REALITY CHECK: BURKE’S STAR WILL SHINE ON

Catholic Vote ^ | December 17, 2013 | THOMAS PETERS

[NYer]

The knives are out for Cardinal Burke this morning. He’s on the next plane out of Rome after Pope Francis sacked him and summarily ended all of his duties this morning.

Oh wait, that’s not what happened. Actually, Pope Francis simply chose not to renew his membership on the Congregation for Bishops, the body that helps select bishops for the United States and around the world. Still, this was enough for noted Burke-haters here in America to proclaim this is the end of Burke’s episcopal career.

Even the normally sober-minded John Allen cited this recent EWTN interview given by Cardinal Burke on “The World Over” where the cardinal said “we can never talk enough about the defense of human life” as some sort of example that Pope Francis wants to move away from the Cardinal’s “aggressive line” on the culture wars — please! As if Pope Francis has nothing better to do than monitor what gets said on EWTN every night.

Let me pour some cold water on this hyperventilating speculation.

First, Pope Francis has not hid his intention of making the curia more efficient. He appointed Cardinal Wuerl as a new addition to the Congregation for Bishops, someone whom Pope Benedict had already placed trust in when he appointed Cardinal Wuerl as the U.S. guardian of the Anglican Ordinariate. If you asked me to pick who has a better working knowledge of the makeup, demands and expectations of the American episcopate right now I would say the state-side Cardinal Wuerl, not Cardinal Burke who has been in Rome for half a decade at this point. So from one aspect, this is a move towards efficiency.

And poor Cardinal Burke, after today’s move, he will have so little to occupy himself. In addition to being the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, a member of the College of Cardinals, a member of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, a member of the Congregation for Clergy, a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and President of the Commission for Advocates, and a frequent speaker to select Catholic causes and organizations, I’m not sure what he’ll be doing with all of this new free time.

Back to the anti-Burke speculation: the real reason some are trying to make a big deal of this news is because a) they are trying to create the perception that there is a rift between Pope Francis and conservatives, and b) because they hope Burke’s absence from the congregation will yield more liberal episcopal appointments here in America.

Let me pour more cold water on both of these futile hopes.

There is absolutely no sign the Congregation for Bishops is about to reverse the 70 or 80 streak of conservative Episcopal appointments to U.S. dioceses we witnessed under the reign of Pope Benedict. This massive swell of young conservative bishops is already having a huge impact on the Catholic Church in America.

It was these bishops who upset precedent and elected Cardinal Dolan over Bishop Kicanas for USCCB President, and just elected Archbishop Kurtz.

If we want to see anything significant in today’s news, it should be that Pope Francis confirmed Cardinal Marc Oullet as the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops! A more conservative Cardinal you couldn’t ask for.

If liberal Vatican-watchers want to read tea leaves, they should wake up and smell what’s brewing!

And as for this false meme that Pope Francis doesn’t like conservatives, well, the pope’s interview with La Stampa just poured more cold water on that than I could ever hope to.

So let nothing you dismay. Cardinal Burke’s star will shine on in the Eternal City for another 10 years at least. American liberal Catholics should go take a cold bath. Orthodoxy is here to stay.

[NYer]

Welcome back, Thomas Peters!

[Cicero]

I wish I could agree with this. But I am still deeply disturbed. Few positions are more important at this juncture than the committees who recommend new bishops.

Because we BADLY need to replace all these weak, liberal, dissident, and even heretical bishops with good, solid, reliable candidates who will start straightening things out. Few things in the Church are more important.

It strikes me that Wuerl is, if not dissident, weak and ineffective, unwilling to stand up to pro-abortion politicians, to mention his most obvious failing.

[piusv]

Looks like Tom is drinking the koolaid.

[Biggirl]

.....Well maybe the Pope could be having a diocese leadership positon in mind for Cardinal Burke in this country. You never know.

Yesterday my archdiocese just got a new Archbishop by the name of Leonard P. Blair. He headed the diocese of Toledo, Ohio as bishop.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Headline 32 A.D.: “Jesus Picks All JEWS For His Apostles”

Article says Simon choice was “particularly weak”.

Is God just going to let this happen?!!!!!

[NYer]

we BADLY need to replace all these weak, liberal, dissident, and even heretical bishops with good, solid, reliable candidates who will start straightening things out. Few things in the Church are more important.

Who, better than I, to agree with your statement?! I reside in a RC Diocese run by one of the most ultra progressive bishops in the nation - Howard Hubbard. He held that position for 30+ years and recently reached retirement age, at which time he submitted his letter of resignation. Ironically, this past Sunday, he was interviewed by the local NBC affiliate. One of the questions posed was on his "calling" to the priesthood. He responded by citing all the careers he had been contemplating; priesthood was at the bottom of the list. Essentially, it was an afterthought.

Hubbard's good friend and fellow seminarian, uber progressive Rochester Bishop Matthew Clark, retired last year. Pope Francis has replaced him with a very conservative bishop. Perhaps Thomas Peters is on to something here. Cardinal Burke has been absent from the US for quite some time now. During the time he was responsible for assigning bishops, he was the one who recommended Timothy Cardinal Dolan for the Archdiocese of NY. Dolan could hardly be considered a 'conservative'. I will place my faith, hope and trust in the pope. God alone knows how many prayers have risen heavenward in the Albany Diocese, seeking a bishop to restore the faith. No prayer goes unanswered.

[Cicero]

Yes, we’ll wait and see. And pray.

The new Bishop of Rochester was the Bishop of Burlington, here in Vermont. I can’t exactly say that he managed to straighten things out in our decaying parish in Montpelier, but then again there were probably limits to what he could do. Being bishop of Vermont, after the earlier disasters, couldn’t have been easy. Our parish used to have three priests. Now it’s down to one. And a promising younger priest who used to be here had to be sent down suddenly to Rutland, to replace a pederast, if what I heard was true. We haven’t really had a good sermon since he left.

[Biggirl]

Here is the link for the new Archbishop Blair:

http://archdioceseofhartford.org/news/13-12-16_archbishopblair.htm

[Biggirl]

http://archdioceseofhartford.org/news/13-10-29_pressconf.htm

[Chaguito]

Well, I love Jesus. All this political stuff is a sideline.

[Salvation]

A little tongue in cheek observation here. LOL!

**And poor Cardinal Burke, after today’s move, he will have so little to occupy himself. In addition to being the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, a member of the College of Cardinals, a member of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, a member of the Congregation for Clergy, a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and President of the Commission for Advocates, and a frequent speaker to select Catholic causes and organizations, I’m not sure what he’ll be doing with all of this new free time.**

[Biggirl]

Well he may be being prepared to head a new diocese, you never know.

[stonehouse01]

“...maybe ... diocese leadership position for Burke...”

If Albany’s Hubbard was ever replaced by Burke - it would be a miracle and answer to prayer by many. I personally have been praying the rosary for a conservative bishop here- I know the rosary is powerful but if that ever happened it would end any possible teeny lingering doubt I may have had about it’s true effectiveness...

I don’t really expect it; however hope is a cardinal virtue.

[SumProVita]

Another thought:

How do we know that Cardinal Burke didn’t request that this be done because of his own prayerfully considered priorities?

[SumProVita]

Exactly!!!!!

(Knowing this had something to do with my previous post.)

;-)

[NYer]

If Albany’s Hubbard was ever replaced by Burke - it would be a miracle

Dreams, like prayers, are free : - )

I personally have been praying the rosary for a conservative bishop here- I know the rosary is powerful but if that ever happened it would end any possible teeny lingering doubt I may have had about it’s true effectiveness...

Well, reflect carefully on the words in the Lord's Prayer: Thy will be done. The rosary is very powerful; it's a matter not only of faith, but also trust. It has taken one year to replace Rochester bishop Clark. The Vatican has yet to acknowledge acceptance of Hubbard's resignation.