The Sheepcat

Congratulations, Cardinal-designate Thomas Collins

The Archdiocese of Toronto has received a precious gift for Epiphany in today's announcement that our beloved Archbishop Thomas Collins is to be elevated to the College of Cardinals. 

In 2007 Archbishop Collins received the pallium from the Holy Father.

The Sheepcat said in January 2007, just before Archbishop Collins' installation in Toronto, "Orthodox and positive. To me that's one inspiring combination." As we have come to know His Eminence and see him in action, our esteem and affection for him has grown. Ad multos annos!

 

Remembering Father John Harvey, OSFS

On this Feast of St John, we remember the death of Fr John Harvey, OSFS, a year ago today. Fr Harvey served with great patience and compassion as cofounder of Courage, the Catholic apostolate to persons with same-sex attraction and their loved ones.

This past August we had the privilege of attending the Courage/EnCourage conference at Mundelein Seminary outside Chicago. Five bishops supported the work by their presence: Bishops John Levoir, Thomas Paprocki, Mark Seitz, Thomas Olmsted, and the keynote speaker, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke.

Here Cardinal Burke speaks on "The Memory of Fr. John Harvey, OSFS and the Future of Courage and EnCourage." (The link opens a PDF in a separate window.) He is introduced by Fr Paul Check, the executive director of Courage.

At the opening Mass, on the Memorial of St John Mary Vianney, Cardinal Burke's homily remembered with gratitude the ministry of faithful priests such as Fr Harvey (the PDF opens in a new window).

Father Harvey accepted a priestly ministry which many either ignored or avoided. He faced serious misunderstandings and endured years of questioning, on the part of those from whom he rightly expected support. But, through, with and in Christ, he remained steadfast to the end, expending his every energy on behalf of the flock entrusted to his care. Our privileged time together, during these days, offers us the occasion to contemplate how Christ has loved us and cared for us, announcing to us the divine truth accompanied by the works of divine charity, through the priestly life and ministry of Father Harvey.

We were greatly inspired by the homilies and talks we heard. Courage members Angelo and Tina gave powerful testimonies recalling Fr Harvey's influence on their lives. Listen to them and watch other Courage conference talks here.

Congratulations, Bishops Dowd and Lépine!

Happy news this time about another long-time friend of this blog's: Bishop Thomas Dowd of Waiting in Joyful Hope was ordained a bishop a few hours ago along with Bishop Christian Lépine. They are now the two active auxiliary bishops of Montreal.

Congratulations to both new bishops.  Let us pray that they may be fruitful in spreading the fullness of the Catholic faith in their city and beyond.

Bishop Burke Did Not Give Up on Gay Activist

Eric Hess tells how his defiance and anger as one of Wisconsin's most prominent gay activists was met with pastoral kindness on the part of the bishop, and hope that Hess would eventually reconcile with the Church.

Link via Clinging to the Barque of Peter.

New Bishop in B.C.

Bishop-elect John Corriveau, a Capuchin-Franciscan, will be installed in Nelson, British Columbia today. Let us pray for him and for all our bishops.

What to Do about "Bad" Bishops?

In the wake of the Los Angeles abuse settlement for $600 million, Fr Rob Johansen reminds us why the Pope doesn't just sack bishops such as Cardinal Mahony.

I linked to some other reflections in a similar spirit last year when a group of dissident priests in Québec published a statement of dissent.

A Teaching Archbishop

An encouraging profile of Archbishop Wuerl in The Washington Times. His Lenten pastoral letter on the Sacrament of Penance has drawn wide interest. God bless him.

Canada's Next Generation of Bishops

In Canadian Catholic News Deborah Gyapong reveals some of the process by which priests are chosen to become bishops. With more than 20 Canadian bishops reaching the retirement age of 75 in the next five years, we can expect the choices to have a major effect, one way or another, on the face of the Church in this country. (Canada has 155 living bishops, of whom 58 are retired.)

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Toronto hosts a bevy of events to welcome Archbishop Collins, who is to be installed this Tuesday. Now here's a sign of his humility: he's living in the rectory of St Michael's Cathedral, the first archbishop to do so in a long time, and takes the subway to diocesan offices. Here Fr Rosica of Salt and Light TV interviews Archbishop Collins about his new role.

Gyapong quotes the secretary to the Papal Nuncio to Canada, whose office had quite a hand in the nomination of episcopal candidates, on Pope Benedict's approach.

The pope is inviting people to be positive, to say “yes,” accepting a new life in Christ, he said. Christ doesn’t ask us to say “no,” Msgr. Crotty said, “he asks us to say “yes” because he wants what is good for us.

Orthodox and positive. To me that's one inspiring combination.

More coverage from Rocco at Whispers in the Loggia, with links to this lively portrait in the Toronto Sun.

The Next Archbishop of Toronto

I heard the news at Mass yesterday morning that Pope Benedict had accepted the retirement of Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic and appointed Archbishop Thomas Collins as the next Archbishop of Toronto. Let us pray for them.

The buzz from Edmonton readers at Amy Welborn's is very positive. One comment of note:

"He quietly made some tough stands that most people are unaware of. For example, he fired people who'd terrorized the diocese since I was a little kid with their utterly un-Catholic agenda, and believe me those sort of people were well entrenched with lots of allies. And he put lots of good men and women in key positions."

I'll admit I was disappointed by the liturgy at the cathedral when I visited Edmonton in January, but that's my only real reservation. By all accounts Archbishop Collins is outstanding as a preacher and completely orthodox. "[D]eeply traditional, yet gracious and open to argument," says John Allen.

And while I have no complaints about how Archbishop Prendergast, reportedly once the leading candidate for the position, excommunicated a gay couple who publicized their civil "marriage," I admire how Archbishop Collins aims, according to his remarks to Whispers in the Loggia, to "connect with the society we're in... not doing that in a way of condemning, but of inviting."

"As archbishop of the influential Toronto archdiocese he will be confronted with politicians, who while claiming to be Catholic, are actively opposed to Church teaching on life and family issues. Archbishop Collins told LifeSiteNews.com that he looks forward to meeting with them."

I look forward to his installation.