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	Cardinal under Fire for New Monsignors By Manya A. Brachear Chicago Tribune September 10, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/religion/ct-x-monsignor-0910-20100910,0,3921753.story A clerical title rarely bestowed on Chicago priests since Vatican II has been revived and conferred on 20 priests in the Chicago Archdiocese, much to the dismay of some clergy who oppose the honorary distinction. Earlier this year, Cardinal Francis George submitted the 20 priests to be named monsignors by Pope Benedict XVI after some priests reportedly cautioned him against the gesture. Although the list includes priests serving in positions historically designated for monsignors — the rector of Mundelein Seminary, the CEO of Chicago's Catholic Charities and the pastor of Holy Name Cathedral, the seat of the Chicago Archdiocese — it also includes 11 retired priests from a wide spectrum of ministries, including one who has served in the archdiocese for 75 years. "Each of them deserves to be honored by the pope and the rest of us, but each of them also stands for brother archdiocesan priests who have served the church in various ministries, here and elsewhere, for many years," George wrote in an introduction of the monsignors in the Catholic New World, the archdiocese newspaper. But some priests frown on the formality. They say resurrecting a tradition that went by the wayside after Vatican II signals a return of a clerical culture that threatens the role of laity in the church. They also say it detracts from more critical issues such as the growing number of sexual abuse allegations against former priest Daniel McCormack. The Rev. Thomas McQuaid, pastor of St. Leonard Catholic Church in Berwyn, said he wrote to George earlier this year, cautioning him against the custom. He also condemned the custom in a recent church bulletin. "I just wanted people in our parish to know that I did not agree," McQuaid said. "I just think it's divisive of our priesthood. But more importantly it's a diversion from the abuse. The McCormack stuff continues, and financially more and more people are unemployed and might lose their homes. It's a silly thing to be thinking that's a good use of our money." The archdiocese says each nomination costs about $150. Many priests associate the revival of the term to a trend in the church as a whole toward more traditional practices. That trend is led by a new generation of Catholics raised in a church divided by teachings about sexuality and battles over whether women and married men should become priests. Unlike the generation that came of age under Pope John Paul II, which embraced the empowerment and freedom granted by the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, many of those becoming priests under Pope Benedict XVI wish to re-anchor the church in its core traditions, priests say. "My sense is that a lot of younger priests are very traditional in their approach to their vocation. They would see a value in it that people my vintage don't necessarily see," said Monsignor Dan Mayall, pastor of Holy Name Cathedral. "Maybe they appreciate something I don't appreciate. They see the institutional structure of the church as being something that communicates our strength." In Chicago, a stigma has been attached to the title of monsignor since Cardinal John Cody took the helm of the local church in 1967. Priests at that time asked Cody to refrain from asking the pope to confer the title to avoid creating a caste system among the clergy. Nearly three decades later, his immediate successor, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, continued the moratorium after many priests, including Mayall, voted against reviving the honorific. Bernardin's only exception at the time was naming Monsignor Kenneth Velo, then head of the Catholic Extension Society and the cardinal's former executive assistant. "To be honest it was difficult to be the only one named at that time," Velo recounted, adding that he got a fair share of ribbing from fellow priests. "The truth is, it's a wonderful thing for parishes. At the same time it's difficult because it's a very subjective thing." Though there are six other monsignors in the archdiocese, most if not all have been nominated by bishops elsewhere, including most recently Monsignor Richard Zborowski, pastor of St. Theresa Church in Palatine, for his work on behalf of seminaries in Poland. Newly named Monsignor John Kuzinskas, a retired pastor who served several Lithuanian congregations after he was ordained in 1952, said he considers it an honor to receive this title. "I think it's also a reflection on the many people to whom and with whom you've ministered," he said. "You're honoring not only the priests who received this honor, but those who have been with the priests for so many years, too." Also named recently is Monsignor Richard O'Donnell, the retired pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel parish (now Blessed Sacrament), who has served in five parishes under six archbishops. Ordained in 1935, he even recalls a time when monsignors were in vogue. O'Donnell, who turns 100 next month, is almost positive he received the honor for his time in the pulpit: 75 years. He was pleasantly surprised to get the cardinal's call. Mayall confesses that he initially declined the offer when the cardinal phoned him. When George argued that the pastor of Chicago's cathedral should be no different from the pastors of cathedrals in New York and Los Angeles — both of whom hold the monsignor title — Mayall was persuaded. "He talked me into it because of his love for Holy Name Cathedral, and I can see that," he said. "People who belong to the cathedral think it's very just." He also wrote a letter in the parish bulletin assuring parishioners who might get tongue-tied addressing him as "Monsignor Mayall" not to worry. "I don't want people bowing at the ankles," he said. "Call me Dan." Contact: mbrachear@tribune.com
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