Like him or not, Denver’s Chaput is a very 21st century bishop [John Allen]

[Catholic_Press]

Bill Veeck, the P.T. Barnum of sports franchise owners, once said there are only two seasons – winter and baseball. I’m a convinced Veeckian on that score, so I tend to seek diversions to occupy the long emptiness until Opening Day. One thought exercise I’ve come up with is this: Sit down and try to compile a list of the ten most consequential Catholic bishops in America. By that, I don’t mean the bishops you like most or agree with, but those who seem to have the most impact.

More…

 

[Dale_M]

How can anyone not like Abp Chaput? He is compassionate and a clear defender of Catholic teaching, unhindered by political ideology.

BTW, also on Allen’s list of the ten most influential bishops in the US:

Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, for example, would probably make the list because of his behind-the-scenes muscle – seeing his protégés named bishops and steering matters through the shoals of Rome. Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson might be included for his ability to forge consensus and get things done within the U.S. bishops’ conference. Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio and Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento might make the cut because of their leadership among the exploding sector of Hispanic Catholics, while Cardinal Francis George of Chicago would be in the mix as an intellectual point of reference.