John Allen has an article that can help us in blighty to understand some of the issues. (See: Three keys to reading the Dolan win at the USCCB) Allen suggests that first of all, Archbishop Dolan is a good man in terms of PR: the "most gifted natural communicator" of the US Bishops. Mmm Kay. Secondly, although the Archbishop is considered as conservative, he is good at building up relationships. Ho hum. Thirdly, he is likely to be made a Cardinal at the next consistory and so he will be able to "go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights of the Roman Curia as a full equal." All of this makes me understand Fr Zuhlsdorf's less than enthusiastic post.
More interestingly, Allen says that his election is "an endorsement of the “affirmative orthodoxy” wing of the conference’s conservative majority over its harder ideological edge." Now that is intriguing. Allen seems to be saying that the less conservative conservative got the job as a kind of compromise. Lucky USA is what I say.
Meanwhile in other news: Damian Thompson and William Oddie write concerning the forthcoming appointment of a new Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain.
7 comments:
Lucky USA is what I say, too. Every time I hear Archbishop Dolan interviewed, I think, "Couldn't we please have one of those?"
Well while I am happy we got Ab. Dolan over Bp. Kicanas, I would have preferred someone like Ab. Chaput who, incidentally, was soundly defeated for the vice-presidential spot. Even Dolan’s election was no landslide - requiring three ballots before completion. The results also continue to reinforce the conviction that the American bishops – like our Congress - are split down the middle on a lot of things.
Here in Milwaukee we’re very familiar with Ab. Dolan, having had him as our Archbishop for a number of years. However, I felt his time here was a disappointment. Granted, after the Weakland tenure, he had a lot to contend with and I’m sure he could not accomplish all that he wanted to get done – and there’s a lot still to be done here!
In New York he has had less ‘baggage’ to contend with and I think that has freed him up to be the kind of pastor he wanted to be in Milwaukee, but couldn’t because of other distractions. While some criticize him for taking on the New York Times, I think most US Catholics admire him for it. With everything that has gone on here in the past 10 years or so, the Church was beaten down and cowed. With Dolan, among others, it is finding its voice again and his election can only help that process.
What is the most significant thing about his election is that, for the first time in several decades, the previous Vice-president wasn't "automatically" elected to succeed to the presidency. This story isn't so much about the fact that Dolan was elected as much as that Kicanas wasn't elected.
In addition, while in the UK having the president of the bishops' conference be an excellent communicator, especially with the media, might not be seen as such a necessity here in the USA that's VERY important. Don't forget that the US bishops aren't as much of a closed old-boy network as in the UK and that the conference is very large with many diverse opinions existing among the body of bishops. Having a competent, orthodox, effective communicator as their president in a country where the media is still on the attack should not be underestimated.
Given my biases, I don't see a problem with a fellow-Catholic opining on what the Church is doing on this side of the Atlantic.
I do, however, think that discussions of "conservative" and "liberal" ideas in this context miss an important point.
My understanding is that the Catholic Church is just that - the Universal Church.
"Conservative" and "liberal" are the two dominant political philosophies in America right now. Catholic bishops in this country need to recognize these philosophies - just as optimates and populares had to be considered in Rome, when the Empire was a going concern.
But I have trouble trying to fit what I've learned about Catholic teachings into either the "conservative" or "liberal" molds.
That said: I enjoyed reading this analysis - and second the idea "lucky USA."
Not that I 'believe in' luck - and that's another topic.
Brian - fair enough. Let's just say "orthodox" and "providential"
"Providential"... that's apropos.
While I find Cardinal Dolan solid in his theology, and in his administrative skills, he is a miserable liturgist. Poor Msgr. Marini would lose the rest of his hair.
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