REPORTS ARE CIRCULATING THAT SAN FRAN ARCHBISH LEVADA IS ABOUT TO GET THE STOP SLOT AT THE CDF.
EXCERPTS:
"It’s a done deal," a senior Vatican official told TIME on Tuesday, after days of rumors that the American was emerging as the frontrunner. "This was a decision directly from the Pope. Levada was already asked, and has accepted. If it ends up not happening, it means somebody got to [the Pope] and convinced him to change his mind."
Another Vatican source said the former Cardinal Ratzinger and Levada had built what he called a "hidden friendship" over the years outside of the Roman power circles, dating back to the period the American spent as a mid-level official in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the early 1980s. "They would go to dinner together," the source said. "This is someone the Pope thinks he can work closely with."
Levada currently serves as one of four archbishop consulting members of the Congregation. If named to head the office, he would become a Cardinal the next time a new batch were promoted to the title.
MORE EXCERPTS:
Vatican analyst Rocco Palmo, the source of the May 4 report, predicted Tuesday that Levada, 68, would get the Vatican post and then be elevated to cardinal at a June 29 Vatican assembly.
"He will be the first American cardinal named by the new pope,” Palmo said in an interview with The Chronicle. "He is about to become the highest- ranking American in Vatican history."
Palmo noted that Levada has extensive experience dealing with the sexual abuse scandal in the U.S. church.
"He has on-the-ground experience in the United States," Palmo said. "That is priceless."
Levada, who worked on the Vatican staff of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1976 to 1982, has an intimate understanding of the issues facing the U.S. church, having served as the Archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995, and since then as the Archbishop of San Francisco.
During his final year in Rome, Levada worked for the pope, known then as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the head of that key Vatican office, and has kept close ties to the German cardinal over the last two decades.
"If they want to address the ethical and moral issues in the church in Europe and North America, you have Ratzinger speaking to Europe and Levada to the United States,” said Paul Murphy, a church scholar at the University of San Francisco.
Murphy, the director of the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought, noted that Levada may serve a very liberal archdiocese, but he carries strong credentials as a doctrinal conservative.
Levada’s election would have a double impact on the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which covers San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties.
It would create an opening for the job of San Francisco Archbishop, giving the new pope a chance to put his mark on the Bay Area church.
Pham said Benedict hopes to use his papacy to strengthen ties with the Eastern Orthodox churches, which split off from Rome centuries ago in a dispute over the power of the pope.
"Levada is the academic expert on that topic,” said Pham, author of "Heirs of the Fisherman — Behind the Scenes of Papal Death and Succession.”
It had better be a rumor. The archbishop has done nothing to Pelosi or that idiot mayor in SF.
Maybe, Levada’s talents are better suited to a “staff” job than a “line” job.
Old news . . . and the AP recently reported that a Vatican official dismissed the rumor.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=749022
You can tell the story is bogus if it anonymously quotes a “senior Vatican official.” True “senior Vatican officials” don’t whisper to the press. TIME probably heard some gossip from one of the Vatican’s laundry maids.
And yes, I’m not serious. I just think it’s a waste of time to place a lot of faith in the things that the media attribute to anonymous Vatican officials.
Whatever it takes to get Fr. Fessio as the Archbishop of San Francisco – or is that just too much karma for one lifetime?
There was a huge and argumentative thread on this matter at Amy Qelborn’s blog a few days ago – everyone jumping the gun, from approval of the move, to discussing Levada’s suitability or atherwise, even calling into question the judgement of the Holy Father..
Just wait and see, I say.
Imo, the Levada rumor was an organized attempt by organized gay-dom to tarnish Benedict by linking him both professionally and personally to a SF churchman. Their attemts to “dig up dirt” on Ratzinger go back to 1998. Hat-tip: Papa Ratzi Post.
Looks like it’s not a rumor any more.
Let’s pray he makes a better CDF prefect than he has a SF archbishop — though in fairness that see is well nigh impossible to govern.
Well, he did a good job trying to fight the assisted-suicide bill here in Oregon when he was ArBp of PDX, hopefully that’ll help…
Well, I’ve noticed that liberals think he’s a far right conservative, and far right conservatives think he’s a liberal. The main thing, though, is that he be faithful and orthodox and courageous.
Good job and great design! I love this site!
Truck accidents Jacked up trucks Truckee real estate Truck crash Truckload shipping Acdc thunder struck Monster truck videos Ford truck warranty Werner trucking Truckee ca Semi trucks Old ford trucks Trucks.com Used ford trucks Thunder struck 4×4 truck tires Ford truck accessories Truck rentals Skateboard trucks Big truck Penske truck rental Truck box Monster truck Gmc truck parts Moving truck rental Truck driving jobs Garbage truck Truckee homes for sale Truck shows Honda trucks