Catholic group focuses on successor to Cardinal Francis George
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A group of Chicago-area Roman Catholics dedicated to reforming its church is asking parishioners which leader they would like to see at the helm of the Chicago Archdiocese once Cardinal Francis George retires.
Members of Voice of the Faithful, an organization of progressive Catholics focused on church accountability, have set up two websites to solicit suggestions from people in the pews.
Activists said the unprecedented undertaking fulfills centuries-old canon law that calls on the faithful to communicate their needs and weigh in on major decisions.
“The average layman does not realize his duty according to canon law to make needs known when it comes to selecting bishops,” said Mary Jean Cardwell, a parishioner at Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity Catholic Church in Winnetka and one of the initiative’s organizers. “Who knows better the needs of the community than I do? I’ve lived here for 43 years. … So many things have been done by our current cardinal, but there are things that have been left undone. It’s a very important endeavor that we’re doing.”
However, the archdiocese has told parish priests that they are not allowed to advertise the public initiative in their parish bulletins. Although the cardinal supports the group’s goal of energizing people in the pews, the creation of a clearinghouse for communication taints the process, the church said. [more]
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P.S. It’s a joke to believe that priests and bishops take an “oath” to those above them in the hierarcy. There is a lot of infighting and ill feelings going on, and many of the cardinals are looked upon as buffoons.
P.P.S. Take Cardinal Cody, for instance — please!! It was well known he kept a married mistress, Helen Dolan Wilson, for some 25 years while he was a cardinal. Cody was described by priests under him as paranoid, psycho and the like. His financial wheelings and dealings were also investigated for years as millions of dollars disappeared under his watch.
Father Greeley once said he “would compare Cardinal Cody to Captain Bly, but that wouldn’t be fair to Captain Bly!”
There are also well-known stories about some married women who “comfort” the cardinals in Rome when they need a bit of “comforting.” one particular well-known “comforter” in Rome was referred to as the slut to the cardinals (paraphrasing).
Besides Cardinal Cody, we’ve had Cardinal Law in Boston, protector of pedophile priests; Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles, protector of pedophile priests; etc., etc., etc.
If these slime-ball cardinals aren’t buffoons, what are they?
Even today the dioceses of the Roman Catholic church employ a number of methods for selecting a bishop, all of them involving some form of consultation which may include both lay Catholics and non-Catholics. One of the main purposes of wide consultation is to avoid problems such as attended the selection of Cardinal Glemp’s successor in Warsaw. Due to public pressure over the appointee’s communist past, the archbishop designate resigned at his installation.
same as always; parishoners love to be in control.
Just when was the last time ANY member of the hierarchy listened to laypeople. Remember who the bishops take their oath to? It’s the pope, not the faithful of Chicago!
As it should be. If the bishops took an oath to their parishoners, the Church would be greatly hampered. I’m in the Church not to have control, but to receive grace from God.
Everyone ought to read Father Andrew Greeley’s eye-opening book on how popes are actually chosen. There’s more wheeling and dealing, backstabbing, character assassination and back room deals going on between cardinals in weeks leading up to a conclave than in our civil political system! I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but most of these cardinals are hardly what one would call holy, pious men; rather, they are political wheelers and dealers in a church setting. Father Andrew Greeley’s book, “The Making of the Popes 1978 — The Politics of Intrigue in the Vatican” tells it like it is — a great read! In 2005 Father Greeley wrote an updated book for that papal election, but I can’t opine on that version since I haven’t had a chance to read that version yet.