HOMEPAGENEWSPAPER ARCHIVE
by Dennis J. Opatrny, Elizabeth Fernandez and Stephanie Salter, San Francisco Examiner, August 18, 1995
"It's in the hands of (Rome)," said Ann Sustarich, a lifelong member of Church of the Nativity, which the archdiocese closed last year over the strenuous objections of many parishioners. "Their decision is pretty much what will count, so I'm still hopeful. We have to keep on working because Nativity was unjustly closed."
Linda Shah, a parishioner of St. Thomas More, the closure of which has prompted a legal appeal to Rome, said she didn't expect incoming Archbishop William Levada to make immediate, wholesale changes concerning the closed parishes.
"It would be unrealistic to expect someone to make wide sweeping changes right away," she said Thursday. "My hope is that if the Vatican will direct him to take another look, he will. I think this is a positive change in San Francisco."
Levada, now the archbishop of Portland, said Thursday that "it's not my job to come in here and second-guess what has been decided before me" by outgoing Archbishop John Quinn.
"Anxious' to follow orders
Levada, who was introduced to the archdiocese's 500 priests in a private session Thursday at St. Mary's Cathedral, said he was unfamiliar with details of the Vatican-approved closures but supported them nonetheless since the church deemed it necessary.
"I'm anxious to see what has been proposed and I look forward to participating in the final stages of it and (to) implement it," Levada said.
He said that if Rome wants him to revisit the controversy he is willing, but he doubts that will be the directive from the Holy See.
"The Vatican has its labyrinthine ways of working," Levada said. "If they want me to work on that, then they'll ask me, I'm sure."
Levada, 59, was selected by Pope John Paul II to succeed Quinn, who is retiring from his pastoral duties after 18 years as head of the archdiocese, which represents 340,000 Catholics in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties. Levada officially assumes his duties as archbishop coadjutor Oct. 24.
"Saddened' by priestly problems
In a wide-ranging session with reporters, Levada said he would take steps to deal with issues nagging the archdiocese, such as priests accused of pedophilia and embezzlement.
"Certainly I and Archbishop Quinn are saddened by any person or priest who does not live up to their responsibility," Levada said.
He said priests and laity in the archdiocese would be admonished to avoid compromising situations and to report any activity they see that violates the law or church guidelines.
"The procedure is that you follow the policies that are set down," he said. "You take the appropriate action that may be required."
The archbishop-designate also said he planned to implement modern business procedures to avoid a repeat of the embezzlement of archdiocese funds allegedly committed by two parish priests.
"We have come a long way from the old days when we operated on a much less sophisticated financial accounting system," Levada said. "We need to be able to operate as a business, as other nonprofits do."
On a personal note, Levada took issue with those in the church who characterize him as a conservative.
He said he viewed people with an open mind and problems with a pragmatic approach devoid of preconceived ideas. He said labels were misleading.
"I think it is a bad habit of the media," he said. "The labeling of people does not help us understand who people are and what their values are and how they can be of service to the community."
Levada took a neutral position on gay and lesbian Catholics. He indicated there is room for all under the church's roof.
He said the church maintains teachings and practices that must be observed by members, but appeared to leave it up to each individual how to do that.
"Certainly the church is composed of many people, people of many ethnic backgrounds," he said. "There are many Catholics who are gay, I'm sure. Their participation in the church is pretty much on the same basis as anyone."
HOMEPAGE