The promotion train

By Domenico Bettinelli, Jr. ( articles - email ) | Mar 09, 2004

In the rush of Vatican appointmets of US bishops today, we have to recognize that two of the four were for the dioceses of Worcester and Springfield in Massachusetts. What's most interesting is that neither of the two posts were filled by auxiliaries from Boston. One of the bishops is an auxiliary in New York, the other in Providence.

In the past-- meaning before the Scandal-- we could have reliably predicted that at least one would be filled from Boston. Becoming an auxiliary in Boston was once known as a sure step up the long ladder of promotion in the Church. But not anymore, not with names like Law, Banks, Murphy, and McCormack in our recent past.

Of course, auxiliaries from Boston still get promoted. Bishop Richard Malone just recently became head of the Diocese of Portland, Maine. But it's apparent that times have changed and the promotion train doesn't make a mandatory stop in Boston anymore.