At their fall meeting in Baltimore, the U.S. Catholic bishops this morning elected Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Harrisburg to head a key standing committee.
The 145-93 vote favored the moderate Rhoades -- newly appointed to the Diocese of Fort Wayne/South Bend -- over Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, who is more conservative. Read more about the committee.
After just five years as the Catholic bishop in Harrisburg, the Rt. Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades is being transferred to the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese.
The Fort Bend diocese is smaller than Harrisburg's geographically and in its number of Catholics, but it's home to the University of Notre Dame, widely considered the crown jewel of American Catholic education.
Rhoades, 51, was among the 75-plus U.S. bishops who condemned the university's decision to invite President Obama, who supports abortion rights, to speak at the school's commencement earlier this year -- which now-retired Fort Bend Bishop John D'Arcy skipped out of protest. Rhoades told reporters Saturday, "that's now in the past -- let's move to the future," according to the South Bend Tribune.
Catholic bishops are required to submit their resignation to the pope by age 75, and D'Arcy, 77, did so two years ago. Read more at the jump.
Two more York County parishes will soon offer two traditional Latin Masses a month.
The Rev. Joseph Tuscan, a priest at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Springettsbury Township, will celebrate the Latin Mass usually at 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of the month at St. Joe's and on the fourth Sunday at St. Mary's on George Street in York. Confessions at 2:30 p.m.
An exception is this weekend, when Sunday's Latin Mass will begin at 5 p.m. at St. Joe's.
In 2007, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades established an official "community" for Catholics who prefer the traditional Latin Mass. It meets weekly at St. Lawrence Chapel in Harrisburg.
Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg has been nominated to chair one of the 16 standing committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops when the bishops meet in Baltimore starting Nov. 16.
Rhoades is in the running for the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.
Also up for the seat is Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, who recently made headlines when he told former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (a Catholic and supporter of abortion rights -- now U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services) not to present herself for Communion.
Religion scholar Martin Marty's latest Sightings column focuses on the big Anglican-Catholic news of last week. An excerpt:
"Some of the only half-gruntled Anglicans have uttered some "not-so-fast!" or "count-me-out!" cautions. As one leader among them reminded, "there was a Reformation, you remember," as he spoke for those who knew that being received by Rome, even with gestures that would allow Anglican converts some liturgical and traditional free range, still demands a great doctrinal gulp. Converts would have to accept papal infallibility and, with it, the infallible doctrine (1950) of the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and other teachings which long offended non-Roman Catholics."Read the entire column at the jump.
If you missed the news yesterday, the Vatican is going to allow flocks of Anglo-Catholics to enter the Church of Rome, while retaining elements of their own rites, music and tradition. Some follow-ups and reaction today:
-- The invitation extends to married clergy, so some church-watchers are wondering whether more people in the Roman Catholic Church will begin entertaining the possibility of married Catholic priests.
-- Because of a qualifier in the celibacy clause, some potential converts might be turned off by the idea.
What do you think? Anglican-Catholic conversions aren't new, but could this move hurt relations between the churches?
Ten years ago, Lutherans and Catholics signed a document resolving a dispute that was at the heart of the Reformation. The issue was the nature of justification -- generally, the importance of faith and good works to one's salvation.
On Monday, the regional Catholic diocese is hosting a dialogue in Harrisburg about these issues. You can hear presenters including Monsignor John A. Radano, who recently served as staff member to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Rev. Dr. Cheryl M. Peterson, assistant professor of systematic theology at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.
"This is the 10th anniversary of the signing of the document on August 30, 1999, on Reformation Sunday," said Deacon Charles Clark of the Diocese of Harrisburg. "It marked a very significant turn for the better in Catholic-Lutheran relations."
Registration is $20 and includes lunch. For details, call Clark at 657-4804.
