SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
San Francisco Chronicle
Julian Guthrie, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, August 15, 2005
Archbishop William Levada said he will leave San Francisco for the Vatican with a clear conscience.
He believes that he was able to restore order and direction to an archdiocese that was reeling from church closures and clergy misbehavior. He defended his handling of sexual abuse cases and is proud of having reopened some closed parishes and reconfigured others.
"I wasn't filled with dread when I came here but I knew there were problems I would have to address," Levada said. "I knew I was going into a very concentrated center that had some hot-button issues."
He also acknowledged areas where he would have liked to have spent more time, notably visiting with priests and parishioners.
Levada, a fourth-generation Californian named archbishop of San Francisco 10 years ago, will resign on Wednesday to become the highest-ranking American in Vatican history. He will be in charge of resolving questions around faith and morals for the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.