Newark archbishop's future retirement home undergoing a $500K addition

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dixieagle said:
I believe there had already been a link posted to this. Also, the blog post that you previously cited is just that… a blog post, and also “conjecture.”

If there are to be other priests living in this residence, then the archdiocese should get that info out there pretty quickly.

If it didn’t dawn on someone that bishops living like noblemen in palatial residences is a terrible idea, then it should have. I wait with bated breath to hear - officially - that His Excellency won’t be living there in solitary splendor.
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Ah, I missed the prior post to the statement. :o

How is the blogpost “conjecture”? :confused: The author talked to the Archdiocesan spokesman to obtain her information.

But even if it is only conjecture on her part, when it comes to our bishops, I’d rather my speculation give them the benefit of the doubt. 🤷

If I have a choice between conjecture that paints a bishop to be a terrible person and conjecture that offers a reasonable explanation for the facts of the case and paints him in a more favorable light, I’ll choose the latter over the former every time.
 
AJB328 said:
Also being from NJ I can tell you that Arch Bishop Myers doesn’t have a large fan club. He’s said some troubling things about the abuse scandal (of which his handling has been heavily criticized) and is very standoffish.
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I’ve met the Archbishop and I didn’t find him standoffish at all. He was very kind and accessible.
 
RC_Sojourner said:
That Archbishop in Germany spent $23 million, and that was for more people than himself. His residence included a museum that showed the history of the Diocese (which would probably employ someone), and would house an order of nuns, and have additional guest rooms.

This is just a $500,000 renovation.

Thought I’d put this in perspective. I don’t approve of extravagance in the Church, but I’m not going to turn into a Pharisee always scrutinizing every amenity of every Bishop’s residence.

Which, btw, none of those amenities seem excessive to me, if indeed, multiple people will be retired there (which is probably the case right?).

An indoor exercising pool, and a hot tub… probably both good things for retirees’ health.
An elevator… wheel chair accessible.
3 fireplaces… again, old joints and retired priests.

EDIT:
I forgot the library… I would hope that EVERY priest has a library. John Henry Newman had a library, and he practically lived in poverty… he ate 2 meals a day, and lived in a tiny, freezing complex with many other people. Priests need to be well-read and scholarly. They should all have libraries, and we should be giving them books as presents all the time!
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I thought we were talking about Newark specifically??
 
dixieagle said:
I believe there had already been a link posted to this. Also, the blog post that you previously cited is just that… a blog post, and also “conjecture.”

If there are to be other priests living in this residence, then the archdiocese should get that info out there pretty quickly.

If it didn’t dawn on someone that bishops living like noblemen in palatial residences is a terrible idea, then it should have. I wait with bated breath to hear - officially - that His Excellency won’t be living there in solitary splendor.
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Here, here!👍
 
Joe_5859 said:
Ah, I missed the prior post to the statement. :o

How is the blogpost “conjecture”? :confused: The author talked to the Archdiocesan spokesman to obtain her information.

But even if it is only conjecture on her part, when it comes to our bishops, I’d rather my speculation give them the benefit of the doubt. 🤷

If I have a choice between conjecture that paints a bishop to be a terrible person and conjecture that offers a reasonable explanation for the facts of the case and paints him in a more favorable light, I’ll choose the latter over the former every time.
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This has nothing to do with painting him as a “terrible person”, but rather as a leader who seems to be out of touch with the wish of Pope Francis that bishops live simple lives. Nothing that has yet come out of the archdiocese makes me feel any better about this. Bottom line: the spiritual leader of a very poor archdiocese- who has already had the use of a very comfortable “weekend home” - will be retiring to something that can only be described as luxurious.

As I’ve mentioned, if this “retirement home” provides housing for other retired priests and serves as a venue for archdiocesan functions, then it may be a prudent investment. Otherwise, it is a prime example of the clericalism that Pope Francis rails against.
 
dixieagle said:
This has nothing to do with painting him as a “terrible person”, but rather as a leader who seems to be out of touch with the wish of Pope Francis that bishops live simple lives. Nothing that has yet come out of the archdiocese makes me feel any better about this. Bottom line: the spiritual leader of a very poor archdiocese- who has already had the use of a very comfortable “weekend home” - will be retiring to something that can only be described as luxurious.

As I’ve mentioned, if this “retirement home” provides housing for other retired priests and serves as a venue for archdiocesan functions, then it may be a prudent investment. Otherwise, it is a prime example of the clericalism that Pope Francis rails against.
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It is also the wish of Pope Francis that we don’t gossip. 🙂
 
I wonder why the diocese pays real estate taxes on property for housing the bishop.

Any real estate lawyers in the house? At $18k a year in taxes that property isn’t a real estate investment that will likely yield returns for the diocese. So much for my theory!

Can’t see any way to defend the plan at this point.
 
I called the Archdiocese of Newark yesterday, because I thought there had to be more to this story that the press wasn’t reporting. Nope. Currently, it is a weekend retreat for the Archbishop. It will be his residence when he retires…all by himself. The very polite gentleman on the phone did say that he would probably have a guest or two from time to time.
 
Lormar said:
It is also the wish of Pope Francis that we don’t gossip. 🙂
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This is hardly gossip. Rather, it is publicly expressing an opinion on something that seems completely out of sync with what is prudent and wise, particularly in the current anti-Catholic climate.
 
cloistered said:
I called the Archdiocese of Newark yesterday, because I thought there had to be more to this story that the press wasn’t reporting. Nope. Currently, it is a weekend retreat for the Archbishop. It will be his residence when he retires…all by himself. The very polite gentleman on the phone did say that he would probably have a guest or two from time to time.
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Well, there you go. How anyone can defend this is completely beyond me.
 
dixieagle said:
This is hardly gossip. Rather, it is publicly expressing an opinion on something that seems completely out of sync with what is prudent and wise, particularly in the current anti-Catholic climate.
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Yes, it’s always good to bring things to the light so that they may be examined and clarified. It’s when certain people are considered beyond examination that evil takes place.
 
I can’t believe some of the uncharitable comments being made in this thread. :mad::mad::mad: Seriously, some of you would begrudge a man who has given his life to the church, adaptations that would ease the pain of his medical condition?!?

Yes, it’s expensive. But it’s a pittance compared to retro fitting just one public building for accessibility. Believe me, if the diocese had to go out and buy a new residence for the retired Archbishop, it would cost a lot more than renovating the one they already have.

And to address some specific comments:

Hunterdon county to Newark is a very easy commute - a straight shot out I78. It is not unlikely that he will be continuing his duties at the chancery. (I used to drive the route as my daily commute) Where I live now, the edge of the diocese is much further from the chancery and our retired Archbishop regularly attends many events out here. (and he’s MUCH older than Archbishop Meyers)

Having an co-adjutor is not a sign that the Vatican is displeased. Co-adjutors are never assigned without permission of the Ordinary.

The Pope is not going to intervene on this. This is not a decision the Archbishop is making on his own. This is a financial decision being made by the Archdiocisan finance committee and under the supervision of the auditors. The Pope cannot tell a diocese what to do with its own property or investments.

Don’t we have enough* real* problems to keep us busy? Do some people need to go *looking *for fault where none exists?
 
Seriously? Yeah. I begrudge this much excess. Lots of us out there dealing with arthritis and disability after a lifetime of service to family and community and we don’t need 3 bathrooms, more bedrooms to go empty and all the rest. Honestly. Our Pope is refusing to sleep in the papal apartments to send us a message. This bishop clearly didn’t get the message.
 
sojo said:
Seriously? Yeah. I begrudge this much excess. Lots of us out there dealing with arthritis and disability after a lifetime of service to family and community and we don’t need 3 bathrooms, more bedrooms to go empty and all the rest. Honestly. Our Pope is refusing to sleep in the papal apartments to send us a message. This bishop clearly didn’t get the message.
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And if those family members and community members offered to help you re-fit your home to make your life with arthritis and disability more comfortable in your old age, would you say, “No, I can’t because Pope Francis wants me to act poor.”?

Take a look at some of the posts here from the time when Pope Francis decided to live at Casa Santa Marta. He is living there because it’s what he wants to do and because he prefers to live in community. He isn’t living there to “send a message” to our elderly clergy that they need to shun retirement care in order to look poor.

You can consider it excess. I consider it a good investment for the archdiocese and a very nice gesture on the part of many people who personally contributed to the effort in recognition to Archbishop’s decades of service to the Church.
 
seaton2005 said:
Do as I say, and not as I do. Hummmmm!
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In a way, yes. It is no secret that Pope Francis, while a Jesuit, has a deep connection with Franciscan spirituality. Part of that spirituality is humble living. But the Pope certainly wouldn’t say or imply by his actions that this is the **only **valuable spirituality. The life of a diocesan priest, or a secular Bishop does not include a call to physical deprivation or living in poverty.

On the contrary, those charged with the financial decisions for the diocese must be shrewd businessmen and make worldly decisions since, if they don’t, there won’t be any schools or facilities to carry out social services.
 
Corki said:
In a way, yes. It is no secret that Pope Francis, while a Jesuit, has a deep connection with Franciscan spirituality. Part of that spirituality is humble living. But the Pope certainly wouldn’t say or imply by his actions that this is the **only **valuable spirituality. The life of a diocesan priest, or a secular Bishop does not include a call to physical deprivation or living in poverty.

On the contrary, those charged with the financial decisions for the diocese must be shrewd businessmen and make worldly decisions since, if they don’t, there won’t be any schools or facilities to carry out social services.
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But Pope Francis HAS called bishops - loudly and clearly - to “live simply.”

How anyone can believe that it is in any way prudent for a bishop to retire - alone - to an already very large, comfortable “weekend home” that will be *more than 7500 sq. feet *and nothing short of luxurious when complete is astonishing. And this in a very poor diocese, yet!!!

Perception matters… very much. Actions like this simply add fuel to the fire of anti-Catholicism.
 
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