Consecration of Archbishop Rajic; Cardinal Bertone on Bishop Peric

Archbishop Petar Rajič (foreground), following his consecration by Cardinal Tarciscio Bertone (background).  Cardinal Vinko Puljić, the Archbishop of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bishop Ratko Perić of Mostar-Duvno were co-consecrators. (Photo: Diocese of Mostar-Duvno)

"Behold, I come, Lord, to do thy will" (Ps 40.8).....

The consecration of a new bishop, actually - an archbishop, took place on the other side of the world in the small country of Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) on January 23, 2010.  It's an interesting story of one man's journey through the priesthood, in the Vatican diplomatic corp, and now the episcopacy.  On it's own, it is a great vocation story for the Year for Priests.

What had me interested in the elevation of Archbishop Rajic, was one small thing we had in common:  We are both of Croatian descent and we both pursued a vocation in BiH, and we did so at nearly the same time.  His parents were born in the region, and he was born in Canada.  I was born in the US to a father of Polish descent and a mother of Croatian descent (their parents were born overseas). 

After two years spent there, illness brought me out of the novitiate and back into secular life back in 1983 - a sign that it was not God's plan for me to be there any longer.  I don't consider it wasted time, and feel those were some of the best years of my life - in community.  I learned many lessons applicable today.  God's plan for Petar Rajic, however, was to follow through there.  At every step of the way, he gave his "fiat" - his "yes" to God's will for him.  The lesson for all of us in his life's story, is that receiving graces is never enough.  We must act on them, as he certainly has.

Someday, I hope to learn more about what took him there, and if our reasons were similar.  It appears we were both active in Croatian ethnic parishes here in North America in our youth. As I watched events unfold in the last few weeks with the new Archbishop, I couldn't help but wonder if some years from now, he will be back in BiH to lead in some capacity after even more seasoning in cultures which are predominantely Muslim.

Background

On December 2, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Msgr. Petar Rajic as Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.  As a Nuncio, he was made an archbishop.  He is a Canadian, born of Toronto, but of Croatian descent.  He was ordained by Bishop Pavao Žanić at the age of 28, and incardinated in the Diocese of Trebinje e Mrkan (now with Mostar-Duvno) The blog of Canadian Catholic Television station, Salt and Light, provided some background:

Monsignor Petar Rajic was born in Toronto in 1959. He attended Michael Power/ St. Joseph High School then went on to the University of Toronto. After completing his B.A. he entered the seminary in Sarajevo. He has been in the Vatican’s diplomatic service for the past 15 years and served in Senegal, Iran and Lithuania before being posted to the Secretariat of State’s office in Vatican City and to the Prefecture of the Papal Household. With his new position Monsignor Rajic becomes the Pope’s ambassador to Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, and will be elevated to the rank of Archbishop.

There were some gaps there that needed filling in, and I managed to find some.  Like, how did he get to Mostar, from Canada?  Here is a touched up google translation of an article from the Cathedral's website

Feeling the call to priesthood from God himself, Peter, in 1982 asked the Bishop of Mostar, Msgr. Pavao Žanić to receive him as a candidate in theology in Trebinje bishopric. The bishop had intended to send him to study in Rome, but he expressed a desire to go to Sarajevo to study the Croatian language and getting to know the local situation and even the Church among the Croats.  He finished philosophical and theological studies in Sarajevo and was ordained a priest in the Cathedral of Mary Mother of the Church in Mostar, on June 29,1987. 

From there, Fr. Rajic was sent back to Toronto, Canada, to an ethnic Croatian parish where he was chaplain at Our Lady Queen of Croats. He was there from 1987 - 1989, when Bishop Zanic decided to send him to Rome to study Canon Law.  He resided at the Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome.  In 1991, the Holy See decided it wanted him for diplomatic service and, with the consent of Bishop Zanic, he was transferred to the Pontifical Academy that year.

Bishop Peric explains during an interview with Crkva na Kamenu (Church on the Rock) in 2006, following his ad limina visit with Pope Benedict XVI, a little more about some of what Msgr. Rajic did at the Vatican (I give the original question and full answer to put it in context):

Cnak: What were your impressions after your first meeting with the Pope?


Bishop Peric: - It was my first encounter with him as Pope but not the first with Joseph Ratzinger who previously was the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. There were many previous such encounters, especially alongside Bishop Žanić regarding the problems which are still burdening this diocese. One of the Prelates of the Pontifical AnteChamber [papal living quarters]or Assistants for the Pope’s private audiences is our priest Msgr. Petar Rajič, whose parents are originally from Doljani, the parish of Dračevo, in the diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan. He guides visitors through the entire protocol: entry, greeting, photographs, conclusion and departure. Each bishop is given about 15 minutes for his personal encounter. I personally handed over to the Holy Father a written “pro memoria” on a single page which contained 3 joyful and 3 less joyful to sad events and occurrences. He read the original text and referred to certain points by asking questions and making comments as well.

This article (google translated from Croatian) stated that Msgr Rajic, in 1993, became "the highest ranking Croatian within the Vatican walls" (important to note for those who do not know that Bosnia and Herzegovina are made up of three major groups:  Ethnic Croatians (Catholics), Serbs (Orthodox), and Muslims.  Pope John Paul II made several trips to Croatia, and to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), accompanied by Rajic. 

The Arrival of Cardinal Bertone

Cardinal Bertone, with the soon-to-be Archbishop Rajic to the left.

At 9:30am, on January, 23, 2010 a small jet landed at the Mostar airport with a delegation of eight from the Holy See, headed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarciscio Bertone.  These, along with the Archbishop of BIH - Cardinal Puljic, Apostolic Nuncio for BiH, Archbishop Alessandro D'Errico all met at the Bishop's residence.

The Cardinal was greeted by politicians from Mostar, Sarajevo and Banja Luka, with the Orthodox and Islamic representatives and diplomats: the ambassadors and consuls.  At the Bishop's residence, Cardinal Bertone, had an opportunity to meet with family members of Msgr. Rajic.  Bishop Ratko Peric is seen in the center of the photo below, enjoying a moment with some of his visiting brother bishops.

Consecration of Archbishop Rajič

The consecration took place at the Cathedral of Mary, Mother of the Church in Mostar.  During the war in 1992 the cathedral was heavily damaged, along with the Bishop's palace, and a library of 50,000 books.  In 1994, it was bombed again.  It was rebuilt after the war. 

According to the diocese, attendance at the Episcopal consecration included: 3 Cardinals (Cdl Bertone, Cdl Puljic, and the third was Cardinal Josip Bozanić, of Zagreb) 30 Arch/bishops, 200 priests, 150 religious sisters, 50 major seminarians and 45 minor seminarians, 20 Ambassadors and Nuncios.

In his homily, Cardinal Bertone reflected (google translated with some touch up):

....Dear Msgr. Peter, at this moment the Lord reiterates His call: "Whom will I send and who will go for us?" And you answer: "Here I am, send me" (cf. 6.8). In this dialogue between God and the prophet, there is all your life. Here is the beginning of your priestly call, in Toronto, when you're full of youthful enthusiasm, you accepted the Lord's call to follow him closely.  You then wrote to the bishop of Mostar and were accepted and in theology as a candidate for the Diocese of Trebinje, the Church of origin of your parents.  Your priestly ordination was the June 29th, 1987 in this same cathedral.  For the priesthood you chose the motto: "Behold, I come, Lord, to do thy will" (Ps 40.8).....

He went on to summarize each of the times that Msgr. Petar Rajic said, "yes" to Gods will for him with each new assignment, including this one which will take him to the Middle East as the Apostolic Nuncio for Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, as well as the Apostolic Delegate for the Arabian Peninsula.  Cardinal Bertone elaborates later in the homily on this last title: "but the role of apostolic delegate, represents the relations between the Holy See and a separate state, on the official level, that is, the diplomatic level, with the rank of ambassadors."

The concelebrated Mass was in Latin, with some Croatian.  And the Mostar Symphony played.  Here is video taken during Holy Communion with the symphony playing.

More video can be found here.

Additional Reading (through Google Translate from  Croatian to English)

• Bishop Peric: Opening Greetings [Croatian] [Italian]
• Homily of Cardinal Bertone [Croatian] [Italian]
• Short speech by Archbishop Rajic at the conclusion of a Luncheon

The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno has posted many photos from the day in three links (all photos in this post are from this collection).  It won't let me provide the individual links (at least in an easy way, but as of this posting, it's the three near the top.

This ends the segment on Archbishop  Rajic, whose path we will track again at some future date, when he says, "yes" to the next assigment.  Please pray for him in his new assignment.  Ad multos annos!

EDIT: On March 26, Zenit reported that Archbishop Rajic has now taken on two more: Yemen and United Arab Emirates

---

Cardinal Bertone on Bishop Perić

The next subject is contained here because the content comes from an address given by Cardinal Bertone at the luncheon which followed. I want to pull out a portion of that address and focus on a few words.

A joyful mood for the glorious occasion is clearly seen on the faces of Cardinal Bertone and Bishop Peric

Something Cardinal Bertone said at the end of his luncheon address is noteworthy:

We cannot fail to thank the Bishop of this Church, His Excellency Ratko Perić, for having offered us the occasion to live, here at Mostar, the very beautiful and solemn liturgical celebration of this morning, and then to reconvene convivially in such a beautiful and welcoming inn.

With sincere sentiments of gratitude, we pray to the Good Lord that this Church of Mostar, harmoniously inserted in the communion of the Churches of Bosnia-Herzegovina and in full communion with the See of Peter, may grow ever more in unity and holiness. The more it is faithful to its Catholic identity and to the apostolic tradition, of which the bishop is guarantor, the more it will grow in its own internal unity, and will know how to contribute to building up concord among the diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural elements of the complex society in which Providence has called it to live and to work in conformity with the mandate of the Gospel.

Here is the full address with auto-translate [Croatian] [Italian]

My first thought on what I have emboldened, is that the war may have ended over a decade ago, but there are still ethnic, political, and religious challenges. Catholics, in the minority.

If there is disunity within the local Church, then it will be more difficult to create unity with peoples of other religions and ethnicity.  There is disunity in the local Church and the Holy See has had to intervene several times.

In the Diocese of Mostar Duvno, there are priests dismissed from the Order of Friars Minor by the Superior General in Rome, and suspended a divinis, (confirmed by the Holy See), who continue to operate in the diocese unlawfully (meaning, there are many invalid sacraments taking place).  Parishes, which were to be handed over to the bishop for transfer to diocesan priests, according to a 1975 Decree - Romanis Ponticibus, were usurped by the men, and held, still today (with ongoing invalid sacraments). 

This has roots that go way back (truly, one needs to go back to around the 14th century and work forward from there), and it's so deep that it would require a separate post in itself, which I won't rule out in the future.  However, suffice it to say for now that anyone wanting to blame the bishop, must also blame the Holy See, which sided with the Diocese in the case.  No matter how it is sliced, God's will for the diocese and those parishes, was handed down by decree. 

In addition to those 9 who were dismissed from the OFM, there are over 20 names listed of OFM priests without faculties in the diocese (scroll down here) - most for refusing to sign a form declaring their intent to obey the bishop (an act prompted by the General Superior in Rome to try to bring about order in the region).

Since 1975, the provincial has been appointed by the central Franciscan authority in Rome, and they have been without the ability to elect their own provincial.

This whole matter has been under the watchful eye of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and the Vatican Secretariat of State.

How is this connected with Medjugorje?  In at least two ways:

1. The "Gospa" defended some of those disciplined by the Superior General in Rome; or faulted the Bishop with the problem. (see point 23 in The Truth about Medjugorje by Bishop Zanic)
2. The "Gospa" who has given over 40,000 "messages" has said nothing about the invalid sacraments taking place in close proximity to Medjugorje, including 700 invalid Confirmations at the hands of a fake bishop brought in by some of the priests in the usurped parishes (see point 7 in Bishop Peric's January 2, 2010 statement on Cardinal Schonborn's visit).  Invalid sacraments are very serious, and one would think that the "gospa" would be very concerned about this - enough tomention it. 

Here are some interesting quotes to consider, in light of what Cardinal Bertone said.  They are from St. Ignatius collected at this Wikipedia page:

• "Plainly therefore we ought to regard the bishop as the Lord Himself" — Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians 6:1.
• "Therefore as the Lord did nothing without the Father, [being united with Him], either by Himself or by the Apostles, so neither do ye anything without the bishop and the presbyters." — Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians 7:1.
• "Be obedient to the bishop and to one another, as Jesus Christ was to the Father [according to the flesh], and as the Apostles were to Christ and to the Father, that there may be union both of flesh and of spirit." — Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians 13:2
• "In like manner let all men respect the deacons as Jesus Christ, even as they should respect the bishop as being a type of the Father and the presbyters as the council of God and as the college of Apostles. Apart from these there is not even the name of a church." — Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallesians 3:1.
• "follow your bishop, as Jesus Christ followed the Father, and the presbytery as the Apostles; and to the deacons pay respect, as to God's commandment" — Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnans 8:1
• "He that honoureth the bishop is honoured of God; he that doeth aught without the knowledge of the bishop rendereth service to the devil" — Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnans 9:1. 

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Owensboro, Kentucky gets a bishop...

The Holy See continues to chip away at vacancies in the episcopacy with it's latest appointment.  Fr. William Francis Medley will be the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro. 

Fr. Medley was born in 1952 and was ordained in 1982 for the Archdiocese of Louisville.

The presser is set for Noon today local time and it may be watched streaming here.

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Bishop Flores goes back to Texas to head Brownsville Diocese

Bishop Daniel Flores in 2008 as he celebrated Mass for the

Helpers of God's Precious Infants in September 2008. 

See my photostory of Bishop Flores and the Helper's vigil here.

This post was actually written yesterday, but internet access was lost when cable was blown out by a nasty winter windstorm.  So, here it is a day late for those who have not yet heard....

Bishop Daniel Flores, only with us here in Detroit for three years as an auxiliary bishop, has been named the next bishop of Brownsville, Texas by Pope Benedict XVI.  He succeeds Bishop Raymundo Peña who turned 75 in February.    He offered some words to the people in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Bishop Flores was introduced today in Brownsville (click here for audio).  His installation is set for February 2, 2010 -  Candlemas

From the Archdiocese of Detroit website:

Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Daniel E. Flores, 48, has been named the next bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, by Pope Benedict XVI. The Diocese of Brownsville is in the southern part of the state, along the Rio Grande, and has a Catholic population of 800,000 and a total population of 940,000. Bishop Flores will be installed on Feb. 2. He will succeed Bishop Raymundo Peña, who in February of this year reached the age of 75, the age at which bishops are mandated to submit their resignations to the Holy See.

Bishop Flores has served as a regional bishop in Detroit since November 29, 2006. He has overseen seven of the eighteen vicariates in the Detroit archdiocese, has advised the archdiocese on immigration issues, and has helped to established the Office for Hispanic Affairs. Prior to coming to Detroit, he had served in a number of capacities in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, including rector of Corpus Christi Cathedral, Chancellor, Diocesan Master of Ceremonies, Secretary to the Bishop, Rector of the Saint John Vianney House of Studies, and Episcopal Vicar for Vocations.

In an open letter, Bishop Flores expressed gratitude for the "…countless blessings (that) came to me through the love and friendship offered to me by so many" in the Detroit archdiocese.

Please pray for Bishop Flores in his new assignment. 

With regards to Detroit, Rocco Palmo over at Whispers writes:

"...today's move likewise leaves the 1.5 million-member Detroit church with just one active auxiliary bishop... but probably not for long -- native son Archbishop Allen Vigneron recently announced plans to regionalize the archdiocese into four segments, placing each (at least, optimally) under an assistant high-hat still to be named...."

Stay tuned for this news.  The archdiocese has lost several auxiliary bishops through retirement and moves.  Bishop Quinn was the last to be moved (Winona, MN) just over a year ago, leaving Bishop Francis Reiss as the only active auxiliary.  Will the next assistant be from within the archdiocese, or another transplant?  Bishop John Nienstedt (St. Paul/Minneapolis) and Bishop Leonard Blair (Toledo) are among others hailing from Detroit.

Further reading:

• American Papist blogs on Bishop Flores' appointment (AmP)
• Pope Benedict appoints bishop of Texas diocese (CNA)

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Detroit Auxiliary Bishop takes helm in Lansing

Bishop Earl Boyea who has been an auxiliary bishop here in the Archdiocese of Detroit moves to Lansing to succeed Bishop Carl Mengeling.

This is a good thing for the Diocese of Lansing. He looks to St. Augustine for guidance on pastoral care of his people. Perhaps Michigan's governor will at some point find herself undergoing some catechesis on life issues.

It's also noteworthy that Bishop Boyea has been periodically celebrating the extraordinary form of the Roman rite - the "Tridentine" Mass for some time now at St. Josaphat in Detroit. I recall him being there during the Indult years.

One way to get to know a man is through is writings. I recalled a really good article I read by Bishop Boyea, found on the internet around the time Pope John Paul II died when I took an interest in my Catholic faith. He addresses a number of things in this article, but I will extract one segment here to give you the flavor. This is a contrast between good Catholic thought (among other things), and hippy-era priestly thinking (which is getting old and gray). My emphases in bold, and comments in red.

Fr. Cozzens discusses at length what he views as attacks on the integrity of the priest as a human being, among which he includes the tension between the strict teachings of the Church and the more pastoral disposition of priests’ own consciences. He quotes Fr. Bernard Häring on the problem created “when religious authorities demand all too much submission to an obscure package of doctrines.” To be sure, I have felt at times, and I suppose most priests have felt at times, a tension between Church teaching and my own pastoral sensibilities when working with the real problems of people. I take that as a signal that I need to understand the teaching more thoroughly. Let me say it quite flatly: my presumption is not that I am right but that the Church is right [this is called humility]. Christ made no individual promise to me that the Spirit would lead me into all truth [you gotta love that comment because so many people are guided by their own malformed or underformed consciences]; he did not give to me the keys of the kingdom [hippy-era priests and bishops challenge church teachings, as opposed to following them in a sense, making themsevles arm-chair popes]. These are promises made to the Church, the Body of Christ, of which I am a member not as an equal but as a servant. [Cha-ching!]

That is not, according to Fr. Cozzens, the attitude of a healthy priest. The healthy priest, he writes, “possesses the courage to stand in loyal opposition should official Church policy appear unfaithful to the gospel of Christ.” [that's it - Fr. Cozzens' compass has got to be broke!] At the very least, one might suggest that opposition should be limited to when one “knows” (how would one know for sure?) that Church policy is unfaithful to Christ, not to when it “appears” to be so. Moreover, “loyal opposition” is a political term usually used for the party that is out of power. Is that the model for a healthy priest? Why would one be ordained, solemnly vowing to devote his life to the service of the Church, while expecting to oppose the leadership of the Church? [Because he is terribly malformed and disoriented in his theology and basic catechism] Healthier, it seems to me, is Paul’s admonition that we be of one mind and one heart. [and, Fiat mihi secundum Verbum Tuum]

Go read, Another Face of the Priesthood in First Things Magazine by Bishop Earl Boyea

That is at the root of it folks!

Please pray fervently for Bishop Earl Boyea in his new position, and for all the bishops. May God invigorate them with the grace of courage seen in the early bishops. In those days, they were threatened with their very lives, often dying horrific deaths for the faith. Today, they merely need to die to self and accept, with great courage, a good deal of public criticism for teaching the Catholic faith without filters.

Bishop Earl Boyea was at the last Helpers of God's Precious Infants Prayer Vigil in November of 2007. The next vigil will be held Saturday, March 29th with Bishop Quinn - the day before Divine Mercy Sunday. Hopefully, he can keep that date. Details to follow soon.


Coverage:

• Diocese of Lansing
• Lansing State Journal: Challenges await new bishop
• Lansing State Journal: Schools, matters of faith top issues for Boyea
• Coverage at American Papist
  
  
  
  Te Deum Laudamus! Home

More on Co-Adjutor Archbishop Nienstedt

The Pioneer Press has an article on Archbishop Nienstedt which reveals more about the man. We like it when certain newspapers call such folks "hardliners" because that usually means they have their head on straight and aren't disoriented when it comes to Catholic doctrine. Archbishop Burke is probably considered a "hardliner". We simply call it Bishops with backbones!

Here are some excerpts from the article at Pioneer Press via Free Republic with my emphases in bold, comments in red brackets.

Conservative bishop to succeed Flynn
A lauded liturgist, administrator, New Ulm conservative also is known for controversy
BY DAVID HANNERS
Pioneer Press

Roman Catholic Bishop John Nienstedt of New Ulm, Minn., a theological conservative who has taken on Hollywood, stem-cell research and people who make too much noise in church, was named Tuesday to succeed Archbishop Harry Flynn.

The announcement by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis that Nienstedt, 60, had been named "coadjutor archbishop" ended months of speculation over who would succeed Flynn, who will step down when he turns 75 next year.

Flynn, who has been archbishop since 1996, introduced Nienstedt at the archdiocese's chancery in St. Paul. He called Nienstedt "such a capable bishop" and said he had "broad experience that will serve him well."

But Nienstedt's time as bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm has not been without controversy. While Flynn and others lauded him as an able administrator and liturgist, some of his actions have rankled his own priests and parishioners in the diocese he has led since August 2001.

Soon after being named bishop in New Ulm, he condemned some of the theological views of the man who had held the post before him for 25 years, Bishop Raymond Lucker, a noted progressive clergyman who died in 2001. Denouncing his predecessor's views was an "extraordinary step," the National Catholic Reporter noted in an article on the incident. [Bishop Lucker was a proud member of Call to Action, and if you want to understand his "theology" you can click through the google list and get an idea, and see what kind of groups enjoyed it]

As bishop in New Ulm, Nienstedt prohibited cohabitating couples from being married in Catholic churches. He barred female pastoral administrators from leading prayers at a semiannual leadership event. He once disciplined a priest for holding joint ecumenical services with a Lutheran congregation after the Catholic church had been destroyed by a tornado. [Keep in mind that an ecumenical service is fine outside the context of holy Mass, but it cannot be held in place of Mass]

Kenneth Irrgang, a retired priest who clashed with Nienstedt when he was bishop in New Ulm, predicted that Nienstedt will meet resistance among the 654 active priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

"I expect disaster there. I don't think those priests are going to accept him," said Irrgang, who now lives in St. Cloud. "He's a micromanager. He has to control everything. He hews the line from the Vatican without any question whatsoever. He's not a very good people person." [The sky is falling! The sky is falling! A highly educated man who understands basic Catechism is taking the helm]

But the Rev. Philip M. Schotzko of the Church of St. Peter in St. Peter, Minn., praised Nienstedt's abilities.

"Bishop Nienstedt is a consummate man of the church," said Schotzko. "He thinks with, prays with and loves the church with everything he's got. He just follows very carefully the teachings and all aspects of church theology and moral teachings. You'll get a very committed man in that way."

He said Nienstedt is "gifted in many ways as a liturgist" and considers him "a good organizer and planner and administrator."

According to his church biography, Nienstedt was born in Detroit, the second of six children. He completed his theological education at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and was ordained into the priesthood in July 1974.

[snip]

Nienstedt called on government and people to "curb the scientist's thirst for novelty" by ending the research. In a later column on the subject, he called legislation allowing stem-cell research "a very misguided, political attack on human life," and said, "there have been no medical cures resulting from the use of embryonic stem cells."

He also used his column to air his views on homosexuality, saying people became gay or lesbian as a "result of psychological trauma" when a child is between the ages of 18 months and 3. Homosexuality, he wrote, "must be understood in the context of other human disorders: envy, malice, greed, etc."

Nienstedt also advised parishioners to avoid the movies "Brokeback Mountain" - "a story of lust gone bad," he wrote - and "The Da Vinci Code." He said Dan Brown's best-selling novel, later turned into a movie starring Tom Hanks, was "pure Evil in its intent" and "seeks to confuse the young, whose faith may be weak, and lead them astray."

In a column from June with the headline "Silence," Nienstedt complained about people talking while he prepared for weekend liturgies, saying it was a "din of noise ... not unlike that of a sports arena."

"I have tried to overhear what is so important that people need to speak in church," he wrote. "Normally comments range from one's view of the weather, to a recent sports event, to how old Uncle Henry is looking. None of it is essential. None of it has to be spoken at that time."

Well, there you have it. This is more proof that there is a shift in attitude at the episcopal level. This generation of bishops will work with a good understanding of basic catechism, basic theology and morality, and basic liturgy. It doesn't take ten university degrees to understand the Catholic faith, and for a bishop, to act on it.

We will add Archbishop Nienstedt to our Bishops with Backbone tag. Scroll down to see more and I'll be sifting through old posts to put some other posts within this new tag.

See my introductory post on Archbishop Nienstedt

New Bishop for the Twin Cities: Nienstedt

I don't have much time for blogging with my mother in the hospital and my current work schedule, but I wanted to get this off to you.

Rumor has been circulating for some time now, that a string of bishops would be appointed and long-time vacancies would finally be filled. This includes the vacancy Birmingham, Alabama - home town to EWTN. For now, the Twin Cities - St. Paul and Minneapolis, have themselves a new Co-Adjutor, who will work alongside Archbishop Flynn until he reaches mandatory retirement age in about a year.


John Clayton Nienstedt was an auxiliary bishop in Detroit before he was appointed the Ordinary of New Ulm. Reportedly, the bishop was turning things around in that diocese, which will now be vacant. He has a very impressive Curriculum Vitae

Clicking through some of his statements will reveal a man who is not disoriented when it comes to Catholic doctrine and morality. He took a stand on Terri Schiavo

Diocese's new leadership style sparks discontent (National Catholic Reporter). This one is well worth reading through if you want to learn something about the man. In it, he is disappointing some of the right people. Also, consider the source. If the National Catholic Reporter is holding a negative article about a bishop, it's probably a good thing. I start to worry when the Reporter is all giddy about a particular bishop.

Now, some made issue with a Tridentine "controversy and wondered if he was not open to it, but we need to understand the situation in which he denied a Tridentine liturgy - in context. In this letter, Bishop Nienstedt explains his reasoning for denying a man a Tridentine funeral. The entire letter should be read and he comes across to me as hardly anti-Tridentine. In fact, I found it good to see a bishop acknowledge the use of Latin in the Novus Ordo.


Fr. Zuhlsdorf has coverage and the comment box may be worth reading. I suggest reading that article on the Tridentine funeral first - in its entirety.

Two New Bishops - One for Dallas; another for Lake Charles, LA

Dallas has finally gotten a bishop, and so has Lake Charles, Louisiana.

You can read what was posted on the USCCB site on both of them. However, this headline caught my eye at CWNews:

Bishop-elect Provost's parish a center of Gregorian chant, polyphony

Now we're talking! Check out the links in what is above, especially his choir music list for the parish he was at.

EDIT: At the Vivat Jesus blog, there are many more links on this.