Bishops Select Two Leaders Who Reflect New Tone Set by Pope
By Laurie Goodstein
The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday chose as leaders of the bishop’s conference two prelates whose pastoral approach evokes the new tone for the church set by Pope Francis. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., the new president of the conference, has a master’s degree in social work, took care of his brother with Down syndrome and said the “most important time” he has ever spent was the 12 years he served as pastor in a parish. “One of the major challenges is what our Holy Father has said over and over again, how can we warm hearts and heal wounds?” Archbishop Kurtz said in an inaugural news conference. He will succeed Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who finishes his three-year term on Thursday when the bishops’ meeting concludes. Cardinal Dolan, a garrulous evangelist comfortable in front of a camera, led the bishops in their high-profile confrontation with the Obama administration over a provision in the health care mandate that requires most employers to have insurance that covers contraceptives for employees. In the bellwether contest for vice president, the bishops elected Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston from a slate of 10 candidates, some of whose vote counts were very close on the first and second ballots. In the runoff vote between two finalists, they passed over Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, an astute writer who relishes politics and often weighs in from a conservative point of view. The vote was 147 to 87. Among the other candidates defeated for vice president were Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who has led the bishops’ religious liberty campaign to fend off what they see as serious threats to religious freedom, and Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, an immigrant from Mexico who has helped to lead the bishops in pushing for an overhaul of immigration law. The bishops customarily elevate their vice president to president, so the election for this post often determines their leadership for years to come. Archbishop Kurtz had served as vice president under Cardinal Dolan, so his election was a return to a tradition overturned three years ago when Cardinal Dolan prevailed against the sitting vice president. “The bishops have reverted to their pattern,” said Gregory Erlandson, president and publisher of Our Sunday Visitor, a company that publishes various Catholic periodicals. “Archbishop Kurtz clearly has the esteem of his colleagues, and there was no evidence of opposition to his candidacy.” They voted a day after hearing an address by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the Vatican’s ambassador, or nuncio, to the United States, who spoke of Francis’ vision for the church. Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Spokane, Wash., said in an interview after the vote on Tuesday: “The nuncio said the Holy Father wants bishops to have a keen pastoral sensitivity, shepherds who know the smell of the sheep. That’s a nice metaphor to use. “Pope Francis doesn’t want cultural warriors, he doesn’t want ideologues,” he said. “That’s the new paradigm for us, and it’s making many of us think.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops represents about 450 bishops and sets the direction for the church’s ministry, public advocacy and political lobbying. At their meeting they also discussed a statement on pornography addiction and heard from Catholic Relief Services about the emergency in the Philippines after the typhoon. Asked whether the bishops plan to be more vocal in their advocacy for the poor, Archbishop Kurtz said, “I believe we are very much in solidarity with Pope Francis on this.” “We need not only to serve the voiceless and vulnerable, but to be an advocate,” he added.
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