Denver Archbishop Chaput named to lead troubled Philadelphia diocese
By Eric Gorski
The Denver Post
Posted: 07/19/2011
Pope Benedict XVI this morning named Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput, an outspoken and at times polarizing figure in the American church, to lead the scandal-ridden Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Chaput, 66, will have the difficult task of succeeding Cardinal Justin Rigali, whose handling of clergy sexual-abuse cases has come under fire.
According to a brief statement by the Vatican, Benedict also accepted Rigali's resignation, citing reasons of age. As is required by church law, Rigali offered his resignation when he turned 75 in April of 2010.
A news conference is planned for later this morning in Philadelphia. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia includes about 1.4 million Catholics.
Chaput will be installed in the new job Sept. 8.
The move to one of the nation's preeminent dioceses puts Chaput in line to become a cardinal, joining the elite "princes of the church" who elect popes.
If form holds, it will be at least six months before a replacement for Chaput in Denver is named. The Denver archdiocese spans 24 northern Colorado counties and includes about 500,000 Catholics.
During his 14 years in Denver, Chaput has emerged as a strong voice of conservative, orthodox Catholicism very much in keeping with the vision of Pope Benedict.
Chaput has called on Catholics to follow their faith's teachings at the ballot box — especially on the topic of abortion — drawing criticism that he was not-so-subtly promoting Republican candidates.
He also has weathered a clergy abuse scandal — although on a much smaller scale than other U.S. dioceses — and oversees a successful seminary while other dioceses have struggled to recruit men to the priesthood.
"He is not compromising and he's very outspoken — and he's sometimes made enemies by being outspoken," said Russell Shaw, a former spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "But people who get to know him soon enough come to realize they're dealing with a man of transparent goodness and integrity."
Anger lingers over abuse
Chaput's name has been floated whenever a high-profile bishop's post comes open. Even so, Chaput's appointment to Philadelphia was not anticipated. Some observers thought he was bound for Chicago to replace his friend, the soon-to-retire Cardinal Francis George.
As required, Rigali submitted his resignation to Benedict on his birthday last year. But as is often the case, the pope did not immediately accept it.
A grand-jury report in Philadelphia five months ago criticized the Philadelphia archdiocese for covering up claims of sexual abuse by priests against children. The revelations were shocking, coming after bishops passed reforms meant to root out abuse and coverup.
"Archbishop Chaput's first task, which he certainly understands, will be to address this squarely and quickly," said the Rev. James Martin, culture editor of America magazine and a Jesuit priest. "Everyone is angry — from the person in the pews to the priests in sacristy."
Martin called Chaput "a fiercely orthodox bishop, a staunch defender of the faith and an outspoken public religious figure."
Chaput was put to the test on the clergy abuse issue starting in 2005 when several men told The Denver Post they were abused as children by three priests.
The archdiocese was told about allegations against one priest — the Rev. Harold Robert White — as early as the 1960s but allowed him to serve and moved him from parish to parish, The Post reported.
The archdiocese eventually hired a former state district judge to try to settle the lawsuits. Chaput attended each mediation session. By 2008, the archdiocese had settled 36 lawsuits and seven other claims involving the priests for a total of about $8.3 million, the archdiocese said.
"He met it head on," said Robert Zarlengo, the former chairman of an archdiocesan advisory body to Chaput. "He was very apologetic about it: 'We're sorry for what happened, but what can we do to make it right?' He elevated it to a dignified playing field."
Chaput sharply attacked proposed state legislation that would have loosened or done away with time limits for filing lawsuits involving sexual abuse from years ago.
The efforts failed. David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said he suspects Chaput was chosen in part because similar reforms have been proposed in Pennsylvania.
Chaput "will seem more approachable than Rigali, who has always seemed to many as somewhat of a bureaucrat," Clohessy said. "People will likely become complacent and assume Chaput will do better. Sadly, many people judge bishops by their personal demeanor."
Politics from the pulpit
Chaput gained national notice in 2004 for saying Catholic politicians who advocate for legalized abortion — a conflict with church teaching — should refrain from Communion.
He continued to speak out on politics four years later, when he clashed with Catholic backers of Barack Obama and called Obama the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate from a major party in 35 years.
"Archbishop Chaput's appointment to Philadelphia is disappointing for the millions of Catholics who care about the church's teachings on social justice and the common good," said James Salt, executive director of Catholics United, a group Chaput has criticized.
Yet Chaput also has been outspoken in favor of immigration reform and against the death penalty — underscoring the fact that Catholic social teaching does not conform to any one political party.
There is no doubt Chaput will become a cardinal as archbishop of Philadelphia, said Shaw, the former bishops conference spokesman. But it probably won't happen until Rigali, turns 80 and is no longer eligible to vote in the conclave to elect a pope.
The thinking, Shaw said, is that dioceses should not have more than one vote. Rigali is 76.
Chaput's predecessor in Denver, J. Francis Stafford, was posted to Rome in charge of a Vatican council and became a cardinal in 1996.
In a 2005 interview with The Post, Chaput brushed off speculation about a promotion, saying he would like to serve in Denver until retirement.
"It's about the right size of diocese if you really want to be a pastor," he said. "Anything bigger than that, and it's more of a bureaucracy."
Eric Gorski: 303-954-1971
or egorski@denverpost.com
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