By Cathy Lynn Grossman
USA Today
July 18, 2011
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/07/philadelphia-archbishop-chaput-catholic-rigali/1
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| Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput is heavily rumored to be the pope's choice to replace the retiring archbishop of Philadelphia, a spot where Chaput is likely to be named a cardinal in a few years. |
The Philadelphia Inquirer goes today where Pope Benedict XVI has not yet tread -- announcing with a voice of certainty and just a wispy touch of caution that Archbishop Charles Chaput, of Denver "appears poised to succeed Justin Rigali as archbishop of Philadelphia," with the announcement coming Wednesday.
Rumors started in La Stampa last week (if you are up on your Italian). The paper discussed the prospects for either Chaput or past president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Wilton Gregory, now archbishop of Atlanta, to go to either Philly or to Chicago -- if Chi-town's archbishop, Cardinal Francis George, were to retire soon.
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In Philly, where the next archbishop is sure to be named a cardinal -- a prince of the church who advises the pope and helps select his successor -- either bishops would be newsmakers for their personal history as well as their public stands on issues.
Chaput, a member of the Prairie Band of the Potawatomi Tribe of American Indians, would be its first Native American archbishop. Gregory is African-American. There have been no Native American or African American U.S. Cardinals.
But the Catholic blogosphere (Tweet go #Chaput and you'll be buried in links), the National Catholic Reporter and the Philadelphia Daily News, which played the lead that Rigali is out, are all pointing straight to Chaput, some with glee and some with mixed views.
Philly-based Rocco Palmo, of Whispers in the Loggia, has known Chaput since Rocco was 13 and sent him a letter because,
I had never seen someone like him -- very energetic, personable and clear. You can't mistake what he's thinking. He';s a visionary. And what a change this will be. Philadelphia has had staid, traditional bishops and here comes someone who can combine gnuine fidelity to the church with this vigor. This is a revolutionary choice!
Palmo sees the pick as a sign the pope wants
... significant changes in the culture of the archdiocses. You won't see innovations in doctrine but the expression of the faith is about to undergo it's most significant reboot in almost 200 years. Chaput is somoene who doesn't mind the lion's den and he's walking in to the lion's den of his life.
Thomas Peters, blogging at American Papist, known for its strong conservative stance on traditional marriage and opposition to abortion rights, says Chaput would be "an incredibly good choice." Peters has visited Denver, run by Chaput since 1997, and described it as a thriving, youthful, technologically savvy archdiocese in action. He admires the archbishop:
He's an inspiring voice for Catholics to be good citizens... I love him for his public stances on the issues. His book, Render Undo Caesar, is the clearest statement of how Catholics are called in to public life without checking their Catholic world view at the door.
Peters also views a Chaput choice as one more critical appointment in a string of major names in the U.S. hierarchy including Archbishop Jose Gomez in Los Angeles, Archbishop Timothy Dolan in New York and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston.
But whoever takes on the 1.5-million member, five-county archdiocese, inherits a seething sexual abuse scandal and financial pressures that will force parish closings and consolidations. Says Michael Sean Winter, blogger at National Catholic Reporter,
You have to pray for whoever gets named.
Winter also says,
Whether you think Chaput is the ideal pick depends on what you think is needed there
If you think you need the marshal going in to Dodge City to put the bad guys in jail, Chaput would be your guy. If you want some one who would spread balm rather than throw the bomb, that's a different kind of personality.
Chaput, says Winter, is
... a culture warrior. It puts blinders on him that make him do regrettable things. A perfect example: He ruled that children of gay parents can't go to Catholic schools. His classmate at seminary, Cardinal Sean O'Malley (both are members of the Capuchin order of Franciscan priests) reached the exact opposite decision in Boston, saying that you don't make decisions for children based on their parents' behavior.
The retiring Rigali, who took on the diocese in 2003, faces withering fire from a February grand jury report, that excoriated the archdiocese for, as the Daily News called it:
... widespread cover-up of predatory priests over decades, and alleging that as many as 37 priests remained active in the ministry despite credible accusations against them. The report recommended that the Archdiocese revamp procedures for assisting victims and for removing priests accused of molesting children.
A high-ranking Archdiocesan official was charged with child-endangerment for allegedly transferring "predator priests" to other positions. Two priests, a former priest and a former Catholic schoolteacher were charged with sexually assaulting minors. In response to the grand-jury report, Rigali initially said that no priests in active ministry "have an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them."
The paper recapped the scandal and noted that this isn't even the first grand jury to highlight failures to protect Philadelphia youth from predatory priests. And earlier panel did so in 2005 and...
Two months ago, the Associated Press reported that the head of the church's own review board accused Rigali and his bishops of having "failed miserably at being open and transparent," and said that most cases of abuse had been kept from the board.
DO YOU THINK it takes a touch of pastoral balm or a bomb-thrower to refocus the Philadelphia archdiocese on Catholic's spiritual lives and social justice? Can one bishop do both?
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