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	Coyne Focused on Challenges for Indianapolis Archdiocese By Mary Milz WTHR March 3, 2011 http://www.wthr.com/story/14170677/coyne-installed-as-indianapolis-auxiliary-bishop [with video] Indianapolis - A new auxiliary bishop was installed Wednesday for the Indianapolis archdiocese. Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Coyne was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in January to aid Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, who turns 73 next month. Under church rules, the archbishop must submit his resignation at age 75. Buechlein is battling health issues, including cancer. The first thing you notice about Chris Coyne is that he's funny and easy to talk to. "I managed to drive to the Home Depot on Southport without getting lost," he told Eyewitness News in an interview last week. But the new auxiliary bishop is also serious about the challenges ahead. Coyne is here to help Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, who's struggled with health issues. "My whole approach is that I'm just a co-worker with the archbishop. I'm not the one calling the shots, so I will do basically what he asks me to do and he's asked me to do a lot," said Coyne. First up will be visits to Catholic schools and parishes in 39 counties and addressing the dwindling number of priests. "I don't think it's a good idea to keep adding parishes to priests, for example, to say well, if you handled one parish no you can handle two or three. It's very demanding and draining on a guy," he said. Coyne says the church needs to get creative, but he doesn't expect to see women priests anytime soon. "While women's ordination or orders is closed as an option in our church there is so much of an opportunity for women to be involved in leadership positions and that's what I intend to encourage and foster," he said. When it comes to hot button issues like abortion, immigration and gay marriage? "When you start dealing with issues like that, what I call the neurologic issues, ones that produce a lot of emotion, I think the best way to deal with that is to always be welcoming and never condemning," Coyne said. That's not to say he won't stress church doctrine, but he also says he'd rather be the teacher than a principal. Coyne says he won't be one who tries to tell Catholics how to vote. "I think that is overstepping the line and moving from the pastoral work into political," he said. For the new bishop, the new semester starts now. About ten protesters stood outside Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church Wednesday holding signs to show their disdain for the installation of Aux. Bishop Coyne. Coyne worked under former Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned back years ago amid public outrage over his handling of sexual abuse allegations.
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