurred in this country in 1884 and gave rise to the Catholic school system.
"They want to have this council to reaffirm all the things the pope has been teaching, not change them," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit who is the editor of America magazine. "This council is not being called to start a revolution, but to reaffirm current teaching and practice in the church."
In light of the abuse scandal, many Catholic lay people across the country have called on their leaders to reconsider the church's bans on married and female priests. But the bishops' letter says that such a council should affirm Vatican teachings on celibacy for priests and other church doctrine.
A copy of the letter appeared in the online version of Crisis, a monthly magazine, without the bishops' signatures. There is no date for the meeting, which a majority of U.S. bishops and the Vatican would need to approve, Reese said.
The Free Press was provided a list of the signers Tuesday, which included: Archbishop Daniel Cronin, Hartford, Conn.; Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, Mobile, Ala.; Archbishop James Keleher, Kansas City, Kan; Archbishop John Vlazny, Portland, Ore.; Bishop Raymond Burke, La Crosse, Wis.; Bishop Robert Morlino, Helena, Mont.; and Bishop Daniel DiNardo, Sioux City, Iowa.
Vigneron couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton said he feared such a meeting wouldn't foster a frank discussion about the issues that trouble many Catholics. Such a meeting, he said, could be "highly centralized, highly controlled and not where real, in-depth discussion would take place."
In the letter, the bishops said such a council should focus on: "What things need to be going on so that in this cultural milieu priests and bishops will preserve their celibate chastity along with all the other virtues that constitute the life of holiness."
To read the letter, go to www.crisismagazine.com.
Sacred Heart Seminary (where Vigneron is now rector) is discussed (and defended) at length in this pan of Goodbye, Good Men at Culture Wars, in sum:
But there have been enormous improvements in seminaries across the country in the last decade. Seminaries such as Kenrick-Glennon in St. Louis and Sacred Heart in Detroit have shown remarkable development in the last decade, and now enjoy the confidence of bishops known for their orthodoxy.
Waiting for the Shoe to Drop (8/7/02)BY PATRICIA MONTEMURRI
A Detroit Catholic bishop who runs Sacred Heart Major Seminary is one of eight U.S. bishops behind a call for an extraordinary, nationwide church council to combat the clergy sex abuse scandal by reaffirming traditional teachings. Auxiliary Bishop Allen Vigneron, who is rector of the Archdiocese of Detroit's training college for priests, co-signed a letter that is circulating privately among the nation's 190-plus bishops. The eight bishops want their colleagues to meet with priests and lay people in a so-called plenary council, the last of which occurred in this country in 1884 and gave rise to the Catholic school system. "They want to have this council to reaffirm all the things the pope has been teaching, not change them," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit who is the editor of America magazine. "This council is not being called to start a revolution, but to reaffirm current teaching and practice in the church." In light of the abuse scandal, many Catholic lay people across the country have called on their leaders to reconsider the church's bans on married and female priests. But the bishops' letter says that such a council should affirm Vatican teachings on celibacy for priests and other church doctrine. A copy of the letter appeared in the online version of Crisis, a monthly magazine, without the bishops' signatures. There is no date for the meeting, which a majority of U.S. bishops and the Vatican would need to approve, Reese said. The Free Press was provided a list of the signers Tuesday, which included: Archbishop Daniel Cronin, Hartford, Conn.; Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, Mobile, Ala.; Archbishop James Keleher, Kansas City, Kan; Archbishop John Vlazny, Portland, Ore.; Bishop Raymond Burke, La Crosse, Wis.; Bishop Robert Morlino, Helena, Mont.; and Bishop Daniel DiNardo, Sioux City, Iowa. Vigneron couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday. Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton said he feared such a meeting wouldn't foster a frank discussion about the issues that trouble many Catholics. Such a meeting, he said, could be "highly centralized, highly controlled and not where real, in-depth discussion would take place." In the letter, the bishops said such a council should focus on: "What things need to be going on so that in this cultural milieu priests and bishops will preserve their celibate chastity along with all the other virtues that constitute the life of holiness." To read the letter, go to www.crisismagazine.com. |
Bishop Vigneron pointed out that penance was about repentance and also atonement for sin. He said "we do need to do penance for ourselves, insofar as we are all by our sinfulness implicated in this tremendous evil." In addition, he said, to do penance for others is "a very important act of a priestly people." He noted the particular problem in Detroit of Dr. Kevorkian.
The proposal to study Friday abstinence was passed by a unanimous voice vote.
Liturgy Commission, NCCB. Adoremus.org hits first with his address to bishops on Liturgiam Authenticam.
Wonder if his proposed educating on homosexuality (at the behest of another and Dignity) transpired?
Unfortunately a supporter of CHD but I'm sure the Mafia would break his legs if he weren't.
(mentioned only in another's interesting account of a trip to Rome and discussion of homosexual issues -- CourageRC.net)
A strong argument for linking the penitential practice to the effort to overcome the "culture of death" was made by Bishop Allen Vigneron, an auxiliary bishop of Detroit.
I feel that for myself, one of my great obligations is to do penance on his behalf. And, perhaps, by that penance merit for him a grace of repentance. So I would like the committee, please, to consider exactly that part of this is a form of atonement, a form of penitence for the sins of our age.
Well, I feel better having looked around. Could be they're ponying up to take some flak for the heavy hitters. Hope so.
patent
Agreed. When I didn't see Bishops Bruskewitz' name, my cynical mind started formulating reasons why this might have been brought forward...
Translation; "Planned parenthood and PFLAG wouldn't be invited."
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