The Church’s revenge on journalists? The paranoid in me suspects that’s what is at work in the never-ending, almost-here, gotta-be-today anticipation of the announcement of a new New York archbishop. Today was DEFINITELY it. Rocco expected it: “Good morning…you might want to keep refreshing the page.” Gary Stern was preparing for it–and bupkis: “I got up early, fed the dog in the dark, and all for nothing.”
The word was to come down in the Vatican’s daily Bolletino, or bulletin, released at noon in Rome, 6am here. TV crews were on standby at St. Pat’s, and everyone expected the new guy to be Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan.
Now what? At USA Today, Cathy Grossman explores alternates.
Meanwhile, like the good journo he is, Gary Stern had his lede ready yesterday:
NEW YORK–Countless priests, media people and Catholic Church watchers of all sorts slumped in front of their computers this morning, exhaling slowly and letting out a faint moan, as they realized that the announcement of a new archbishop of New York was not to be.
After two years of trying to guess the identity of the next archbishop, some feared that they could not wait another day.
“I just want the speculation to end, however it ends,” one priest said. “Please. Just say it. Say it…”
*****
I wouldn’t write that. But I could.
Go for it, Gary. I’ll back you up. Meantime, while the search for someone to replace Cardinal Egan starts to look like Obama’s quest for a Commerce Secretary, one begins to ask: Is this any way to run a railroad? Just as the Vatican is trying to get its communications and management strategies in order after recent debacles, we run into this with NYC. Too much secrecy can be as perilous as too much transparency, perhaps. I hope it winds up being Tim Dolan for many reasons, not least of which I pity the poor guy if he winds up not getting it.
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Moving on, and many, many thanks...
So...my recent vacation and related absences also coincided with an offer from PoliticsDaily.com to cover religion for them, as editor Melinda Henneberger announces here in her roundup on the site's very successful first 100 days. That means, in short, that I'll have to sign off from blogging h
posted 8:29:24pm Aug. 02, 2009 |
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Calvin at 500, Calvinism 2.0
If you thought you knew John Calvin--who turned 500 last week--you probably don't know enough. For example, that he was French, born Jean Cauvin. And if he was in fact scandalized by dancing, he was also a lot more complex than that. I explored the new look Calvin in an essay at PoliticsDaily, "Patr
posted 11:53:35am Jul. 16, 2009 |
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Apologia pro vita sua...Kinda
In my defense, I've had computer outages and family reunions and a few days of single-parenthood, which is always a bracing reminder of what many parents go through all the time.
And this weekend it's off for a week's vacation.
Anyway, hence the long absence. Apologies to those who have chec
posted 10:51:36am Jul. 16, 2009 |
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When Benny met Barry: "I'll pray for you!"
The first word via Vatican Radio and first image (that I saw) via Rocco:
Speaking to Vatican Radio, Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi said "moral values in international politics, immigration and the Catholic Church's contribution in developing countries" were key topics of discussio
posted 12:54:28pm Jul. 10, 2009 |
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Signs of the times: Obama's eye
Yes, this photo of Obama ostensibly eyeing a young woman (apparently a 17-year-old delegate from Brazil--where are her parents?!) at the G-8 Summit is the hottest Google search item. And of course the question of what Obama was thinking is a leading Fox News story.
So it goes, even as the
posted 12:26:05pm Jul. 10, 2009 |
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posted February 17, 2009 at 12:52 pm
“I hope it winds up being Tim Dolan for many reasons, not least of which I pity the poor guy if he winds up not getting it.”
This kind of comment illustrates a major problem most Americans and American Catholics have in discussing the calling of the priesthood. Being Archbishop of New York is a calling to be the Shepard of the See of New York, not some resume building moment. And as of right now, Archbishop Dolan is the prelate of Milwakee, a place that will be missing a prelate for a time should he leave. Maybe Archbishop Dolan is going to be called to remain in WI to help Christ’s precious flock there, and maybe not. But his dignity and his office does not hinge on taking care of a bunch of self-obsessed northeasterners.
This delay in announcement should remind New Yorkers that, inspite of their delusions of grandeur, it is Rome who still rules. And while it is no way to run a railroad, when you rule the Church, you must think like the Church whose timetable is not minutes but millenia.
posted February 17, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Good grief. How lame are you people? Who cares which man is going to lead the pedophile ring in New York?
posted February 17, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I think Pope Benedict needs to learn how to google!
posted February 19, 2009 at 1:22 pm
“Is This Anyway To Run A Railroad?” ANSWER: No, unless you are trying for a total train wreck, with all on board dead.