http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/11/17/us/17bishop2/17bishop2-articleLarge.jpg
Posted on 11/16/2010 1:57:01 PM PST by NYer
BALTIMORE — In a surprise move, the bishops that lead the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, elected Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York to be their president on Tuesday, rejecting the conference’s more liberal vice president. It was the first time in history that the bishops had not voted to elevate the vice president to the president’s post, affirming a conservative turn among the bishops.
The vote, which was close, cements Archbishop Dolan’s prominent profile in the leadership in the American church. He is already the prelate of the nation’s most visible diocese, is comfortable in the news media spotlight and was selected by the Vatican to help conduct an investigation of the church in Ireland, which has been devastated by a sexual abuse scandal.
The bishops passed over their vice president, Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, who represents the more liberal “social justice” tradition of the American church and is known for advocating dialogue between Catholic liberals and traditionalists. Archbishop Dolan is a moderate conservative who is willing to put his affable and outgoing demeanor in service of a more assertively confrontational approach to the church’s critics.
The final vote, after 10 candidates were narrowed to two, was 128 for Archbishop Dolan and 111 for Bishop Kicanas.
The election consolidates the gradual shift in leadership and priorities for the bishops conference. From the 1970’s through the 1990’s, the conference was a center for progressive Catholicism in a distinctly American guise, releasing ambitious teaching documents on issues such as economic inequality, workers rights, the environment, peace and war.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
And there it is !! This was the "dance" in the press conference following the election when this reporter and several from the National Catholic Reporter attempted to get both Dolan and Kurtz to admit their own conclusions. Dolan handled it superbly. He acknowledged Laurie and thanked her for reporting on the conference. Dolan is a veritable media master ;-)
THANK GOD! Dolan is a fantastic choice.
Pope Benedict is the moving force here. He has been appointing more orthodox members to the episcopacy. The results, such as this election, are beginning to be noticed. Can’t wait for the housecleaning of the USCCB staff to begin.
Thank you for keeping us up to date on this.
Shows how little Goodstein knows about Chaput.
Agreed. The mucking out of the USCCB stables is long overdue.
good news, dolan has a great personality and is good priest, perhaps this is an example of good things to come in the future for the presidency in 2012....someone less liberal.
Read this earlier about Dolan... bypassing the next in line who seems to have a liberal bent, good move too! Dolan is pro-life and stands firm I understand against homosexuality. I may not agree with the Catholic church teachings but I do recognize the political clout they weld.
.....”Archbishop Dolan has a solid reputation as an outspoken pro-life leader. He has insisted that Catholics should never honor anyone taking a pro-abortion position, and he was a strong opponent of Notre Dame’s decision to honour President Obama at their 2009 commencement. This fall, he joined the bishops of New York in calling on Catholics to make the right to life their primary concern at the ballot box.
Numerous Catholic commentators had warned that Bishop Kicanas, on the other hand, is made in the mold of his mentor Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who is known for his support of liberal movements in the Church. This week, Bishop Kicanas won an endorsement from the Rainbow Sash Movement, a militant ‘Catholic’ homosexualist group.”
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/nov/10111601.html
“Pope Benedict is the moving force here.”
I was surprised that Dolan wasn’t elevated to Cardinal recently with a group who was; was any reason given?
As I understand it, the Vatican prefers that a diocese have only one cardinal of voting (papal election) age. Cardinal Egan, the former Archbishop of New York, will not turn 80 (the voting age cut off) for another year or so.
I see; I hadn’t thought of that. Someone told me they wanted to spread the cardinals more throughout the world, due to a heavy weighting to US/Europe.
What great news I missed by being off the web last night.
Come into the light... :) Kicanas is definitely one of the last of the Bernardin lavender mafia and will not be replaced by anyone in his own image when he either retires or is forceably retired. Appreciate the post. We Catholics (as opposed to CINOs) believe that this is the right thing to do, too, for these, and many other reasons.
And he got 111 votes.
would be good to have those who voted for KicanAs on record somewhere...and who they are! They need to be called out!
Thank you...When it comes to those infiltrating the churches, of all denominations, who are on the wrong side of God, I am always encouraged when I see those who stand up against those whose intentions are to destroy the church family from within, via their homosexual agenda and practices as well as those who murder the babies.
Dolan even opposes Obama’s agenda...He appears to be a good man and knows the stand to make and does so. I like men of action who are unafraid to take on the enemies of God.
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