Archbishop Levada gets vacated job at CDF.Vatican City--Pope Benedict XVI Benedict XVI, 1927–, pope (2005–) and Roman Catholic theologian, a German (b. Marktl am Inn, Bavaria) named Josef (or Joseph) Alois Ratzinger; successor of John Paul II. He entered the seminary in 1939, but his training was interrupted by World War II. has appointed American Archbishop William Levada, 68, of San Francisco to succeed him as Prefect prefect or praefect (both: prē`fĕkt), in ancient Rome, various military and civil officers. Under the empire some prefects were very important. The Praetorian prefects (first appointed 2 B.C. of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei), previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. (CDF (1) (Central Distribution Frame) A connecting unit (typically a hub) that acts as a central distribution point to all the nodes in a zone or domain. See MDF. ). As head of the organisation charged with the preservation of doctrinal orthodoxy within the Church, he will be the highest ranking American within the Vatican, and is certain to be named a cardinal at the next consistory CONSISTORY, ecclesiastical law. An assembly of cardinals convoked by the pope. The consistory is public or secret. It is public, when the pope receives princes or gives audience to ambassadors; secret, when he fills vacant sees, proceeds to the canonization of saints, or judges and . William Levada was born of Portuguese-Dish ancestors in California in 1936, where he originally attended seminary. After ordination in 1961 he worked five years as a parish priest in Los Angeles and then studied theology in Rome, achieving a Ph.D. magna cum laude from the Gregorian University. He returned to teach theology at the archdiocesan seminary in Camarillo, CA. He was seconded to work with the CDF in Rome, 1976-1982. In his last year in Rome he worked under Cardinal Ratzinger, who had been appointed Prefect of the CDF in 1981. On his return to the United States, Levada was ordained or·dain tr.v. or·dained, or·dain·ing, or·dains 1. a. To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on. b. To authorize as a rabbi. 2. auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles in 1983, serving as vicar of Santa Barbara. In 1986 he was appointed Archbishop of Portland, Oregon. In 1984 he became one of seven bishop-editors developing the text of the Universal Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II. under Cardinal Ratzinger's direction. In 1995 he was appointed co-adjutor Archbishop of San Francisco, serving under the controversial Archbishop John Quinn whom he succeeded in the same year when Quinn resigned his post. In 2000 Archbishop Levada became a bishop-member of the CDF. Since 2003 he has also been chairman of the U.S. bishops' conference Committee on Doctrine. (Zenit, May 19, 2005) Levada's appointment has not been without controversy. Various commentators (Ferrara, Morella "Morella" is a short story by 19th century American author and critic Edgar Allan Poe. Plot summary An unnamed narrator marries Morella, a woman who delves into "forbidden pages" of mysticism. , Uhlmann) have expressed concerns over what they regard as compromises with the pro-homosexual San Francisco city government. "In 1997, the city passed a law requiring all agencies contracting with the city to provide spousal benefits spousal benefits Social medicine Benefits, including health and life insurance, provided to a spouse–ie, husband or wife–of an employee; in socially advanced nations and in the US, SBs may be extended to unmarried–including same sex–partners to 'domestic partners' of their employees. Non-compliance could have jeopardized the archdiocese's social services contracts with the city. "At Archbishop Levada's urging, the city changed the ordinance so that employees of Church agencies could designate any legally domiciled member of their household for spousal benefits. Some observers saw the solution as solomonic; others felt he could have provided a stronger voice for marriage." (NC Register, May 22, 2005) On the other hand, pro-life leaders in San Francisco support his appointment. The San Francisco media of course never liked the Archbishop, precisely for his strong opposition to abortion, same-sex "marriage," and other immoralities. Others think he has been too accommodating and, in general, misunderstands the aggressive and threatening mode of operation of the "gay" drive for acceptance. National Catholic Register reports as follows: "Archbishop Levada spoke at a rally preceding the first Walk for Life West Coast, held Jan. 22, 2005, in San Francisco and walked near the front of a procession, while pro-abortion demonstrators made lewd gestures and spat on some of the 8,000 people walking along the city's waterfront. But he has also drawn the ire of frustrated Catholic activists who would have liked him to directly and publicly chastise chas·tise tr.v. chas·tised, chas·tis·ing, chas·tis·es 1. To punish, as by beating. See Synonyms at punish. 2. To criticize severely; rebuke. 3. Archaic To purify. some of the city's many Catholic politicians who loudly profess their pro-abortion stances along with their Church affiliation. Many were upset when actively pro-abortion Mayor Gavin Newsom was allowed to speak on being a Catholic politician at a local parish, in the wake of his decision to issue same-sex 'marriage' licenses. (Valerie Schmalz schmaltz also schmalz n. 1. Informal a. Excessively sentimental art or music. b. Maudlin sentimentality. 2. Liquid fat, especially chicken fat. , NCR (NCR Corporation, Dayton, OH, www.ncr.com) A technology company specializing in financial terminal transactions, retail systems and data warehousing. Until the late 1990s, NCR was heavily invested in the hardware side of the industry, known worldwide as a major manufacturer of computers , May 22, 2005). The Register also notes: "The Archbishop was a key figure in the approval of new norms to handle cases of priestly sexual abuse. In 2002, he was a member of the United States-Vatican commission that made final revisions to the norms, which laid out a strict policy on priestly sex abuse and provided for removal from ministry or laicization of priests who have sexually abused minors. Earlier this year, he and four other Church leaders returned to the Vatican for talks on extending the norms." Comment In general Archbishop Levada appears to be seen more as an administrator than a theologian. His selection as the CDF Prefect is interpreted as a sign that Pope Benedict wants someone in Rome who is close to American issues. |
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