New Archbishop of Oakland

We are all very happy about the news that Oakland has a new Archbishop in His Excellency Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone (NB: could there be a better name for a bishop?  Literally "Savior Lionheart").

What I find interesting is this photo sent by a reader of His Excellency in the not so common mantelletta.

Bishops use it, and so do judges of the Roman tribunals and canons.

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55 Comments

  1. Martin says:

    Bishop of Oakland, not Archbishop.

    Wonderful news, still. Deo gratias.

  2. Jim of Bowie says:

    WOW Great news. After a couple of bad choices Benedict has certainly appointed good bishops and this is one of his best. Hopefully in a couple of years we will hear he has been appointed archbishop of LA. Could this be an indication that Archbishop Burke has the Popes ear on goings-on in the US?

  3. Patricia says:

    He is much loved here in San Diego by the Latin Mass community as well as speaking out publicly on Catholic issues. Truly a wonderful orthodox priest. So many of us here had hoped that he would succeed Bishop Brom, even though we knew there was slim chance of that. Our loss is Oaklands gain.

  4. Timbot says:

    Patricia,

    If its any consolation, I do not think Oakland will have him long. This man has “red hat” written all over him.

  5. RichR says:

    Long live His Excellency!

  6. Central Valley says:

    Thank you Holy Father. Brick by brick. This is great news for Oakland and California as a whole. I pray God we get a man like this in Fresno. Our current bishop along with seminary classmate Roger Mahony are trying to convince a jury in Fresno, Ca. they knew nothing of the actions of an abusive priest…not looking good for eithers testimony. Cordileone in Oakland, Garcia in Monterey, the picks are getting better each time. Now we need orthodox replacments in Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego. Perhaps in a few years, when Cardinal Mahony is forced out Cordileone or Olmstead will go to Los Angeles. How sweet it will be to know a California bishop such as Bp. Cordileone will begin his Mass in his cathedral saying “Introibo ad altare Dei”…Thank you Holy Father, Thanks be to GOD.

  7. Graham says:

    I love the mantelletta over his mozzetta!

  8. ChristopherY says:

    I’ve heard his excellency on Catholic Answers a bunch of times, he is a very holy man. Personally, I’d love to see hom move down to the LA area right around February 27, 2011.

  9. Khaled says:

    Christ Be Praised!

  10. Cel says:

    “Bishop of Oakland, not Archbishop.”

    But perhaps someday, God willing, Archbishop. Perhaps right there in SoCal… hmmmmmmmm. :)

    His Excellency has my prayers, either way.

  11. Tim says:

    We were privileged to attend Bishop Cordileone’s Sunday traditional Latin Mass in Conn. a couple years ago. He was great. What a straight shooter. He is exemplary – certainly one of the very best bishops in North America. Pray for him: his enemies will be legion in the Bay area.

  12. Karen Russell says:

    For some reason the first line of this post on my computer reads “We are all very happy about the news that Oakland has a new Archbishop in His Excellency Most ”

    So I was in suspense as to who the new Archbishop was until I read Central Valley’s comment.

    Was my computer being difficult, or was his name accidentally left off?

  13. RichR says:

    We are all very happy about the news that Oakland has a new Archbishop in His Excellency Most

    Bishop Most looks a lot like Bishop Cordileone ;-)

  14. JlovesR says:

    We are thrilled with our new bishop!! Thank you HF for sending him to us!!

  15. Felipe says:

    Your blessing Father,

    May I just rise a question. Well of course I am very happy to see a bishop in matelleta again, but that isnt actually doing as the rules say. Paul VI abolished the mantelletas for bishops. And contrary to some things that weren’t abolished but simply stopped being used, this one was actually abolished. Bishops and cardinals can no longer wear the mantelleta.

    That’s why I think the Holy Father should declare null this Papal Bull about vertments and clothers, regalia and stuff.

    Thank you all for the amazing comments!
    I hope this diocese here, São José dos Campos, Brazil gets a traditional bishop.

  16. CBM says:

    I believe that this photo was taken at a EF funeral. I also believe that this was the appropriate vesture for titular bishops which he was at the time. I read that on Whispers.

  17. LW says:

    San Diego\’s great loss will be Oakland\’s great blessing.

    …Maybe the good Bishop Cordileone can do something about that awful new Cathedral…

  18. J. Basil Damukaitis says:

    FYI, mantelletta over his rochet, not mozzetta. If he were a cardinal in Rome, it would be mozzetta over mantelletta and rochet…

    I hate to pour water on a fun pic, because I dearly love the mantelletta, but titular bishops should no longer, even in the EF wear the mantelletta they must still follow “Ut sive sollicite” which is the reform of episcopal costume. Remember, Summorum Pontificium is for the Liturgy only, it does not mean that we can go back in a time machine and for a couple hours pretend VII didn’t happen. As such, unfortunately, and strictly speaking, he should be wearing the mozzetta, but that’s just among us “friendlys!!!”

  19. J. Basil Damukaitis says:

    he’s no longer permitted the mantelletta under any form as a titular bishop. Sorry gang!!!

  20. J. Basil Damukaitis says:

    It’s a sad day for us here in St. Louis. We were hoping for him to be placed here!

    Maybe he’ll get L.A. soon!! I hear he likes gut-rehab projects!

  21. Flambeaux says:

    Some things I just don’t understand. Paul VI’s war against clerical dress is one of them.

    Good on Bp. Cordileone.

  22. San Diego Seminarian says:

    His Excellency will be very much missed in San Diego, may God bless him in Oakland.

  23. Cliftonian says:

    Am I right in thinking his name means Lionheart?

  24. Josephus muris saliensis says:

    Flambeaux (all of you!?)

    We are all right with you on this, except that if we take it to its logical conclusion we become protestants!

    Let us hope the Pope liberates us from the fascism of USS clerical vesture diktats – mantelletta, fiocchetti, buckled shoes, All banned!

  25. Flambeaux says:

    Josephus,

    Yes. I contain multitudes (of lights)…but that’s another story.

    I disagree. One can be critical of a foolish decision on a disciplinary matter without rejecting the authority that imposes it, or the de fide basis of that authority.

    And it seems to me that whether or not Pope Paul’s savaging of the privileges of ecclesiastical dress is binding on those participating in the EF is still unclear. Just like the question of the wearing of the maniple, or whether or not the imposition of the supressed Minor Orders are anything more than play-acting.

    But we’re straying off topic, so I’ll let the matter rest.

  26. Andrew, UK and sometimes Canada says:

    Full Roman collar, not tab. Always a good sign.

  27. Daniel A. says:

    For a long time I’ve hoped he would be placed in Fresno…oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait and see who the next bishop here will be. Lucky Oakland (a sentence those of us who don’t live there rarely say or think :))

  28. Noooooooooooooooooooo! We don’t want him to go!

  29. Others have said it but it bears repeating, Oakland’s gain is San Diego’s loss. We of the Traditional Latin Mass Congregation owe a great deal to Bishop Cordileone including the fulfillment of our long held dream, a Traditional Latin Mass parish. This man is one of the finest bishops of our time. Although we will miss him, we will pray for him and we give thanks for the seven years the Lord gave him to us.

    Carl H. Horst
    San Diego, CA

  30. John Polhamus says:

    (Father, please correct the text of your posting and include the Bishop’s name!)

    The picture is from November of 2007, when Bishop Cordileone came to the church of St. John the Evangelist in Normal Heights, San Diego, to celebrate a Pontifical Requiem Mass at the faldstool, for the Brothers of the Little Oratory, who served. Our MC1 – Ashley Paver, whose cotta is seen on the left of the picture, happened to have a manteletta, and the Bishop agreed to wear it, as he also did on several subsequent occasions.

    It has been a great grace to know and serve this extraordinary man (I was MC2 at that Requiem), indeed the greatest grace I have know in this diocese through the years. He has helped so many to recover, nurture and find growth in a Catholic identity both stunted and sometimes deformed by years of Episcopal neglect verging on abuse. No, not verging, very definately abusive. His manifold kindnesses and sensativities, combined with a firm and assertive guidance has changed the lives of so many in our Diocese it would be difficult to count them.

    He is accessible. He laughs. He is intellectual. He has a rare common touch. He listens. He has no liturgical axe to grind; his concern is always for the quality of the liturgical act. He knows his own mind, but is concerned with the perceptions of others as well. He loves his ministry. He truly loves the Roman Catholic Church. I could go on, but I will leave it to his future biographers.

    Without him we will be bereft for a time, but we will go on. May he go from strength to strengh. May the hand of the Almighty rest firmly upon him. May he visit us one day in Eminance. May his rise continue, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the benefit of all. God Bless the Bishop of Oakland, His Excellency Bp. Salvatore Cordileone.

    Deo Gratias

  31. Sandy says:

    I am SOOOO sad that he is leaving San Diego. Guess it was too much to hope for that he would become our leader. As the others said, he has been such a blessing while here. How many bishops would lead a procession to one of the local abortion mills? (among other things he did)

  32. Deo Gratias! I’ve had the pleasure to meet him briefly…San Diego’s Loss is indeed Oakland’s gain.

  33. DarkKnight says:

    Perhaps he can sell off the Cathedral of Light and use the proceeds to build a fitting seat for a faithful bishop.

    The whole building is designed as a mill stone to the Church Militant, encasing in concrete and brick mea culpas rather than inspiring the faithful to win victory for the Lord.

    Then maybe he can cross the Bay Bridge if there is anythng left of the city of St. Francis.

  34. Fr. Guy says:

    This has already been pointed out but I wanted to clarify that the mantelletta is, in fact, no longer permitted for bishops. In addition, Rocco Palmo got it wrong again. In the days prior to the reform of choral vesture by Pope Paul VI in 1969 the mantelletta was worn by ALL bishops (not just titular ones). It was used to cover the rochet which is a sign of jurisdiction. So, auxiliary bishops wore it always. Ordinaries, both bishops and archbishops wore it whenever they were outside their own diocese. Even cardinals wore one when they were in Rome in addition to wearing the mozetta. At Vatican II all the bishops and cardinals wore the mantelletta but the metropolitan archbishops and cardinals also wore the mozetta over the mantelletta.

    These days the mantelletta is worn by the canons of the major basilicas in Rome as well as by certain chapters of canons in other parts of the world. But, that’s pretty much about it.

    I, for one, would like to see its use revived for bishops.

  35. ..I wonder if Archbishop Burke has the ear of the Pope?
    Answer: Let us pray so

  36. A Random Friar says:

    Wiki says he was titular bishop of “Natchesium” (Natchez, Miss)? Didn’t know we had titular sees here. Now he can visit Natchez without any canonical problems. :)

  37. ED says:

    Bishop Cordileone is entering the desert of the Diocese of Oakland, hopefully he can bring in some orthodox priests, the FSSP and have some Latin Mass parishes. He’s only 52 so he has 30 years ahead, God willing! Both Archdioceses of Los Angeles and San Francisco with have Archbishops who turn 75 in 2 years, so Cordileone would be ready for either. Both have seminaries where you make ORTHODOX priests. Rome only waited 2 months to fill Oakland when they usually wait 1 and a half years to fill a vacant see.

  38. Fr. Guy says:

    Natchez, Walla Walla, Vincennes, Bardstown, Grass Valley, Allegheny, Sault Sainte Marie (Michigan, not Ontario), Oregon City, Nachitoches, Leavenworth and Nesqually are all Titular Sees located within the USA. There may even be some more that I’ve missed. Pope John Paul II added to this list quite a bit.

  39. Kevin says:

    Thanks be to God! I’m very happy for the Diocese of Oakland. Its seminarians are happy too. They were starting to wonder what would become of their fourth year guys at the end of this semester :p

  40. Liam says:

    While we are on the subtopic of titular sees locallly, it should be noted that auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark of Los Angeles has the title to the oldest see in the New World: He is titular bishop of Gardar, which was established in Greenland (which is part of North America, not Europe) in the early *12th* century and was an active see until the 15th century. So the Church was first organized in the New World almost 400 years before the Church was organized in the Caribbean islands.

  41. A Random Friar says:

    Thank you, Fr. Guy, for the information. Good to know!

    And for all you SoCal people coveting the Oakland bishop… back off! :)

  42. Timbot says:

    I think this is appropriate here

    The Bishop!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2etGhVewsvQ

  43. I am delighted that this is now official. Bp. Cordileone is a great friend of the Western Dominican Province, as was Bp. Vigneron. We have been truly blessed in those two bishops.

    It will be wonderful to have as bishop a man who has already been a great supporter and collaborator in the Provinces work in San Diego.

    Ad multos annos!

  44. Tim Ferguson says:

    Lead, South Dakota; Jamestown and Concordia are a couple other titular sees in the United States to add to the excellent list Fr. Guy has prepared.

  45. Tom says:

    Spoke to him a few times on CAL. If I didn’t make it on the air, he’d stick around to answer the question.

    What you see is what you get. Long live B16

  46. Son of Trypho says:

    A liberal response concerning mantelletas! :P

    Firstly, “Ut sive sollicite”, which restricted mantelletas, was issued by an unnaccountable lone monarch (Paul VI) and his unrepresentative advisory body made up of his own appointees, of undemocratically elected ecclesiastical representatives, all men, without public input and collaboration, feedback and discussion from women religious, the laity and other faiths.

    The restriction of certain types of ecclesiastical dress was arbitrary and clearly did not take into account the feelings of the prelates involved. It was harmful in that it restricted their own personal identity and their ability to express themselves through their personal appearance.

    It was an authoritarian “one size fits all” approach to Church and doesn’t respect their individual dignity – how does the Church explain the humiliation faced by fashion-conscious cardinals permitted to wear red stockings but not matching red shoes with silver buckles, especially during Fashion Week in Italy?

    The decision was not made with the consent of Paul’s brother bishops nor with their direct collaboration and input nor did it respect the cultural customs and identities of churches in non-Roman states. Paul forgot that although he is first, he is also equal! Besides, it was clearly discriminatory and unfair as provision was made for Oriental prelates to retain their own customs despite their minority status in the Church. Remember, the Church can’t keep pandering to minority groups, especially obstinant reactionary types who refuse to move with the spirit!

    Similarly, this decree was issued in 1969. Its 2009 now and the spirit of renewal from Vatican II has moved well beyond that time and age in the last 40 years. Time to move on and embrace the modern world and its values. Prelates should wear what they want, they have rights too, and seek clarifications from Rome and only take off their mantelletas when the matter is clarified and agreed to by their national bishops bodies after extensive discussions are undertaken at the parish level.

    The Holy Father should beware the rumblings of the growing volcano that this type of draconian enforcement of archaic legislation entails and besides what about the poor? Couldn’t he save some money from writing all these clarifications and instructions and give it to the poor?

  47. father Totton says:

    HE The Most Reverend Joseph Perry is titular Bp of Lead (so that is in so Dakota?) Would that H.E. be raised to ordinary soon. Perry would be a “most excellent” appoinment in one of the two recently vacated Midwestern metropolitan sees.

  48. Dove says:

    ED, Oakland has had the Latin Mass for about 35 years. St Margaret Mary Church had the indult and then in 2006 the Bishop put the ICKSP in the parish as Episcopal Delegate. It’s not a totally EF parish and the ICKSP priest is not the parish priest. It’s an odd situation, but we have Masses in English, plus the OF Latin Mass (said by the parish priest) and the EF Latin Mass on Sundays, and there is a daily EF Mass as well. It would be great if the new Bishop would designate an EF parish so we could have more than one EF Mass on Sundays.

  49. Oakland says:

    To complement what Dove wrote above regarding the situation in Oakland : the ICKSP priest in residence there, J-M Moreau, is a truly wonderful priests who has previously been a missionary in Africa–for 13 years.

  50. John Polhamus says:

    “The Holy Father should beware the rumblings of the growing volcano that this type of draconian enforcement of archaic legislation entails and besides what about the poor? Couldn’t he save some money from writing all these clarifications and instructions and give it to the poor?”

    Would that be…a threat? Golly, how predictable.

    Son of Trypho, the Holy Father clearly isn’t wasting any money on you, so I think he’ll keep his own council regarding his clarifying efforts and instructional exertions. Also, the “poor” are always with us to coin a well known phrase (I can cite the author if you require don’t know Him), and after forty years of catering to their bodily functions, it’s high time a Pope took some account of their spiritual needs, else their bodies become as well fed but empty shells. I’m afraid it’s liberal theologians who have been encouraging the wasting of money on temporary fixes to eternal problems – remember, not by bread alone. It takes a supersubstantial bread, and a supersubstantial liturgy…not the one we have been fed with for too long.

    So form does matter. Mantilettas matter. And yours aren’t the only volcanic rumblings in the land. Pederasty induced Diocesan bankruptcies have a way of arousing that kind of sentiment. Do you think that the Pope isn’t already wary? On the other hand do you think that he will shrink from doing what must be done? I doubt it on both counts.

    For some reason you sound suspiciously clerical. If you are, I venerate your office, but you should know that I and many like me are already braced for a modernist insurgency, in the face of any kind of even-handed approach to the ecclesiological status quo, and we will defend Benedict XVI to your perdition. That is why I don’t fear to sign my name publicly to a statement so bold. So if you mean to split the church if the Pope doesn’t adopt your priorities, why don’t you just say so? Bring it…or shut up with your threats.

  51. John Polhamus says:

    Son of Trypho…disregard my rightous indignation…I thought you were being serious. Well what can I say…we’re all a bit hyper-sensative at the moment in San Diego. His last day here is going to be a sad one…well, bitter-sweet at best. Trying to keep my chin up. :-(

    It’s late…I have a caffine headache…mea culpa…I’m going to bed.

  52. Allyson Smith says:

    Bishop Cordileone is a wonderful bishop. We in San Diego who have been blessed to know and work with him cannot say enough good things about him. While we hate to see him go, we always knew this day would come. We are grateful that he will still be in California–and particularly that he will be in the Bay Area, a region that needs a strong, tradition-minded bishop who is not afraid to speak out against the culture of death. Deo gratias for Bishop Cordileone’s years in San Diego. Please keep him in your prayers for grace, wisdom and protection as he leads his new flock.

  53. ED says:

    Dove im glad you have the ICK in your diocese but their is no church law that says you cant have 2 traditional Latin mass religious orders in your diocese (Bishop Cordileone recently helped bring the FSSP to San Diego) In fact if you had both then Father Moreau and the ICK and the FSSP could start a traditional school in the diocese. Better yet start a Traditional Junior College where homeschoolers and others could take their 64 credit core curriculum before they move unto their major. They could work together. A trad junior college i believe would be a big hit!!!!

  54. Zach says:

    Perhaps the reason he would be allowed to wear a mantelletta is due to his work at the Apostolic Signatura??? Just a thought.

  55. Dove says:

    ED, as Fr. Z. says, brick by brick.

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