Bishop Arthur Roche - Vatican Appointment

[HallamPhil]

Am I alone in being confounded that, for Leeds Diocese's celebration of Priesthood (July 3) in the recently re-ordered St Anne's Cathedral and with a liturgically-minded and recently acclaimed bishop, Archbishop George Stack could be seen giving his homily from a music stand placed in front of the altar?

[old barmaid]

And why is Archbishop Roche enthroned on high with his feet on the altar?

[Southern Comfort]

Does anyone know when he will be likely to take up his new appointment?
I wonder how long Rome has considered this for, and whether at the same time, they have considered a possible replacement? I know that East Anglia are still without a Bishop a year after Bishop Michael Evans passed away. Surely these things could (and should?) happen just a little bit quicker?

Portsmouth have been waiting for 20 months (Bishop Hollis submitted his resignation a year before his 75th birthday to give Rome plenty of time to find someone!) after a subverted consultation process and two aborted attempts. Wrexham were waiting for even longer after a problem with the first set of names submitted, and have only just got a new bishop (who until his appointment was serving on the national liturgy committee of the Bishops' Conference — hurray! — and will be excellent for the diocese). Brentwood have been waiting for at least a year. The grapevine says that no consultation has yet been started on +Michael Evans's successor, even though he has been dead for a year now, so it looks as if East Anglia will have to wait a while longer. Generally, it would seem to be wise to assume that appointments are taking longer than before. The same is largely true in other countries as well as here.

[Southern Comfort]

Oh dear - I'm afraid his administrative and managerial track record bodes ill for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The grapevine says that he has been sent in to clean house. The Roman Curia speak openly about how dysfunctional CDWDS are. The previous secretary has "health problems" and has been demoted, or at best moved sideways, to another dicastery. The number 3, who effectively runs the office, has the same "health problems". The Spanish Cardinal Prefect has never liked his position and is hardly ever there. (It is widely supposed that he will succeed to the see of Madrid, whose incumbent is now 76.) His Italian is very poor, it seems.

Into this scenario steps Archbishop (as he now is) Arthur, who not only has Italian (from his further studies at the Greg in Rome — he was also spiritual director of the English College) but also Spanish (he trained for the priesthood in Valladolid and got a degree from a Spanish university). Sounds like a good man to effect the transition to a new way of working.

it would be good to think that the widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of the English used in the new translation might have influenced Rome's opinion in making this appointment. It won't hurt to have a native English speaker in post when they get around to revising the Lectionary or even, dare I suggest, RM3 itself.

As far as RM3 in English is concerned, in his capacity as chair of ICEL +Arthur had to stand by while Vox Clara mangled "his" translation, but nevertheless then bravely promoted the new Missal. It is tempting to think that one of his first acts may be to disband this consultative body to the Congregation.

[Southern Comfort]

Am I alone in being confounded that, for Leeds Diocese's celebration of Priesthood (July 3) in the recently re-ordered St Anne's Cathedral and with a liturgically-minded and recently acclaimed bishop, Archbishop George Stack could be seen giving his homily from a music stand placed in front of the altar?

I think +George may have got used to this in Cardiff, where something similar happened during re-ordering there, I am told.

[musicus]

It is tempting to think that one of his first acts may be to disband this consultative body to the Congregation.

A consummation devoutly to be wished.

[NorthernTenor]

Oh dear - I'm afraid his administrative and managerial track record bodes ill for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The grapevine says that he has been sent in to clean house. The Roman Curia speak openly about how dysfunctional CDWDS are. The previous secretary has "health problems" and has been demoted, or at best moved sideways, to another dicastery. The number 3, who effectively runs the office, has the same "health problems". The Spanish Cardinal Prefect has never liked his position and is hardly ever there. (It is widely supposed that he will succeed to the see of Madrid, whose incumbent is now 76.) His Italian is very poor, it seems.

Into this scenario steps Archbishop (as he now is) Arthur, who not only has Italian (from his further studies at the Greg in Rome — he was also spiritual director of the English College) but also Spanish (he trained for the priesthood in Valladolid and got a degree from a Spanish university). Sounds like a good man to effect the transition to a new way of working.

The CV may look good and the language skills will be useful, but I'm afraid the track record doesn’t suggest administrative and managerial ability. He was responsible for the fiasco of the permission to publish process and the related problems with publication of music collections. He allowed what should have been a straight-forward task to be commandeered by the meddlesome and incompetent. In consequence, the financial well-being of at least one publisher was threatened; and to the best of my knowledge my own appeal against the judgement of the non-accountable and secretive permission to publish panel is gathering dust on his desk. I say “to the best of my knowledge” because, a year on, I have still to receive any confirmation of this from his office, let alone details of how the matter will be taken forward. I guess there are two possible explanations for this: a chaotic office; or an unwillingness to man up to a problem for which he's responsible. Neither bodes well for ++Arthur's new appointment.

[Southern Comfort]

to the best of my knowledge my own appeal against the judgement of the non-accountable and secretive permission to publish panel is gathering dust on his desk. I say “to the best of my knowledge” because, a year on, I have still to receive any confirmation of this from his office, let alone details of how the matter will be taken forward. I guess there are two possible explanations for this: a chaotic office; or an unwillingness to man up to a problem for which he's responsible. Neither bodes well for ++Arthur's new appointment.

Very sorry to hear that you've not had the courtesy of a reply — from anyone, presumably.

My impression is that they never gave any thought to how an appeal process would work when they initially mentioned it. When someone actually appealed, they had no idea how to handle it, and so kicked it "upstairs" to Bishop Arthur. Perhaps you will now be faced with appealing to the Congregation itself!

[NorthernTenor]

Very sorry to hear that you've not had the courtesy of a reply — from anyone, presumably.

To be fair, the Acting Secretary responded, albeit with bewilderment, when I begged to differ with the Cabal’s pronouncement. There was then a bit of an hiatus until the point at which he made it clear that my correspondence with him didn’t count as lodging the appeal, and that I would have to contact Bishop Hopes myself. Again, it is only fair to say that +Alan wrote back promptly, even though it was but to give notice of a slick onward pass to ++Arthur. After that, though, came the great silence.

My impression is that they never gave any thought to how an appeal process would work when they initially mentioned it. When someone actually appealed, they had no idea how to handle it, and so kicked it "upstairs" to Bishop Arthur.

Mine, too. +Martin told me over the phone at an early stage that he had waited until an appeal was received to think about how it might be processed. Clearly, when he and +Alan published their self-laudatory review of the whole business they were still hoping the problem would go away if they ignored it. It won't.

Perhaps you will now be faced with appealing to the Congregation itself!

That's clearly a bit of mischief-making, SC, tho' I like your style. I am considering my options (which include giving the new Secretary a chance to sort things out).

[Southern Comfort]

+Martin told me over the phone

Will someone tell us when Martin Foster was even ordained a priest, let alone a bishop?!

[Peter Jones]

I am considering my options (which include giving the new Secretary a chance to sort things out).

You got to find him first - appearances at Ecclescake Square will be rare and sporadic, methinks.

[Peter Jones]

Will someone tell us when Martin Foster was even ordained a priest, let alone a bishop?!

Who knows what happens in petto? Guffaw, chortle,

[musicus]

I had to look that one up. In petto is the Italian form of the Latin in pectore:

In pectore (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church to refer to appointments to the College of Cardinals by the Pope when the name of the newly appointed cardinal is not publicly revealed (it is reserved by the Pope "in his bosom"). This right of the pope is rarely exercised, usually in circumstances where the pope wanted to make a statement for later historians about the honor due to a cleric, but did not want to endanger that same cleric in his present circumstances of persecution. (Wikipedia)

[HallamPhil]

A couple of weeks ago 'old barmaid' wrote:What an opportunity to reunite Yorkshire into one Diocese... It could start by joining Leeds and Middlesbrough together under Bishop Drainey and 'Docmatt' replied And there must be a thought somewhere about the long term future for Hallam

Such speculation is pointless, almost as pointless as trying to predict who and when the next episcopal appointment might be. At least one Cathedra in Ireland has been vacant several years already.

As for Hallam, that small yet beautiful Diocese occupying South Yorkshire and parts of Notts and Derbyshire, I can only say that its accounts appear to be in the black! I would recommend such exemplary husbandry to the Church and nation in general.

[Peter Jones]

Such speculation is pointless, almost as pointless as trying to predict who and when the next episcopal appointment might be.

Well it won't be Phil Egan for Leeds - he's just been appointed to Portsmouth.