The nation's Roman Catholic bishops are expected to elect Chicago's archbishop to lead the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the once powerful body that's bidding to restore the church's credibility after years of sexual abuse scandals.Cardinal Francis George, one of the most prominent U.S. cardinals and the spiritual leader of more than 2.3 million Catholics in the Chicago area, is expected to be chosen as president of the bishop's conference when it meets in Baltimore this week; he's currently its vice president.
The savvy, smart and well-connected 70-year-old may be better suited than anyone to help re-energize the body, which has seen its influence wane over the years, said Russell Shaw, a former information director for the group.
"If anybody can pull it off, it's Francis George," Shaw told the Chicago Tribune.
The new president will succeed Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Wash.
Skylstad will complete his term during the four-day meeting, which began yesterday.
George, who worked in Rome for more than a decade, could use his close Vatican ties to help re-exert the influence of U.S. bishops, said Chester Gillis of Georgetown University's theology department.
"On the other hand, he is someone that is so thoroughly known in many ways and so thoroughly obedient to Rome," Gillis said. "Will his vision be to empower the American church or remain obedient to Rome at all costs?"
Some advocates of sexual abuse victims have opposed George's election.
They cite his failure to deal with the case of Rev. Daniel McCormack, a Chicago priest who pleaded guilty in July to abusing five boys between the ages of 8 and 12 while he served as parish priest at St. Agatha Catholic Church; he was sentenced to five years in prison.
McCormack was not removed from the West Side parish until he first was charged in January 2006 - several months after one of the allegations was made against him.
George has said he should have pushed harder to find out details about the allegations against the priest and also to let parents know about steps the church had taken.
Mary Pat Fox, president of Voice of the Faithful, a group formed in response to the sexual abuse scandal, said George has never fully appreciated the gravity of clergy sex abuse.
"The U.S. bishops cannot elect a known enabler of clergy sex abuse as president of the (conference) if they are ever to regain the trust of American Catholics," Fox said.
A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago declined to comment.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce