Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Guess the Archbishop

Nice to see that the JS is catching up with news this blog reported on FRIDAY 10/23...

Six months after Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan left for New York, speculation is mounting that his successor will be appointed soon.

There is one fellow who is undesirable in this corner. His name is Kicanas.

Why not? Two reasons.

Kicanas has the highest profile nationally as the No. 2 man in the U.S. Conference of Bishops, who is expected to be named its next president.

A Chicago native who served as an auxiliary bishop there, Kicanas has been bishop in Tucson since 2003, where he settled dozens of clergy sex abuse cases and shepherded the diocese out of bankruptcy.

The article is careful not to point out the time period during which Kicanas was in Chicago, nor the ......ahhh........challenges present at that time.

Second reason: Thomas Reese, SJ, thinks he's a good guy. That's an automatic veto for actual Catholics.

"He'd be a real coup for Milwaukee," said Reese.

An "anonymous" commenter on my blogpost notes that Kicanas will NOT be appointed, nor will Cupich. The JS ought to keep up with the news.

10 comments:

Amy said...

I heard an announcement could come as early as today...we'll see.

Of the four, Listecki is my preference, only because it's rare that Callahan would get a bump up...

RAG said...

I think there is high intrigue here.

Generally, an auxiliary does not rise up in the same diocese, so Callahan would be a long shot.

All of the others seem to have a good shot but in Kicanas was in Chicago, there is precedent for bishops with ties to Chicago to move north.

Callahan, however, could be Dolan's favorite and he obviously has some connection with Rome. OTOH, Kicanas has financial experience relevant to the Milwaukee archdiocese.

Heck, maybe it will be a dark horse Episcopalian!

Badger Catholic said...

I'm not sure about Listecki. The Holy Father has appointed some liturgically traditional minded bishops. Listecki is solid on life issues, but has been rather silent on liturgy. He has promoted a organ project at the La Crosse Cathedral moving the organ out of the sanctuary, but with several bishops speaking out on the liturgy lately, he has been totally silent(albeit perhaps due to his possible move). It would be tragic to see an Archbishop who would not desire to fix the Mil Cathedral disaster.

Dad29 said...

The liturgy questions are best belayed until after the new translation comes out anyway.

As to the Cathedral, there ain't no money, honey. The lawsuit(s) and the economy militate against re-doing Rembert's abortion.

Anonymous said...

La Crosse Catholic, Bishop Listecki is a real good shepherd and I can only hope you are just trying to keep him up there, something along the lines of "oh please don't throw me in that briar patch."

Of course Listecki is no Raymond Burke, but I have yet to see anything that would indicate he is hostille towards traditionalist litrugy and even if his enthusiasm is only lukewarm, realative to the past few decades in Milwaukee it would be a huge improvement.

I have been to Eucharastic adoration with the good Bishop, his sense of revrence for the sacred is not lacking in the least.

He is smart, likeable, tough, orthodox, and knows how to pick his battles.

Also as Dad29 said, the liturgy ballgame changes with the new translation.

Anonymous said...

Soon and very soon......

Anonymous said...

I hope it is not Bishop Cupich. The word on the Catholic street is that Cupich is not a great friend of Traditional Catholic Liturgy.

GOR said...

Yes, I was amused to find Channel 4 and subsequently the Journal/Sentinel following the lead of blogdom and reporting the rumors.

As to the 'candidates', I wouldn't rule out Callahan yet, either - if Ab. Dolan has anything to do with it.

When the then Fr. Callahan ended his term as pastor of St. Josaphat's Basilica, it was announced that he would be going to Rockford as pastor of a Franciscan-run parish there.

Suddenly that changed and he was in Rome at the North American College - reportedly as Spiritual Director. My belief is that he was sent there to get an advanced degree (bishops usually have advanced degrees in something...) in order to be raised to the episcopate - and that this was at Dolan's behest.

Dolan himself was an auxiliary at St. Louis for only a short time before being appointed to Milwaukee. Granted it is uncommon for an auxiliary to be 'promoted' within the same diocese but still I wouldn't rule it out.

Maybe Callahan was really intended as 'Coadjutor' in Milwaukee...

Badger Catholic said...

Right, I agree with both your points. I like Bishop Listecki, and think he does a great job, but I'm saying that recent trends seem to indicate the Holy Father is looking at liturgy to be an important factor, one which my good bishop seems to be officially silent so far. And yes Dad29, no money. But if there was money the bishop has to be willing to pull the trigger.

Anonymous said...

There is a difference: Dolan was sent to St. Louis and placed there prior to Weakland's fall, as the anticipated replacement. The fact he went there sooner rather than later suggests he would have been an auxiliary longer in St. Louis, had the Marcoux story not broken earlier.

Yes, Dolan likes "Bishop Bill", and yes, he'd like to see him promoted, but Bishop Bill did not obtain an advanced degree of any kind beyond his M.Div. If he were appointed to Milwaukee, there would be quite a bit of outrage among other, seemingly more deserving (education-wise, at least) candidates. In addition, the word from those in the S. Lake Drive vicinity is Bishop Bill was put as administrator as an audition for Rockford, which will open in 2011.