December 16, 2005

Niederauer to lead S.F. archdiocese

SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
Contra Costa Times

By Kim Curtis
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO - Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the current bishop of Salt Lake City to lead the San Francisco archdiocese, which is considered by many to be among the most liberal in the nation.
Monsignor George Niederauer, 69, had served as bishop for the Salt Lake City diocese for about a decade. He began the job in San Francisco on Thursday and will be formally installed Feb. 15.
During a news conference, Niederauer said he was looking forward to meeting and working with San Francisco's community because it's "richly varied -- socially, ethnically and culturally." ...
Nonetheless, at least two survivors of sexual abuse by priests showed up at the news conference to meet Niederauer and give him a letter written on behalf of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests or SNAP. They asked Niederauer to confront "the unfinished business" that former Archbishop William Levada left behind.
They urged him to release the names of potentially dangerous priests, suspend accused priests and reach out to heal the survivors of sex abuse, according to the letter.

Posted by kshaw at December 16, 2005 07:59 AM