Will Valley Priest Succeed Rigali?, by Matt Assad, Allentown Morning Call, July 19, 2011

Will Valley Priest Succeed Rigali?

By Matt Assad
Allentown Morning Call
July 19, 2011

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-philadelphia-diocese-rigali-kurtz-20110718,0,3665270.story

Cardinal Justin Rigali (left) has been Philadelphia's archbishop since 2003; The Rev. Joseph Kurtz (right) spent 27 years serving the Allentown Diocese. (Morning Call file photos)

Cardinal Justin Rigali could retire Tuesday from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Joseph Kurtz, a longtime priest in the Allentown Diocese, is on a short list of possible successors.

Rigali is expected to announce his retirement as early as Tuesday morning. Pope Benedict XVI will decide who replaces Rigali to lead a diocese of more than 1.4 million Catholics.

Kurtz, now archbishop in Louisville, Ky., was the No. 1 name on a three-candidate list sent to the pope by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, according to a writer for the respected National Catholic Reporter. But the Philadelphia Daily News, other media accounts and a source with knowledge of the closely held selection said Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, 66, is the front-runner to be the pope's choice.

If Kurtz is chosen, the Mahanoy City native who spent 27 years serving in the Allentown Diocese would be in line to become one of a handful of Catholic cardinals nationwide. It would also put him in the middle of a priest sex abuse scandal that Kurtz's longtime friends in the Lehigh Valley say he is qualified to tackle.

Monsignor Robert Wargo, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish of Orefield, was a grade school and seminary school classmate of Kurtz who spent his July 4 vacation with him in Ocean City, Md.

"He confronts a situation head-on, no matter how difficult, and he overcomes it," Wargo said. "We've known for a couple years that Cardinal Rigali would retire soon, and we've all heard many times that Bishop Kurtz would be a great person to succeed him."

Officials from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Archdiocese of Louisville and the Allentown Diocese would not comment on the succession Monday.

"The fact that Kurtz's name tops the list delivered by the Conference of Bishops tells you how well-respected he is," said Michael Sean Winters, who writes the blog "Distinctly Catholic" for the National Catholic Reporter. "If he isn't chosen for this one, he'll be in line for future appointments. The Chicago Archdiocese will probably be open next year."

Kurtz, 64, served four parishes within the Catholic Diocese of Allentown. He returned to the area in February as this year's recipient of the Catholic Charities medallion for his work aiding refugees, promoting adoption, pregnancy support and for expanding other social services in the area while he was executive director and board president of Catholic Charities.

After stints at Ss. Simon and Jude in Bethlehem, St. Joseph in Limeport, St. Mary in Catasauqua and Notre Dame in Bethlehem, Kurtz left the Valley in 1999 to become bishop in Knoxville, Tenn. In 2007, he was appointed the fourth archbishop of Louisville, and last year was named vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a national assembly of church leaders who promote Catholic teachings.

Considered a conservative, he is a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage and was chairman of the conference's Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage.

According to a process laid out by the Vatican, bishops are required to formally turn in their letter of resignation at age 75. The Pope then decides when to accept it, which, depending on circumstances, sometimes takes years.

Rigali, 76, turned in his letter last year, but Winters and local clergy say his retirement was likely hastened by a Philadelphia grand jury report in February. The report accused the Archdiocese of Philadelphia of covering up decades of sexual abuse by priests, and alleged that as many as 37 priests remained active in the ministry despite credible accusations against them.

"The priests I've talked to say the atmosphere in the diocese is like quicksand, and Cardinal Rigali knows that," Winters said. "He knows someone else will have to come in for change to come."

The grand jury report recommended that the archdiocese revamp its policies for assisting victims and for removing and reporting priests accused of molesting children.

Kurtz's friends in the Lehigh Valley say few people are more equipped to do that than Kurtz. With a master's degree in social work, Kurtz has a history of promoting the social ministries. His charismatic personality and tireless work ethic often boost volunteerism, and at a time when churches are closing and new priests are dwindling, he added two new parishes while doubling the number of students in seminary schools during his seven years in Knoxville, Wargo said.

"He's extremely gifted, extremely intelligent and a very good listener," Wargo said. "In Philadelphia, he'd listen to the priests and the victims with equal interest. He would not shy away from that challenge."

A fierce competitor who doesn't like to lose, Kurtz would have made a great coach had he not become a priest, said the Rev. William N. Seifert, pastor at St. Stephen of Hungary Church in Allentown.

"He has a unique ability to inspire people to get the most out of themselves," Seifert said. "Plus, he's a savage handball player and fierce basketball player. Let's just say he's isn't too shy to commit the intentional foul when necessary."

Contact: matthew.assad@mcall.com