Pope Benedict will name Jose Gomez, 58, archbishop of San Antonio since February 2005, as coadjutor-archbishop of Los Angeles.
In the process, the native of Mexico -- the lone American bishop professed as a numerary (full member) of Opus Dei -- will make history, becoming the first Hispanic prelate placed in line for a Stateside red hat.
The appointment would bring to a close several months' worth of intense consultation and speculation since word of Cardinal Roger Mahony's request for an understudy began circulating late last year. A coadjutor will first spend some months learning the ropes alongside the 74 year-old cardinal before succeeding to the helm of the 5 million member local church -- its Catholic population estimated to be three-quarters Latino -- shortly after Mahony reaches the retirement age of 75 next February 27th.
Born in Monterrey and ordained for Opus Dei in 1978, Gomez served in Texas from 1987 in both Houston and San Antonio. A former executive director and president of the National Association of Hispanic Priests, in 2001 Pope John Paul II named him an auxiliary to Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, then rocketed him into the lone senior US post customarily held by a Latin cleric on his appointment to San Antonio in late 2004. Six months after his installation there, TIME magazine named Gomez one of the nation's 25 most influential Hispanics.
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5 comments:
Oh wow, that is some extremely exciting news. I didn't know Mahony was that close to retirement, but I'm certainly glad to read it!
Oh boy.
Opus Dei--maybe Bishop Gomez and OD can do the work of Dios and like fix LA traffic problems (crime, poverty, etc)
Oh boy.
Opus Dei--maybe Bishop Gomez and OD can do the work of Dios and like fix LA traffic problems (crime, poverty, etc)
The Pope is replacing one "yes man" with another "yes man." This ain't no way to fix a railroad.
Anon,
I think that's a pretty seriously deficient understanding of what the episcopacy is and who the bishops involved are.
Even working with the corporate analogy, if a leader wants to reform a division of a company which isn't doing well, who exactly should he install? Someone who agrees with his understanding of how things should work, or an argumentative loner who will both kick up a fuss within that division and refuse to listen to headquarters?
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