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	Arrival of New Archbishop Puts Repulsive Era behind US By Gregory J. Sullivan Philly Burbs August 7, 2011 http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/opinion/guest/arrival-of-new-archbishop-puts-repulsive-era-behind-us/article_8690aa8a-1c2d-510c-aa69-c0d9999b8f8e.html The appointment of Archbishop Charles Chaput as the new archbishop of Philadelphia will undoubtedly be a watershed. With the retirement of Justin Cardinal Rigali, the archdiocese can finally put the era of clerical sodomy, mendacity, and criminality (chronicled in repulsive detail in two grand-jury reports) behind it and renew to its proper mission of preaching Jesus Christ and his crucifixion. Archbishop Chaput is precisely the sort of prelate capable of accomplishing this crucial task. The retirement of Cardinal Rigali, a gifted linguist and a manifestly pious, dignified, and intelligent man, could not come soon enough. His leadership during this most trying period in the history of the archdiocese has been, to state the matter gently, worthless. The lasting public image of his failure to lead was the press conference following the release of the first grand-jury report in 2005. Cardinal Rigali is seen mutely in the background while archdiocesan attorneys are at the microphones spinning. The body of Christ had just suffered a truly horrific wound, and the pastor meekly stepped back and yielded to the lawyers. It is impossible to imagine the much more hands-on Archbishop Chaput making the same grievous mistake. A few years back, journalist Peter Boyer wrote an illuminating essay in The New Yorker entitled "A Hard Faith: How the New Pope and His Predecessor Redefined Vatican II." In this 2005 article, Boyer remarked on the rise to prominence of the archbishop from Denver: "Archbishop Charles Chaput . . . is a compact sixty-year-old of Native American descent whose manifest loyalty to the Pope and to the magisterium (Church teaching) makes him an exemplar of a group of American bishops who have been called the 'John Paul II bishops'; that is to say, a group of bishops who give progressive Catholics hives. Referring to the progressive agenda, Chaput ... told me, 'The lack of orthodoxy has already proven that it's empty. So I can't understand why people want to move in that direction. I mean, all the things they're pushing for have already been tried by mainline Protestant churches, which are shrinking in numbers. And these religious orders, where they've abandoned the tradition, there are no vocations, but they still talk like they're the future. Why would they? You just have to open your eyes and see. If they have ears, they don't hear. If they have eyes, they don't see.' " The sort of vibrant orthodoxy that is embodied by Archbishop Chaput will provide what the Catholic intellectual George Weigel called a "real jolt of evangelical energy for the archdiocese." Archbishop Chaput's energy will be tested in bringing leadership to the abuse crises. What is notable is that while in Denver, vocations under him increased dramatically. The careful recruitment and proper formation of priests will ultimately resolve the problem of clerical sexual abuse. Archbishop Chaput is also a very vocal advocate for bringing Catholic principles into the issues of our public life. He is the author of "Render unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life" (2008), a well-received reflection on this complex subject. He is also refreshingly free of the need to avoid or downplay certain subjects — abortion and same-sex marriage, for example — in order to attract elite approval. Archbishop Chaput is well aware of the countercultural nature of Catholicism, and he is completely undaunted. During the 2004 presidential campaign, at a time and on an issue that demanded clarity, he trenchantly stated: "Candidates who claim to be 'Catholic' but who publicly ignore Catholic teaching about the sanctity of human life are offering a dishonest public witness. They may try to look Catholic and sound Catholic, but unless they act Catholic in their public service and political choices, they're really a very different kind of creature. And real Catholics should vote accordingly." Archbishop Chaput knows that he has the most powerful message possible for Catholics: God loves them as a father and wants them to flourish through the grace and friendship of Christ. It is a message that requires bold and intelligent proclamation, and the very good news is that Archbishop Chaput abounds in both boldness and intelligence.
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