Time in Rome is a sacrifice, not a career move.

UPDATE 30 Aug:

In yet another proof that liberals have a nasty streak a mile wide but no sense of humor, Michael Sean Winters at the Fishwrap posted a snarky attack on both me and on Cardinal Burke.

Let me spell this out for MSW and his crowd.  I did not speculate that Card. Burke would be moved to Chicago.  What I posted, below, was an exercise in IRONY (if you are a regular Fishwrap reader or from Columbia Heights click HERE for a definition of this hard word).

John Thavis, in his piece, opined that it is a great thing that Cañizares Llovera has been returned to his native Spain, that this may be some sort of genius masterstroke of Pope Francis to help curtail corruption, or something, in the Roman Curia.  Then – try to follow the move here – I brought up a parallel case, and with another figure that the catholic Left despises: Card. Burke.  If it was pastoral and good for the Roman Curia that Card. Cañizares be moved to a major see in his native place, then what American Cardinal in the Curia could be moved to a major see in his native place?  About which American diocese are lots of people talking right now?  Chicago.  See?  Thus: be careful what you wish for, liberals.  They never think things through, do they?

No one thinks that Pope Francis will send Card. Burke to Chicago.  Such a move would be fine by me.  I’d love to see the wailing and gnashing of teeth were he, the great defender of can. 915, sent to Washington DC, but that’s not going to happen either.

Also, take a look at MSW’s deeply nasty ad hominem swipe at Card. Burke.   And they yap about charity on the internet.  Sometimes people say that my combox has mean-spirited comments.  It is to laugh.  No place on the Catholic internet is more vicious than the comboxes at the National Schismatic Reporter.  Go see for yourselves.  HERE

Nasty.  Humorless.  Obtuse.

UPDATE 30 August evening, Saturday of Labor Day weekend:

Fishwrap posted that they were closing their comboxs for the Labor Day weekend.  HERE

And yet their commentators have been posting all day today.

Hmmmm.  Actually, it looks like the combox is turned off on some posts, but not others.  Did someone miss the memo?

_____   ORIGINALLY POSTED Aug 28, 2014 @ 13:08

John Thavis has an interesting observation in his reportage about the transfer of Card. Cañizares Llovera back to his native Spain after his term as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

A couple snips…

I’ve argued that if Pope Francis really wants to emphasize service over prestige in Vatican appointments, he should make it clear that those called to Rome are there temporarily, with no guarantee of career advancement, and can expect to return home after their five-year term is over.

[…]

It will be interesting to see if Pope Francis is willing to send younger department heads back to pastoral service after a few years at the Vatican, rather than keeping them on forever. The turnover would be good for the church, and would remind the prelates that their time in Rome is a sacrifice, not a career move.

Okay, I’ll bite!

Consider if you will the case of His Eminence Raymond Leo Card. Burke, the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of Apostolic Signatura.  He is young, in Cardinal Years.   Who better than he to exemplify Pope Francis’ laser-beam focus on the pastoral?

Pope Francis could make Card. Burke the next Archbishop of Chicago!

Think about it.

Card. Burke was born and raised in Wisconsin, near to the Windy City in the great upper Midwest.  He was Archbishop of St. Louis, and so knows his way around the job and around the USCCB.

One way or another, if Pope Francis sends Burke home as an Archbishop or keeps him in Rome as a Prefect, he will seek holiness and excellence in whatever role he has.  And, truth be told, there is quite simply no churchman more pastoral than Raymond Leo Card. Burke.

Little boy crying because he couldn't yet receive Holy Communion.

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97 Comments

  1. Certainly there still much legacy of Bernardin in Chicago that cries out for Card. Burke’s special pastoral touch. Though Washington, DC might offer even more opportunity for fraternal correction.

  2. HighMass says:

    How many of us prayed Card. Burke would be elected in 2013….GOD knows best….but…..

  3. JesusFreak84 says:

    *Makes and distributes ‘Burke for Chicago!’ signs* =-p

  4. Eugene says:

    a great great man indeed. I will continue to pray that regardless whatever role is handed to him, hopefully as the head of the CDW, the Holy Spirit will one day put him on the chair of St Peter.

  5. rodin says:

    Great idea! I’ll drink to that. And also to “Cardinal” Chaput.

  6. James Joseph says:

    I would be interested in seeing a list of cardinals who have been parish priests.

  7. acardnal says:

    I support His Eminence in all of his endeavors! He is also a HUGE supporter and advocate of the Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.

  8. wmeyer says:

    Card. Burke would be a most wonderful spiritual gift to Chicago. Or to Washington, DC. Or anywhere the Holy Father may send him.

  9. SimonDodd says:

    I would be happy to see it happen, but one has a hard time imagining that Francis, who has an aversion to what he considers “small-minded rules” and those who are “stubbornly try[ing] to recover a past that no longer exists,” has the same understanding of the word “pastoral” as I think Card. Burke does.

    HighMass says: “How many of us prayed Card. Burke would be elected in 2013….GOD knows best….but…..”

    God knows best, but Catholics are not required to believe–the Church has never taught, and in light of history could not credibly teach–that the conclave will always follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. We are obliged by the faith to be obedient to Francis, but we are certainly not obliged to believe his election was God’s plan, if that is what you mean! There have been many terrible, terrible men elected to the See of Rome. It cannot have been God’s plan for His Church that they have been elected over more capable men. Yet they were elected.

  10. Siculum says:

    Speaking of Cardinal Llovera’s forthcoming transfer, “Little Ratzinger” is saying, to use the street colloquial, “Peace out” to the Rome crew — with a bang. Check out his newly translated commentary on the Sign of Peace — written in the hermeneutic of continuity, no less: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/text-of-vatican-document-on-sign-of-peace-at-mass

    Can’t wait to see what Father Z thinks about this one.

  11. Siculum says:

    Oh, and in it he cites, “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi.”

  12. Siculum says:

    I, too, would drink to a Cardinal Chaput, who this afternoon pretty much threw down the gauntlet (again) in his weekly column, uniting the HHS mandate, the phony “War on Women,” the persecution of Christians abroad, and America’s foreign policy, in the style of “The Future and our Choices.” I encourage you all to read him too: http://catholicphilly.com/2014/08/think-tank/archbishop-chaput-column/a-lesson-in-priorities/

  13. frjim4321 says:

    It won’t be Chaput for CHItown.

    Rumor is Barron.

    You heard it here first.

    I know . . . no experience with administration of a diocese . . . yada yada . . . but it’s all atmospherics at this point . . . that’s how we got the corpulent unfunny jokester in NYC. [Caustic!]

  14. Ioannes Andreades says:

    Makes one wonder whether prefects and secretaries will even need to be ordained bishops as we go on. Perhaps Francis is looking eventually to turn back St. John XXIII’s decision that all cardinals be consecrated bishops.

  15. acardnal says:

    I believe Fr. Barron is in line for the episcopacy as a seminary rector, but I don’t think Chicago would be appropriate at this time.

  16. frjim4321 says:

    Me neither, ACARD, but that’s what I hear.

    I’m not much of a fan . . . (no surprise here).

  17. frjim4321 says:

    If it happens, you’ll know I’m not a troll and that my connections aren’t all that bad.

  18. frjim4321 says:

    (I think there is something wrong with this blog . . . my computer keeps trying to load it even tho it is fully loaded!)

  19. ChrisRawlings says:

    I’d much rather have Cardinal Burke in Chicago than in Rome. He would do so much good for the Church in America. He’d do well in Washington, too, for that matter, but I just don’t see that happening. I tend to think that Archbishop Lori would be ideal for D.C.

    Barron would be fantastic for Chicago, too. I loved his speech a few months ago in Los Angeles at the Catholic educators’ conference. I can’t really think of anywhere else where Cardinal Burke would go, assuming, of course, that he actually goes somewhere.

  20. Athelstan says:

    “Pope Francis could make Card. Burke the next Archbishop of Chicago!”

    Make it so, number one.

  21. frjim4321 says:

    That won’t happen.

    Not with Francis.

  22. benedetta says:

    Even if you are correct and have great connections, frjim4321, it doesn’t establish for all intents and purposes that you are not a troll…I’m afraid you are laboring under an atypical definition of troll on that score. I’m sure a great many trolling characters on blogs are extremely well informed and connected.

  23. benedetta says:

    How lovely for the Spanish to have this Cardinal back with them! It would be marvelous to have Cardinal Burke back with us here!

  24. frjim4321 says:

    nope, benedetta, a troll is someone who pretends to be other than who they are . . . I have never misrepresented myself … i am a pastor of a mid-sized RC parish in the midwest …

  25. SaintJude6 says:

    Quick definition search reveals: In Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response …
    You don’t have to pretend to be anything other than what you are to be a troll.

  26. qmbarque says:

    Leave Burke where he is. Bp. Paprocki (Springfield) should be next Archbishop of Chicago.

  27. frjim4321 says:

    It won’t be Paprocki.

    Not gonna happen.

  28. jhayes says:

    Ioannes Andreades wrote Perhaps Francis is looking eventually to turn back St. John XXIII’s decision that all cardinals be consecrated bishops.

    I seem to remember reading that Newman asked not to be made a bishop when he became a Cardinal, but had to agree to it. If so, the requirement goes back at least that far.

    [Jesuits over 80 are usually given the opt out option.]

  29. robtbrown says:

    James Joseph says:

    I would be interested in seeing a list of cardinals who have been parish priests.

    I don’t think this pope was ever a parish priest.

    BXVI, yes. JPII, yes. JPI, yes. Paul VI, no.

  30. frjim4321 says:

    Francis?

  31. Imrahil says:

    Dear robtbrown,

    sorry to correct you, but Pope Benedict to my knowledge never was a parish priest. He was what we call a chaplain (i. e. a vicar), and he did step in for his parish priest when the latter was ill for some two months, but he never was actually a parish priest. Immediately afterwards he became teacher at the Seminary, before becoming university professor.

  32. jhayes says:

    Siculum wrote: Check out his newly translated commentary on the Sign of Peace

    Thanks for the link, I did read it.

    b) On the basis of these observations, it may be advisable that, on the occasion of the publication of the translation of the third typical edition of the Roman Missal in their own country, or when new editions of the same Missal are undertaken in the future, Conferences of Bishops should consider whether it might not be fitting to change the manner of giving peace which had been established earlier. For example, following these years of experience, in those places where familiar and profane gestures of greeting were previously chosen, they could be replaced with other more appropriate gestures.

    Seems to be left to each national Conference of Bishops to decide – and not until they issue a new edition of the Roman Missal. In the US, that means its up to the USCCB to decide and probably not for a very long time in the future.

  33. benedetta says:

    Nope, frjim4321 a troll is a troll even if you’re a pastor. Your refusal to accept the standard definition of troll doesn’t change the situation at all. The reality is that trolling has nothing to do with having an actual legitimate job, or, in your case, vocation. Of course.

    [And thus you fall into the trap. Now the discussion is about Fr. Jim instead of the irony of the top entry.]

  34. benedetta says:

    It’s not the troll’s identity or background that makes the troll. It’s the behavior which is pretty obviously recognized.

  35. benedetta says:

    You seem to cling to rather a quite legalistic and narrow definition of troll, frjim4321.

  36. benedetta says:

    Anyway how hopeful for Spain! Such a beautiful country. And in great need of the leadership of this Cardinal. The obsession some have shown in trying to force abortion on the Spanish people has been tragic and an obvious alarm that real spiritual renewal is necessary.

  37. frjim4321 says:

    No a troll is not a troll because you don’t like what she/he says.

    Speaking the truth to power does to make a woman/man a troll.

  38. benedetta says:

    Still wrong. Now you’re just making it up.

  39. benedetta says:

    Hijacking a post though would be just one obvious trait. I’m sure others will chime in on your time worn rabbit hole tactic? [And so you continue to make it about Fr. Jim?]

  40. steve jones says:

    It seems a reasonable appointment to send a 67 yo back to his home diocese. The appointment of his successor will logically be a Cardinal from an Archdiocese? If not, will the successor be made a Cardinal?

  41. robtbrown says:

    Imrahil,

    In his Memoirs he refers to his experience working in a parish. (He was ordained Jun 1951 and didn’t return to theological studies until Oct 1952.

    Made strong by the experience of these weeks, on August 1 I began my ministry as assistant pastor in the parish of the Precious Blood in Munich. The greater portion of the parish lay in a residential suburb in which intellectuals, artists, and high government officials lived . . .

    http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/excerpts/milestones.asp

  42. Juergensen says:

    A Pope Burke or Pope Pell would be beautiful to behold.

  43. americangirl says:

    I too was one who hoped and prayed Cardinal Burke would be our Pontiff during the conclave but my thoughts are not God’s thoughts and my ways are not His ways , so says the Lord! I love Cardinal Burke and would love to see him back here in the United States. He is a good and holy Priest and a man who cares about what he was ordained to do. That is what we need today. Priests who execute the Sacraments with respect, reverence and obedience to Christ and his Church and a Priest who understands the importance of the salvation of souls. I have to honestly say I have many concerns about many thing that APPEAR to be transpiring within our Church.

  44. Will Elliott says:

    Fr. Jim, if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Archbishop Gustavo returning to Chicago from San Antonio. Good idea?

  45. Lori Pieper says:

    I really love Fr. Barron, but I don’t know if I want him to be a bishop or not. He’s got the stuff, but on the other hand, he is so perfect for what he does right now in media.

    On the other hand, the purple didn’t diminish Archbp Sheen’s talents. . .

  46. Lori Pieper says:

    “speaking truth to power does not make a woman/man a troll”

    LOL, frjim4321, exactly what “power” are you speaking truth to here? An ordinary parish priest (more or less your equal in rank) and a bunch of ordinary lay people, for the most part. Do you really find us that intimidating?

    When it comes to the heroic posturing, you fall pretty flat.

  47. benedetta says:

    So…back to contemplating Cardinal Burke home here with us on our shores…! What a privilege it would be!

  48. robtbrown says:

    frjim4321 says:

    Francis?

    I don’t understand the question.

  49. Imrahil says:

    Dear robtbrown,

    certainly!

    Must be a language issue. When I hear “parish priest” I translate “Pfarrer” and that is only the pastor and never the assistant pastor.

  50. robtbrown says:

    I agree with FrJim4321 that Chaput will not go to Chicago–Philly is historically a diocese with a Red Hat. Also doubt that Burke will get the job, even though he seems to have done well in LaCrosse and St Louis. More likely, the reason would be O’Malley rather than Francis.

    I cannot see Fr Barron moving directly to such a large diocese as Chicago. Even in Italy, without all the constant US diocesan shuffling, no one moves from seminary rector to a prominent diocese.

    I would think Paprocki would be a serious possibility, but I’ll defer to Fr Jim on it. I do think, however, that while Roman rumors are often true, US rumors tend to be wishful thinking. Also that Wuerl and O’Malley will have input.

    Whoever it is, I rather doubt that it will be as difficult to find someone who will take the job as it was after the death of Bernardin.

  51. Thorfinn says:

    The Chicago press has floated Abp. Wilton Gregory (I’d forgotten he existed!), Bp. Cupich, Abp. Sartain, and Bp. Paprocki. (http://7online.com/archive/9458052/) Sartain seems like an odd choice as he is already on his 3rd diocese, plus he’s busy with the LCWR farce. Gregory would be the obvious choice if this were politics (which it is in part, unfortunately), though he looked pretty silly spending $2M on a new episcopal residence++ and then doing an about-face when confronted by the media.

    I would bet on None of the Above, and pray for a solid bishop regardless.

  52. Jackie L says:

    Two Bishops with midwestern backgrounds whom I hope may be considered for Chicago, Bp. Earl Boyea of Lansing, and Bp. Alexander Sample of Portland.

  53. robtbrown says:

    Imrahil says:

    Must be a language issue. When I hear “parish priest” I translate “Pfarrer” and that is only the pastor and never the assistant pastor.

    What do you call an associate pastor?

    What word would you use for both?

  54. Fr. Erik Richtsteig says:

    Chicago?!? What did Cardinal Burke every do to you? [don’t worry. It was an exercise in irony. No one seems to get that. But your point is good: Chicago will be a harsh sentence for the man who is appointed.]

  55. Gregg the Obscure says:

    I’d agree that Abp. Chaput is highly unlikely for Chicago, as he hasn’t been in Philly for long and has much yet to do there. It’s unusual for an archdiocese as big as Chicago to get someone who wasn’t already an archbishop, which reduces the likelihood of Bp. Paprocki going to Chicago. That being said, Abp. Sample seems unlikely due to the recency of his appointment. The delay in the appointment seems to augur against Abp. Gregory. I’ve suspected that Abp. Kurtz of Louisville is a possibility. I had hoped for Abp. Nienstedt of St. Paul, but the campaign of defamation against him seems to have damaged his position a bit. [A bit?]

  56. Imrahil says:

    Dear robtbrown,

    an associate pastor would be called a “Kaplan” (chaplain) which is originally a honorific for them but now fairly general. The title according to Church law is “(parish) vicar”. Back in the days in parishes with more than two assistant priests, the first would be called “chaplain”, the second “vicar” (or vice versa) and the rest “adjunct”s.

    A word that groups all those together with pastors does not exist in any shorter form than “priests doing pastoral care on parish level” (“in der Pfarrseelsorge tätige Priester”).

    There is, though, a colloquialism, probably Protestant-influenced, to exchange the very word “priest” with “Pfarrer” (closest English equivalent then probably “parson”), but that if used, as far as I perceive, just includes any priest whosoever. There is also a tradition for all the chaplains (now the real thing, military, hospitals and the like, not the aforementioned honorific) to be granted the honorific “Pfarrer”, and all retired Pfarrers retain the style “Herr Pfarrer”; but vicars do not have it.

  57. Uxixu says:

    Speaking of Red Hats, I will be interested to see if Abp Gomez will get one . Perhaps when Cardinal Mahoney is past voting age? That naturally the begs the question of the next consistory and if/how often the Holy Father will have them or if he thinks it linked with the “careerism” that led to turning back Paul VI WRT Monsignor.

    @Ioannes Andreades, I was reading about the St John XXIII’s rule the other day and did think it would be fascinating to see the potential of a permanent deacon as a Cardinal Deacon. :ducks: More seriously, are there any permanent deacons in Rome, much less Italy?

  58. Stephen McMullen says:

    Hi. Look for Archbishop Tobin, CssR, Indianapolis, to get the nod for this position.
    Remember, you heard it HERE first.

    [Not really. His name has been tossed about for a long time. I sincerely doubt that he will be appointed to Chicago.]

  59. Yes, there are permanent deacons in Rome. Benedict addressed them a few years back:

    http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060218_deacons-rome_en.html

    As for the question of cardinals serving as parish priests…

    The Vatican biography of Jorge Bergoglio says that he served some years as a seminary rector, and during that time also served as a parish priest.

    Raymond Burke, meantime, spent five years as the assistant rector at a cathedral. It doesn’t appear that he ever served otherwise as priest or pastor on the parish level.

  60. John of Chicago says:

    As long as we’re all engaged in harmless speculation about Chicago, here’s another name–Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis. He’s religious (Redemptorist, former head of the order) recently appointed to his archdiocese by Pope Benedict after Curial appointments in Rome with some parish experience in Chicago years back, as well.
    Actually, Archbishop Tobin’s bio has more than a passing resemblance to Cardinal George’s own experience prior to the Cardinal’s appointment to Chicago.

  61. I’ve also heard Tobin’s name floated for Chicago, for all the reasons John of Chicago has mentioned.

    I keep wondering what they have in mind for Bishop Christopher Coyne, who served very capably as administrator for Indianapolis before Tobin as appointed.

  62. sunnyside says:

    The next bishop of Chicago will be a jesuit. You heard it hear first!

  63. SimonDodd says:

    It would seem irregular for an archbishop of a major city to be transferred to a nearby major city after only a couple of years on the job. These are irregular times, sure, but I have a hard time imagining that.

  64. janeway529 says:

    Since we’re speculating, I’ll add another name: Archbishop Listecki.

    The chosen bishop will most likely have some prior ministry in Chicago, and may possibly be a priest from Chicago. Experience with a fairly large diocese or archdiocese will also be a factor. Obviously Cardinal George also has his 3 candidates in mind.

    Personally, I’m rooting for Archbishop Wilton Gregory. I think it’s time Chicago and the United States had its first African American cardinal, to go with Archbishop Gomez and Archbishop Chaput (the latter two I expect to be elevated to the College of Cardinals on the same date).

  65. Several thoughtful people have told me they think it will be Archbishop Wenski of Miami.

    Considering the enormous Polish population in Chicago, that makes sense.

  66. wmeyer says:

    janeway, I would also root for Abp. Gregory, but because I pray for change here in his current archdiocese. Abp. Gregory seems rather clearly not to favor any traditional matters, and in particular, there only two parishes in which the Latin Mass it currently offered, one of them an FSSP parish which one priest described to me as a “quarantine zone.”

    We are immersed in Haugen, Haas, Schutte, and Farrell. Banners, the tabernacle to often relegated to a chapel location, a plethora of happy, clappy congregations, and RCIA apparently never reviewed, and in my former parish, based largely on Richard Rohr and Sr. Joan Chittister, with nary a mention of the CCC.

    Yes, the number of Catholics in the south is increasing, but how many of those new Catholics know the faith into which they have been received?

    On the larger topic, I would be surprised if Abp. Sample were relocated, new as he is to his current assignment. I would think that Abp. Chaput is similarly unlikely. I do think it would be wonderful if Card. Burke were returned to an archdiocese, as we certainly need strong men and true.

  67. sunnyside says:

    Michael Barber SJ was Francis first American appointment. A jesuit who was a military chaplain and now Bishop of Oakland. Don’t be surprised if he is the next Archbishop of Chicago [He is a great guy, too. I met him at the Napa conference. Impressive.]

  68. Athelstan says:

    Truth to tell, I have a sinking feeling that John of Chicago may be right: Archbishop Tobin of Indianapolis checks off the boxes that Rome usually likes to see, and he is . . . progressive enough to be the sort of prelate that this pontificate seems to like to see in major sees. The strike against him: he has been in his current see for less than two years.

    Archbishop Wenski (Miami) would be a more desirable pick, no question. His strike is no visible connection with Chicago. That’s not fatal, but it is something that would weigh against him in the scales.

    Pope Francis is in a tough bind with Cardinal Burke. It seems apparent that he’d like to move him out of Rome, but you have to give a non-retirement age cardinal a job commensurate with his stature, barring some major scandal. Chicago is the only “cardinalatial” see up for a new appointment, and there would be opposition stateside to his appointment even if Francis had a mind to name him to it . . . of course, he could be moved to some other, non-cardinalatial metropolitan see, but it would have to be a bigger one to avoid a gratuitous insult and a precedent many prelates would not like.

    So my guess is that Cardinal Burke will stay right where he is for the foreseeable future.

    I would very much love to see Paprocki, the most outstanding candidate available stateside (and he checks off all the boxes) but I fear that he’s too traditional to get the nod. A great shame.

  69. Jackie L says:

    Burke Derangement Syndrome, is a staple of the NcR type mind. In the interest of the “transparency” and “accountability” that the NcR likes to think of itself as championing, what is the name of this sarcastic Bishop Mr. Winters spoke to? Should a statement like this even be made in jest? NcR owes an apology to Cardinal Burke, the cross-dressing implication was over-the-line, and fanning the flames of hatred should not be a part of a column titled “Distinctly Catholic”.

    [Burke Derangement Syndrome]

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  70. Matt R says:

    They won’t move Bp. Paprocki to Chicago regardless of his place on the spectrum. He’s not a metropolitan archbishop already. Indeed, he is a suffragan bishop to the archbishop of Chicago. That fact is particularly pertinent when one considers that Bp. Perry is nearing closer and closer to retirement age and has never been moved to a diocese where he is the Ordinary. One is not supposed to be an auxiliary bishop for life.

    SimonDodd, I suppose Portland is not nearby, but St. John Paul II moved Cardinal George rapidly…

    janeway529, I thought Archbishop Gregory was a candidate. Imagine Fr. Pfleger and his parish telling a black archbishop “No.” (Another reason why Bishop Perry needs his own diocese!) But he lost all ground with the building of the bishop’s residence, and I completely supported him on that one!

    I would have no argument against moving Archbishop Wenski to Chicago. (Of course, should bishops be moved at all?) I agree with Fr. Z. It’s not a reward in the worldly sense anyways for whomever goes to Chicago. It’s much like Bp. Matano’s transfer to Rochester. The bishop will move out of obedience, knowing that the Holy Father has confidence in him, that the Holy Spirit will work in him, and that the most daunting tasks will not be accomplished in his lifetime.

  71. OrthodoxChick says:

    The comments below Mr. Winters’ comments are just as deliberately mean-spirited and petty as his own. There’s nothing “distinctly Catholic” about the bullying being conducted by Mr. Winters and his fan base.

  72. benedetta says:

    Click on a link to the Schismatic Reporter you say Father? I will not be doing that today as I am not sufficiently inoculated. Those commenters are SO judgmental…

  73. robtbrown says:

    Mdtt R

    After the death of Cardinal Bernardin there was trouble finding a replacement. The job was turned down by four or five bishops. George was not a prime candidate though he was highly regarded, from Chicago and Roman experienced.

    Of course, he turned out to be a great choice

  74. Joseph-Mary says:

    I highly regard Cardinal Burke, a VERY holy man. But I see that in the present atmosphere in Rome, he has already been removed from two positions; I gather his type of more traditional holiness is not in favor at this time.
    Fr. Barron might be made bishop but one would doubt suddenly thrust into the large Chicago see. He is certainly highly regarded even though he might think there are no souls in hell.
    There is much to deal with in Chicago! There is a network there. But Cardinal George certainly needs his replacement to be named as he has such health challenges now.
    Fr. Jim—I rather agreed with some things you said! I know you are not a troll and actually it is good to have your opinions here.

  75. vetusta ecclesia says:

    Fr. John Hunwicke had some posts earlier in the year on the true meaning of an ad hominem argument – not the personal attack that the Fishwrap makes on Burke but your turning their own argument (return curials to their countries) against them ( good idea – Burke for Chicago).

    [For getting it…]

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  76. Matt R says:

    robtbrown, that’s an exception… so I don’t see Archbishop Sample or any other very recently-appointed bishop to move to Chicago.

  77. Mike says:

    “Burke Derangement Syndrome” would seem to be just the outlet for the now-latent frothing hatred that was spewed by many nominal Catholics toward the previous Holy Father. Not that I’m looking forward to its resurgence; the behavior of the Benedict-phobes in one of my area’s limousine-liberal parishes came thisclose to sending me right back out the door when I was coming back to the Church for good (I pray) several years ago after several tried-and-failed rapprochements.

    No doubt my preference for the Traditional Mass is partly fueled by my aversion to trying to engage such characters when they’re in full throat. At such times I am wont to remind myself wistfully of the Biological Solution, even as I must also remind myself that the Evil One to whom the roots of hate can be traced is not a biological entity.

  78. kimberley jean says:

    It would be nice if Archbishop Gregory simply retired but Chicago would be okay. He can’t do too much more harm.

  79. Bosco says:

    Dear Father Z,

    You mentioned in an earlier comment of yours to Father Richsteig that:

    ” It was an exercise in irony. No one seems to get that.”

    May I humbly suggest you use ’emoticons’ when you write so as to express irony, impish-humour, joy, sorrow, etc. for those slow on the uptake?

  80. kpoterack says:

    An interesting recent interview with Card. Canizares Llovera in “La Stamp,” according to which he himself had asked Pope Francis to be transferred back to Spain:

    http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/canizares-36020/

    I had heard rumors awhile ago that the cardinal wanted to go back to Spain even under Pope Benedict and this seems to confirm it. At least the speculations that this was a political maneuver which will signal a change of course seem weaker now. There’s more, but read it yourselves.

  81. benedetta says:

    You are right Fr. Z. I should not have been feeding the troll in the first place…

  82. Thorfinn says:

    The point is that the bishops are successors of the Apostles and we can look foolish (at a minimum) by crowing about how this prelate is ‘up’ and another is ‘down’. Every bishop should be expected to be authentically Catholic and Pope Francis has only to decide whose talents are best used in what position. (Okay, in practice there are always some rotten apples.)

    Yes, we can and should pray for sound liturgical sensibility especially for the CDW head, and ponder which prelate might be best suited to a post like Chicago, but the mere suggestion that an American cardinal return stateside much like Canizares has done has proven to be an effective litmus test that some have spectacularly failed.

    Hopefully it’s a test we can pass the next time the Holy Father makes an appointment at odds with our best judgement.

  83. Gregg the Obscure says: I’d agree that Abp. Chaput is highly unlikely for Chicago, as he hasn’t been in Philly for long and has much yet to do there. It’s unusual for an archdiocese as big as Chicago to get someone who wasn’t already an archbishop, which reduces the likelihood of Bp. Paprocki going to Chicago. That being said, Abp. Sample seems unlikely due to the recency of his appointment.

    Leave Archbishop Sample where he is, as our metropolitan. The Pacific Northwest is a wasteland. Chicago may be bigger and more important, but we in the hinterlands are in dire need of good shepherds.

  84. Eugene says:

    What cruel cruel words directed at such a holy man as Cardinal Burke by MSW. MSW= master of stupid words
    Regarding his Bishop friend becoming Muslim if Cardinal Burke comes to Chicago, may I suggest he joins those gracious and peaceful members of ISIS.

  85. FWIW, John Allen this weekend had the following observation in The Boston Globe:

    “The profile of the kind of man Francis seems to look for in key posts is this: Orthodox in doctrine but committed to dialogue and outreach, someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously, who emphasizes concern for the poor and those at the margins, and who gets out of the office and into the streets.

    Time will tell how successful Francis is in finding such prelates. By now, however, his aides charged with identifying candidates at least ought to be clear on what the boss wants.

    As a footnote, it’s become crystal clear that Francis takes these tone-setting appointments seriously, personally reaching out to people in these places, often by phone, to get a read on the situation and to solicit frank opinions on candidates.

    On the Madrid choice, sources in the Spanish church said Francis had taken the selection as something of a ‘personal mission,’ speaking with a wide cross-section of Spanish Catholic leaders. Similarly, several American prelates say Francis has reached out to them about Chicago, bluntly asking them who they believe should get the job, as well as for reactions to names he’s collected from others.

    This intelligence-gathering comes on top of the ordinary process for bishops’ appointments, which includes a review of the situation by the pope’s nuncio, or ambassador, in that country, culminating in a set of three candidates, followed by further consideration by members of the Congregation for Bishops in Rome, who vote on a revised list of names to submit to the pontiff.

    What the pope’s behind-the-scenes activity suggests, however, is that he’s not content to rely on the system when it comes to his most important picks.

    The bottom line is that these are not papal acts in name only, but personal decisions by Francis. If they pan out, he’ll have earned the credit, and if they don’t, there’s no one else to blame.”

  86. robtbrown says:

    Matt R

    That was exactly my point. Chicago was such a disaster when Bernardin died, that no one wanted it. Jorge has made great strides in straightening it out.

    I would be stunned if Gregory gets the job

  87. robtbrown says:

    One of the bishops who reputedly turned down Chicago in 1997 was not an archbishop

    I consider a parish priest to be one who is assigned there

    There are priests who are in in residence at a parish who say Mass and hear confessions but Who work elsewhere
    There are also priests, usually religious, who helped out at a parish on Sundays, days of obligation, and vacations,
    although these priest do some work in a parish, I don’t consider them parish priests

  88. Okay. Just one more. My pastor mentioned this one this morning over coffee in the rectory kitchen:

    Timothy Broglio.

    While not a Jesuit, he’s Jesuit-educated (Boston College) and hails from Ohio.

  89. PA mom says:

    This looks like fun. Ok, how about an Eastern Provence Dominican bishop? Seems to me the other Orders are getting all the attention…

    Some of these possibilities sound wonderful, though I hope Fr Barron is able to lead the seminary a bit longer.

  90. Joan A. says:

    I happen to know several of the names being seriously considered for Chicago, and indeed one is Fr. Z’s old friend, Abp Alexander King Sample of Portland, Oregon, where I live. I pray he does not get it because he is too nice a guy to go to Chicago, but more important he’s only been here a year and we need him. He is perfectly suited to the Portland archdiocese.

  91. RafqasRoad says:

    While a part of me finds the ‘horse trading’ speculations a little, ehm, above our pay-grade as layety, another part of me wants to jump right in and run a few suggestions up the flagpole.

    So, without further ado, I’ll put forward my suggestions for the top job (though in no way meaning to slight or bid ill to Pope Francis) First and foremost, an Eastern rite Catholic for the chair of Peter when it next becomes vacant; specifically Card. Bechara Rai (excuse spelling). next Eastern Rite Catholic in line for a red hat, and most suitably so may I add, Bishop Antoine Charbel Tarabay (presently the Maronite bishop of Australia (formerly my Mgr at St. Charbels Maronite Church and the one who received me into Catholic Christianity almost three years ago.

    My current diocese (I’m slumming with the Roman riters presently as there’s no Maronite presence in my part of Rural South Eastern Australia) will be up for a new bishop next year…Fr. Z….want a job???? the weather’s fine, we’ve some of the loveliest older churches just waiting for you, fine wine and produce perfect for your culinary expertise and plenty of ‘mission territory’ ripe for your distinctive ecclesial touch, so pack your bags and come down to the sunny great South Land… It’s everything you could ask for in a diocese!!…think of us as the fantastic ‘renovator’s dream’ with loads of potential and good priests with whom you’ll get along just swell…has the sales spiel worked yet?????

  92. RafqasRoad says:

    Oh, and we’ve an awesome abbey of habited Benedictine nuns!! Mother Abbess is awesome, the sisters are dears, their abbey church is stunning and perfect for a breathtaking and distinctly Australian TLM if you get the ‘top job’.

  93. janeway529 says:

    Matt R says: “janeway529, I thought Archbishop Gregory was a candidate. Imagine Fr. Pfleger and his parish telling a black archbishop “No.” (Another reason why Bishop Perry needs his own diocese!) But he lost all ground with the building of the bishop’s residence, and I completely supported him on that one!”

    I’d say Archbishop Gregory handled the situation well. Many see him as a reformer on the sex abuse issue, since the Charter was born during his USCCB presidency, during which Cardinal George served as his VP before becoming president in 2004.
    ———-
    As for Wenski moving to Chicago, it creates more problems. Wenski may have Polish under his belt, but he’s also one of the few bishops who has fluency in Haitian Creole for Miami’s huge Haitian population. Moving Wenski is easier said than done.

    Honestly, I think Cardinal Burke is pretty much staying where he is. Supposedly the reason why Pope Benedict XVI moved him to Rome was because most of the US bishops and the nuncio at the time found Abp. Burke to be too much of a hardliner/cultural warrior (Canon 915 and publicly naming those bishops with whom he disagreed; A big no-no for Vatican diplomacy). Of course, should Cardinal Burke make it known he wants to leave Rome and the Signatura, Pope Francis can always create a new cardinalate see. I think Florida deserves a cardinal. :)

  94. Jackie L says:

    Evidently even NcR knows it has a problem with it’s combox, as they decided to close it for the weekend…smh

    I believe that Chicago is the only Archdiocese in the country that has invited in an order dedicated to the EF, in the Institute of Christ the King, they also have the Society of St. John Cantius, and one of the highest number of EF masses anywhere, I hope this is considered when the new Archbishop is selected.

  95. Mike says:

    I believe that Chicago is the only Archdiocese in the country that has invited in an order dedicated to the EF, in the Institute of Christ the King . . .

    That seems an astonishing assertion, but perhaps the word invited should mitigate my surprise. Although the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest both operate in multiple U.S. archdioceses — eleven and four respectively, by my count — I don’t know how many archdioceses save Chicago (in which both exist) have invited them to establish a presence, as opposed to a proposal having been initiated by one or the other order.

    Considering both orders’ apostolic zeal, their quelling of schismatic “traditionalism,” and the wreck in which several generations of modernism have left the Church in this country, one would think that any diocese in the nation, arch- or otherwise, should be prepared to welcome either order with open arms.

  96. Jackie L says:

    Sorry Mike, I didn’t complete my thought on that, I meant that Chicago is the only archdiocese in the US with a Cardinal Archbishop, that has a ICKSP, or FSSP presence. New York, Washington, and Boston, are absent a presence of either group as are the traditional Cardinalic sees of Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Detroit.

    However I have since learned that I was wrong on that as there is an FSSP presence in Galveston-Houston with Cardinal DiNardo.

  97. Uxixu says:

    The FSSP has been welcomed by Archbishop Gomez to LA, see fssp.la, Deo Gratias!

    Selection of exact location and/or parish is still pending, though Fr Fryar said the Archbishop and everyone in the chancery has been most welcoming.

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