TEXAS
Dallas Observer
BY STEPHEN YOUNG
Almost four months after the Vatican poached Bishop Kevin Farrell, Dallas’ 1.3 million Catholics have a new leader.
On Tuesday, Pope Francis appointed Edward J. Burns, currently the bishop of Juneau, Alaska, to Farrell’s vacated post. Burns, 59, will start his new gig on Feb. 7.
“I am profoundly grateful for my experience in Juneau and I pray for God’s grace as I take on my new duties as chief shepherd of this ever-growing Diocese of Dallas,” Burns said. “I look forward to listening and learning all that I can about this beautifully diverse Catholic community and I want to assure all in the Diocese of Dallas that I will be a shepherd for all people.” …
During his time in Juneau, Burns also served as the chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, which has sought to ensure that Catholic churches are safe environments “designed to ensure necessary safety and security for all children as they participate in church and religious activities” in the wake of the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the church over the last 25 years.
Last year, in an op-ed for the National Catholic Reporter, Burns cited numbers indicating that the church was getting better at stopping sexual abuse, but acknowledged that there was still work to do.
“Nevertheless, this is certainly not a sign that we have somehow put this scandal behind us, nor is it an occasion for self-congratulation. We must remain vigilant. We must not grow complacent. We should not regard the clerical sexual abuse scandal as a distraction from the church’s mission, as if, once we have somehow ‘rectified the problem,’ we can continue on as before.
Rather, our shepherds, myself included, need to face and repent of the betrayal of trust. Authentic and heartfelt repentance by the shepherds of our church is not a distraction from our mission: It is the mission at this moment in the life of the church and her leaders,” he wrote.
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