AmericanPapist Comments
I am simultaneously delighted and dismayed with his promotion. Bishop Kurtz has been a blessing upon the Knoxville diocese and has taught us all a lot. He has a miraculous memory as well, having met him 7 years ago on a retreat, to this day he recognizes me on sight, knows my name and where he met me, and is wonderful for active theological or casual discussion. Louisville is in for a treat of a wondrous man who has the ability to educate and genuinely please all who encounter him.
Not a completely random comment, I read the LiveJournal feed of your blog.
It amazes me that 2 years later, Birmingham still does not have a Bishop.
Brian, you've got a point. As much as Louisville needs a guy like Kurtz, two years is a bit much...
There's an article dated last July with potential replacements for Abp. Wuerl, when he left Pittsburgh for Washington. I'd bet one of those men might make the cut for Birmingham. Here 'tis: http://postgazette.com/pg/06204/...4/707982-
85.stm
I have a friend who's from the Birmingham diocese and he was going to be a Franciscan priest until they told him no (he's with another order now), and he says the diocese is still lacking a bishop because of four letters: EWTN. I don't know if that's right or not, but it makes sense that the Vatican wants to get a bishop who won't antagonize Mother Angelica.
As for Anne Rodgers' eight candidates for Pittsburgh, 3 have already been appointed to lead other dioceses--she's obviously a good prognosticator, almost as good as Rocco--and given that she all but rules out Zubik, then that leaves only four of her candidates remaining.
I personally am more interested in who's going to succeed Maida, Keeler, and Egan.
I don't want my last comment above to seem as if these other dioceses are insignificant, because I know having a leader is important. I'm just saying that I have a keen fascination with those who will eventually get to choose the pope.
Nathan your points are well made. The only possible explanation, for good or for ill, for the inexcusable delay in naming a bishop for B is EWTN. And I stress, for good or for ill. At some point, though, the needs of faithful must prevail, and a bishop simply HAS to be appointed.
Louisville has experienced a 40-year spiritual and intellectual meltdown since the retirement of Archbishop John A. Floersh. It desperately needs someone like Archbishop Kurtz. Almost any of the other dioceses must be in better shape. Perhaps Someone in Rome is paying closer attention than we realized. As a Louisvillian, I thank God and Pope Benedict for their comparatively expeditious and marvelously appropriate selection of a shepherd for the lost sheep of this Archdiocese.
A fellow Aussie blogger commented recently that our beloved Benedict has made more bishops here in Australia than he has in the States (so far). He has moved a few about over there, but not made new bishops. The two new bishops for Melbourne archdiocese were good picks and the Archbishop of Canberra was a good choice too, so we have reason to hope for good appointments.
Rumour has it that Pope Benedict is taking a careful and studied approach to appointing new bishops.
If the results so far are anything to go by, it's worth the wait!
What a small world! Bishop Kurtz concelebrated the funeral Mass of my parish priest, Father Edward Arnold, last Friday. (It was an awesome site having 3 Bishops (Choby (Nashville), Kurtz(Knoxville), and Niedergeses(Nashville's 8th) concelebrating.) I was immediately impressed by his warmth and smile. He'll be a great blessing for Louisville.
Interesting site and comments above. The current TIME cover page story on the Pope's respect for, and understanding of the Catholic Church in the US and the US Bill of Rights' respect for religion was great. Our First Amendemnt, often used as a weapon to keep faith out of the public square, will shine brightly and share a great moment when Benedict XV1 shows how important freedom of religion, experssion and assembly are for us, and for the blossoming democracies of Wastern Europe, and wil shame the Islamists who deny freedom of religion everywhere, and help Iraq which is trying to work out, and China whose current treatment of the Dalai Lama and Tibet shows how much they need human rights for everyone. The Olympics may be a lesson they did not intend to learn so we wish them well with them.
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