Sunday, May 15, 2005

Why Levada?

As noted earlier, Vatican Watch posted several pieces on B16's appointment of Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco as his replacement as Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Vatican Watch has additional thoughts here and John Allen of the liberal (though still informative) National Catholic Reporter has analysis here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update (Sunday, 5/15/05, 8:20 PM)

Vaticanisti publishes a rumor (I repeat: rumor) that Fr. Joseph Fessio, so recently ousted by the Jesuit University of San Francisco, will replace Levada as archbishop of that diocese. I doubt it. Considering the recent forced resignation of Fr. Thomas Reese as editor of the Jesuit Magazine America, this would add insult to injury.

Anyone looking at the Vaticanisti post should also check the comments, which demonstrate a decided lack of consensus over whether William Levada is the a brave bastion of Catholic orthodoxy in an otherwise pagan town, or if he is a soft compromiser as secularized as anybody might be who wants to fit-in in the City on the Bay.

A similar case exists with Fr. Fessio (a hero of mine). Some of the commenters at Vaticanisti, while not questioning his orthodoxy, hint that he is a poor administrator and money manager, that he breeds discord wherever he goes, and that he lacks compassion.

I would love it, none-the-less.