Panegyrics for Archbishop Niederauer
In the Intermountain Catholic (Feb. 3), the official publication of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, there were glowing tributes and elaborate praise for the outgoing bishop, George Niederauer, now the Archbishop of San Francisco. Among other things, he was praised for his “humility.” Going by this jumbo edition of the Intermountain Catholic (of which Niederauer is the Publisher), you’d never know it.
We don’t get the Intermountain Catholic, but a reader sent us the February 3 edition. In the first of three sections there was a story about Fr. Richard Rohr. Niederauer allowed Rohr into his Diocese to give two talks. See Fr. Bryce Sibley’s article in the March 2006 NOR on Rohr, who advocates that God is our Mother (in addition to being our Father), is involved in homosexual advocacy, and promotes pagan ritual.
In the second and third sections there were tributes to Niederauer, 44 pages in all. Wow, what humility!
One tribute was by Bishopette Carolyn Tanner Irish of the Episcopalian Diocese of Utah. She said in part: “We have been friends and colleagues over nearly 10 years…, beginning with the beautiful prayer he offered at my consecration. It was such a gracious way to welcome me, particularly as my gender could have discouraged his participation.” By merely participating, Niederauer — whether he intended to or not — gave symbolic encouragement to priestesses and bishopettes.
You May Also Enjoy
The bishop must announce to the rich and poor, to the powerful and weak the fullness of truth, which sometimes irritates and offends, even if it always liberates.
One of the most enduringly significant encyclical letters of the 20th century is Pascendi Dominici…
The shift in the Congregation for Bishops could signal a coming sea change in the type of bishops and priests who are tapped to head American dioceses over the next decade.