VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter
John L. Allen Jr. | Oct. 7, 2013
ROME
Arguably, nothing a pope does is more decisive in shaping Catholic culture than appointing bishops, and that’s especially true for one who wants change. Francis has sketched a beguiling vision of a more merciful and compassionate church, one less invested in the culture wars, but pulling it off will require finding bishops to match.
As critical as that task is, it may be a while yet before Francis truly puts his imprint on the Catholic bishops of the United States.
The pope has laid out his notion of church leadership several times, most notably in a June 21 speech to his nuncios, or ambassadors, who play a lead role in recommending new bishops. Francis told them to seek “pastors who are close to their people, fathers and brothers, who are meek, patient and merciful.”
He also said that he doesn’t want prelates with the “psychology of a prince.”
In the United States, Francis inherits 450 active and retired bishops, and many at least seem to realize he’s steering them in a new direction. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York has said Francis “wants to shake us up,” while Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, who heads the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, acknowledged a new caution about appearing strident on matters such as abortion, gay marriage and contraception.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.