bishops

By Fr. Wilson ( articles ) | May 05, 2003

Chesire, I entirely agree with you - I think your point is exactly right. Weakland, for example -- even when he reached his 75th birthday the Holy See wasn't ready to replace him, and he'd likely still be in Milwaukee had he not gone down in (pardon the pun) flames.

And the situation in Dallas today. They have a Diocesan who was installed in 1990, a man who was publicly rebuked by the Kos jury at the end of the trial for testimony they considered non-forthcoming. The Holy See appointed a coadjutor (Hint, hint. Here's your hat). But the Diocesan has no intention of leaving until 2007; he and the coadjutor have offices just feet from each other yet barely speak.

We ought to be able to think of a few more serious things to expend energy on than chancery soap operas. As I have noted elsewhere and repeatedly: the bishops of this country have never, ever, ever gone anywhere NEAR conceding that the Church in this country is in crisis after these disastrous forty years. They made what they hoped were acceptable public noises over the Situation, but as far as anyone knows, as a group they otherwise regard this as a great age of Renewal. They're incapable of seeing a problem that is massive and right in front of them. And they are accountable to no one.