List of Liberal, Conservative Bishops

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When former Archbishop of Milwaukee Rembert Weakland recently came out as gay, many people’s sentiments on here were, “That’s not a surprise” or “Who didn’t know that already?”

Well, since I’m new to the Church, I didn’t 🙂 I don’t have the background yet to know which bishops are notoriously liberal, or which ones are conservative, etc. So in a charitable manner, how do some of our bishops fall politically?
 
MusicaDonumDei said:
When former Archbishop of Milwaukee Rembert Weakland recently came out as gay, many people’s sentiments on here were, “That’s not a surprise” or “Who didn’t know that already?”

Well, since I’m new to the Church, I didn’t 🙂 I don’t have the background yet to know which bishops are notoriously liberal, or which ones are conservative, etc. So in a charitable manner, how do some of our bishops fall politically?
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I’d be very cautious with words like “conservative” and “liberal.” They increasingly don’t seem to fit as adequate descriptors (for example, AOL today reported that former VP Dick Cheney, a “conservative,” has come out in favor of gay marriage!!!).

Maybe “orthodox” and “heterodox” would be better.
 
Oh good point, that’s what I meant to say then 🙂
JKirkLVNV said:
I’d be very cautious with words like “conservative” and “liberal.” They increasingly don’t seem to fit as adequate descriptors (for example, AOL today reported that former VP Dick Cheney, a “conservative,” has come out in favor of gay marriage!!!).

Maybe “orthodox” and “heterodox” would be better.
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Well, given what he wrote in his book, I’d say Archbishop Weakland was on the slippery slope and sliding fast.
 
I would say that all of us are liberal in some ways and conservative in others: be it in politics or in matters of faith.

To put it another way, ALL members of the Church are cafeteria Catholics. There are writers, spiritual practices, devotions, and such that appeal to some people and not to others. The very existence of the half-dozen different liturgical familes called “rites” illustrates this.

Regarding Abp Weakland, he must have something spiritually going for him, or he never would have been Abbot President of the Benedictines, nor would the Holy Spirit have led the Pope to name him bishop.

This should tell you what God really thinks about gay peope.
 
JKirkLVNV said:
I’d be very cautious with words like “conservative” and “liberal.” They increasingly don’t seem to fit as adequate descriptors (for example, AOL today reported that former VP Dick Cheney, a “conservative,” has come out in favor of gay marriage!!!).

Maybe “orthodox” and “heterodox” would be better.
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I do not know if these terms will work either.

Is it our place to declare any bishop outside of the Church? That is what the label of “heterodox” does. If the bishop is accepted by the pope and in communion with Rome then they are orthodox though we might not like everything that they say or do, that does not make them outside of the Church.
 
ByzCath said:
I do not know if these terms will work either.

Is it our place to declare any bishop outside of the Church? That is what the label of “heterodox” does. If the bishop is accepted by the pope and in communion with Rome then they are orthodox though we might not like everything that they say or do, that does not make them outside of the Church.
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No, you’re quite right, we cannot declare anyone to be outside the Church. However, we CAN compare their stated views on a given topic (in the Archbishop’s case, the Church’s teachings on homosexuality) and the Church’s teaching on the same topic, can’t we?
 
Obviously not a great citation, but Wikipedia says that “Heterodoxy in the Roman Catholic Church refers to views that differ from strictly orthodox views, but retain sufficient faithfulness to the original doctrine to avoid heresy.” So referring to someone as heterodox might not necessarily be the same as calling them outside the Church.

Is this a standard definition in Catholic theology?
ByzCath said:
I do not know if these terms will work either.

Is it our place to declare any bishop outside of the Church? That is what the label of “heterodox” does. If the bishop is accepted by the pope and in communion with Rome then they are orthodox though we might not like everything that they say or do, that does not make them outside of the Church.
Click to expand...
 
JKirkLVNV said:
No, you’re quite right, we cannot declare anyone to be outside the Church. However, we CAN compare their stated views on a given topic (in the Archbishop’s case, the Church’s teachings on homosexuality) and the Church’s teaching on the same topic, can’t we?
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What exactly were the Archbishop’s stated views?
 
MusicaDonumDei said:
Obviously not a great citation, but Wikipedia says that “Heterodoxy in the Roman Catholic Church refers to views that differ from strictly orthodox views, but retain sufficient faithfulness to the original doctrine to avoid heresy.” So referring to someone as heterodox might not necessarily be the same as calling them outside the Church.

Is this a standard definition in Catholic theology?
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I do not know if it is but let me ask you this.

Who are we to judge if a bishop’s views differ from the view of the Church?

To do so one must be sure that they are reading the bishop’s views in context and that one has a complete understanding of them.

I question whether or not a lay person with no theological training can really do so.
 
MusicaDonumDei said:
When former Archbishop of Milwaukee Rembert Weakland recently came out as gay, many people’s sentiments on here were, “That’s not a surprise” or “Who didn’t know that already?”

Well, since I’m new to the Church, I didn’t 🙂 I don’t have the background yet to know which bishops are notoriously liberal, or which ones are conservative, etc. So in a charitable manner, how do some of our bishops fall politically?
Click to expand...
I wondered the same thing when I first entered the church, however after trying to find out I realized that it would be difficult to get such a list from anyone without some uncharitable remarks - even if only by inference. After a few years I started to get a handle on it (and continued to form myself in the Faith, including watching my own uncharitable thoughts:eek:). Watching EWTN and listening to CA Radio will also allow you to form your own opinions/conscience with reverence and orthodoxy.
 
ByzCath said:
I do not know if it is but let me ask you this.

Who are we to judge if a bishop’s views differ from the view of the Church?

To do so one must be sure that they are reading the bishop’s views in context and that one has a complete understanding of them.

I question whether or not a lay person with no theological training can really do so.
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Did the Apostles have a theological degree?. And one needs to question as to where a lay person or cleric may have acquired theological training to give a sound view. Fr Jenkins had theological training and he allowed a fellow priest get arrested and thrown in jail for defending the truth. Did he acquire liberal theological training?. Ponder the thought!.
 
bkovacs said:
Did the Apostles have a theological degree?. And one needs to question as to where a lay person or cleric may have acquired theological training to give a sound view. Fr Jenkins had theological training and he allowed a fellow priest get arrested and thrown in jail for defending the truth. Did he acquire liberal theological training?. Ponder the thought!.
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When there is a doubt I will go with the Church.

When the Church states that a bishop is out of line I will listen, when it does not I will also listen.

I have seen many cases here where people have jumped on bishops for what they said and when I took a look at it, it was either that they took the bishops words out of context or that they did not understand theologically.

I will give the benefit of the doubt to my legitimate superiors, of which bishops are a part.
 
I am disturbed by the concept of pre-judging the bishops. The fact that someone can presume to make a list assessing the bishops (the way politicians voting records are assessed) is really repugnant to me.

If he is a real bishop he represents the Magisterium. It is not our place to judge him.
 
I’d also caution that homosexuality cannot be equated with being liberal or doctrinally unsound. There are lots of liberal heterosexuals and lots of conservative homosexuals.
 
Maybe the OP’s question might be stated: “Which of the bishops are most likely to give the Holy Father a headache, which ones most likely bring him a smile of appreciation, and which ones does he have some difficulty in remembering that they exist, and why?” That’s easier to consider than labels, and perhaps easier to talk about charitably and without judgment, as those who are a burr under the saddle of the Holy See may not mind at all to be seen as such.
 
ByzCath said:
When there is a doubt I will go with the Church.

When the Church states that a bishop is out of line I will listen, when it does not I will also listen.

I have seen many cases here where people have jumped on bishops for what they said and when I took a look at it, it was either that they took the bishops words out of context or that they did not understand theologically.

I will give the benefit of the doubt to my legitimate superiors, of which bishops are a part.
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:clapping:

Thank you for writing this so well.
 
ByzCath said:
I do not know if it is but let me ask you this.

Who are we to judge if a bishop’s views differ from the view of the Church?

To do so one must be sure that they are reading the bishop’s views in context and that one has a complete understanding of them.

I question whether or not a lay person with no theological training can really do so.
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I think you are right to a degree, but…I think Archbishop Weakland has made it a bit too easy NOT to make the observation that his views at least SEEM to be at odds with the Church’s. I’ve provided a link:

catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=2927
 
brigid12 said:
…Watching EWTN and listening to CA Radio will also allow you to form your own opinions/conscience with reverence and orthodoxy.
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No way. One’s formation had better contain things like a regular use of the sacraments, prayer, spiritual guidance, etc.
 
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