It's official: Levada is new doctrinal watchdog!

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UKcatholicGuy

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That’s right, it wasn’t just a rumor . . . San Francisco Archbishop Levada is now the head of the CDF! I saw this on Good Morning America and confirmed it by checking Catholic News Services (cwnews.com).

I know, we’re all thinking, “What?! How could this be? I mean, I thought Pope Benedict would know better than to appoint some liberal from San Francisco!” But we need to have complete trust in our pope, and more importantly in Christ, who truly leads our Church.

Here is an excerpt from an SF Gate article which sheds a lot of light on why Pope Benedict picked a “liberal” like Levada to guard the faith. This article was actually written yesterday before the news was confirmed, but it doesnt affect the content I’ve copied below: (I’ve added any emphasis)
Murphy, the director of the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought, noted that Levada may serve a very liberal archdiocese, but he carries strong credentials as a doctrinal conservative.

"He won’t necessarily please liberals in North America, but he is someone very familiar with the North American situation,’’ Murphy said.

Levada’s election would have a double impact on the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which covers San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties.

It would create an opening for the job of San Francisco Archbishop, giving the new pope a chance to put his mark on the Bay Area church.

But Former Vatican diplomat John-Peter Pham said Pope Benedict has more global reasons for considering Levada for the key Vatican post.

Pham said Benedict hopes to use his papacy to strengthen ties with the Eastern Orthodox churches, which split off from Rome centuries ago in a dispute over the power of the pope.

"Levada is the academic expert on that topic,’’ said Pham, author of "Heirs of the Fisherman – Behind the Scenes of Papal Death and Succession.’’

"It would be a tribute to William Levada, theologian,’’ Pham said.

Catholic author and former Vatican Radio staffer David Gibson said the Levada appointment “makes sense.”

"Popes pick people they know and trust,’’ said Gibson. “Archbishop Levada has shown himself to be a loyal lieutenant, and he is not going to take the spotlight away from Benedict.”

Gibson, author of “The Coming Catholic Church – How the Faithful Are Shaping a New American Catholicism,” said Benedict wants to keep an eye on dissident theologians and liturgical innovation in the United States.

“America is seen as the vanguard of much of the experimentation that concerns Pope Benedict,” Gibson said. "Levada knows the scene. He know what battles to pick, and what battles not to pick.’’
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So, it looks as though Pope Benedict may have appointed Levada not because he has a great “conservative” record, but because it’s a smart “political” move. Meaning, now Benedict can appoint a hard-line bishop to San Francisco, and at the same time, he has Levada right under his nose in Rome.

Levada won’t try anything funny with Benedict across the courtyard. Whatever the case, some prayers that Levada will be faithful to his new position will certainly be helpful.
 
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UKcatholicGuy:
So, it looks as though Pope Benedict may have appointed Levada not because he has a great “conservative” record, but because it’s a smart “political” move. Meaning, now Benedict can appoint a hard-line bishop to San Francisco, and at the same time, he has Levada right under his nose in Rome.

Levada won’t try anything funny with Benedict across the courtyard. Whatever the case, some prayers that Levada will be faithful to his new position will certainly be helpful.
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This sounds good UKcatholicGuy. I hope you are correct. As a parent, I like to keep a more watchful eye on the child causing the most trouble.
 
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contemplative:
This sounds good UKcatholicGuy. I hope you are correct. As a parent, I like to keep a more watchful eye on the child causing the most trouble.
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Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
 
Hi guys!

Is there anyone here who can point to a publication, news article or anything by or about this bishop that would demonstrate that he is anything less than orthodox other than the fact that he is the archbishop of San Francisco?
 
Meaning, now Benedict can appoint a hard-line bishop to San Francisco, and at the same time, he has Levada right under his nose in Rome.
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Apparently Fr Joseph Fessio, SJ (I don’t think he is even a bishop yet?) is a possible candidate to be the bishop for the SF archdiocese:

vaticanisti.blogspot.com/

**Archbishop Levada to be made CDF Prefect **

Our sources in Rome have confirmed that the rumors of Pope Benedict naming Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco as the new prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) are true. The offical press release will be within the week. The vaticanisti were surprised by this news, but trusts the judgement of the Holy Father in these matters. These same sources have mentioned the name of Joseph Fessio, SJ as a possible replacement for Levada in San Francisco. Developing hot…
 
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tuopaolo:
Apparently Fr Joseph Fessio, SJ (I don’t think he is even a bishop yet?) is a possible candidate to be the bishop for the SF archdiocese:

vaticanisti.blogspot.com/

**Archbishop Levada to be made CDF Prefect **

Our sources in Rome have confirmed that the rumors of Pope Benedict naming Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco as the new prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) are true. The offical press release will be within the week. The vaticanisti were surprised by this news, but trusts the judgement of the Holy Father in these matters. These same sources have mentioned the name of Joseph Fessio, SJ as a possible replacement for Levada in San Francisco. Developing hot…
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A very real possibility: Father Fessio of Ignatius Press are the sole publishers of HHPBXVI books in the US. But I’ve not heard that theologically, Archbishop Levada was anything other than orthodox. Can anyone provide background?
 
Other Eric:
Hi guys!

Is there anyone here who can point to a publication, news article or anything by or about this bishop that would demonstrate that he is anything less than orthodox other than the fact that he is the archbishop of San Francisco?
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Well he took some questionable positions as archbishop of Portland and also as archbishop of San Francisco. Try googling it and you’re bound to find something. But I’m not worried since the prefect of the CDF doesn’t operate independently of the pope.
 
Wow!

First off, Ben XVI picks an American bishop to be the Head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. What a great move!

The pope is sending a clear message to the U.S.: “I know what your doing over there in America, and now I’ve got somebody in a high position of Doctrinal Authority right in your very own backyard to watch what your doing!”.

And second, we could possibly get Fr. Fessio OR Fr. Corapi as a bishop…

Yee Haw!

As I said before, the times … they are a changing!
 
*So, it looks as though Pope Benedict may have appointed Levada not because he has a great “conservative” record, but because it’s a smart “political” move. Meaning, now Benedict can appoint a hard-line bishop to San Francisco, and at the same time, he has Levada right under his nose in Rome.

Levada won’t try anything funny with Benedict across the courtyard. Whatever the case, some prayers that Levada will be faithful to his new position will certainly be helpful.*

I do not follow the logic behind these thoughts. IMO, if Bishop Levada is truly a liberal, then I am at a loss as to why it is good to place him in such a critical position. I do not know anything about Bishop Levada, so perhaps he is far more conservative then we think. Yet, Pope Benedict XVI could have moved him to any spot if he thought he was too liberal, he did not need to give him the number one most important doctrinal position in the world (other then the Pope). Something is up with this appointment and I don’t think we know what.
 
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TPJCatholic:
Something is up with this appointment and I don’t think we know what.
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You may be on to something. There has been some talk about the possibility of the Pope himself personally heading the CDF like it was in the old days. Perhaps this far out possibility will actually become a reality and will explain the logic of the Levada appointment.
 
FiremanFrank said:
And second, we could possibly get Fr. Fessio OR Fr. Corapi as a bishop…
Click to expand...

Wait, has Fr Corapi been mentioned as a possibility also? I’ve only read about Fr Fessio as a possibility.
 
tuopaolo,

Your suggestion would make much more sense then how it looks right now. Liberalism from any Bishop should not be rewarded by giving out huge appointments…there has to be something in our Holy Father’s mind about this…perhaps he knows something about Bishop Levada that is yet to be discovered.
 
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tuopaolo:
You may be on to something. There has been some talk about the possibility of the Pope himself personally heading the CDF like it was in the old days. Perhaps this far out possibility will actually become a reality and will explain the logic of the Levada appointment.
Click to expand...
Not so far out a possibility, Tuopaolo. HH Pius XII didn’t appoint a Secretary of State, preferring to act as his own. A double portfolio would be tough for an elderly man, though, and contrary to his own prediction, I’m hoping we can nurse the Holy Father along (with our prayers) for a good 15 years. Pope Leo XIII made it to 90, I believe. Then HHPBXVI will clear some things up, though he may well do it in a short time.
 
12-May-2005 – Catholic News Agency * ewtn.com/images/printer.gif APPOINTMENT OF ARCHBISHOP LEVADA TO THE CDF “JUST A RUMOR” OFFICIAL SAY
Code: 
       SAN FRANCISCO, USA, May 12 (CNA) - The spokesman for the Archdiocese of San Francisco dismissed as "rumors" recent reports announcing that Archbishop William Joseph Levada was about to be appointed as the new Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Mr. Maurice Healy, spokesman for the San Francisco diocese, dismissed the speculation as rumor, telling the Associated Press that the recent meeting between the Archbishop and Pope Benedict XVI was just a “courtesy call.”

Time magazine reported Tuesday that Benedict already had asked Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco, a doctrinal expert, if he were interested in leading the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

Last week, both The Oregonian and Religion News Service reported on Benedict’s meeting with Levada and speculated that he was a contender for the job.

But Time magazine also quoted an unidentified senior Vatican official as saying that if Levada isn’t appointed, “it means somebody got to (the Pope) and convinced him to change his mind.”

ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=56613

This report is dated 5/12 the OP’s report is dated 5/11. I guess we just need to wait and see.
 
If Benedict XVI does not know who and how to fill a job at the Congregation where he worked for the last 24 years, who does?
 
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