The Most Reverend George Niederauer, the Archbishop of San Francisco

Archbishop George Hugh Niederauer recently gave a radio interview during which he expressed his thoughts on homosexual adoption. He also discussed Nancy Pelosi, homosexual priests, the Iraq war, the sex abuse scandals within the Church, vocations and inviting disaffected Catholics back to the Church.

The entire interview is available here: Full text of Archbishop George Niederauer’s Feb. 4 remarks on KCBS Radio, San Francisco

Here are some quotes...

On Nancy Pelosi:

Ed Cavagnaro: Now, one of your own flock, a Catholic woman from San Francisco, is now one of the most powerful people in all the country. Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic from San Francisco, is the Speaker of the House. She is not only pro-choice, but she would be someone who would be working to try to keep abortion legal. In your view is she less of a Catholic because of that?

Archbishop George Niederauer: Well, I have met on one occasion, with Speaker Pelosi, before she was Speaker Pelosi. It was last year. And I -- we’ve -- exchanged viewpoints on a number of things. At that time, it was last spring, and it was principally about immigration, because that was very much the hot-button topic of the time. We haven’t had an opportunity to talk about the life issues. I would very much welcome that opportunity, but I don’t believe that I am in a position to say what I understand her stand to be, if I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about it. I think that when I said earlier dialog is very important, that means dialog with anybody, whether it’s the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or somebody in the pew on Sunday who doesn’t understand or accept what they hear from the pulpit.

Ed Cavagnaro: Of course, she has a big say in the direction of the country and the legislative agenda, certainly. Other than this issue, what other issues do you feel that she should concentrate on? What is important to you as an archbishop?

Archbishop George Niederauer: I think all the issues are important. I think the life issues are important, like euthanasia, like abortion, but of course there is another life issue where you would find the side switching very quickly, and that is the death, -- the death penalty -- capital punishment. I think we would find ourselves in agreement with a whole different group of people who would be -- have a very similar but opposed opinion with regard to, well let’s say abortion. I think health care for everyone, I think is an important issue. I think affordable housing is an important issue. I think immigration reform. I think there is an hypocrisy, whereby we say, we send forth this message, as a country – I think we are anyway -- “Don’t you dare cross our borders but if you do we have a great job for you.” Something has to be done about that. Something has to be done about splitting up families. So that people can -- can try to support themselves and their families. Those are all, I think, issues. And I think an issue that is compelling to all of us right now is the war in Iraq.

On homosexual adoption:

Ed Cavagnaro: Last year you faced the issue of gay adoption, when the Church announced that children should not be placed in same-sex households. But you worked out a solution that allowed Catholic Charities to still participate in placing children. Explain how that worked and do you see more issue being settled in this way?

Archbishop George Niederauer: Well, I don’t know about other issues being settled in that way, but I think what we were after was some participation in the work of finding families for children who needed adopting. And, after all, that’s what you focus on. You don’t – the most important person in the adoption is the child. Important as it is for couples to be able to adopt a child if they want to, it’s most important of all that the child have a home, Now the Church’s teaching is that the model for that is a father and a mother, so that’s the paradigm that we would insist upon. So, because we could no longer make that distinction, because of State law, what we found, and I’m really very happy with the decision made by the Catholic Charities CEO, on that, was to work with the program on the Internet for finding homes for children, posting their pictures and being able to guide people who would be interested in this particular child to an adoption agency which could handle the situation. Now there are those within the Church, and I understand and respect their opinion, who feel that’s, even that is too much of an involvement, but I believe we have examined what we’re doing and vetted it very carefully and what we’re really doing is putting potential adoptive parents in touch with adoption agencies that can help them. I notice that there is a, from the newspapers, that Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor in Westminster in London is meeting some of the same questions currently.

On homosexual priests:

Ed Cavagnaro: I think you’ve said that sexual orientation had nothing to do with the clergy abuse cases, in your view, or at least to a large degree.

Archbishop George Niederauer: It has seemed to me not, yeah.

Ed Cavagnaro: And do gay men, in your view, are they eligible for the priesthood?

Archbishop George Niederauer: What the Vatican directive is that I am in agreement with is that a candidate for priesthood has to be able to be celibate, has to have no commitment to, or engagement with, a sexual orientation which is going to make it difficult for him to be able to live a priestly life. I think the expectation of our people is that they’re going to call the priest Father and they are going to expect him to be a model of priestly virtue and in a sense in the image of Christ – that’s our teaching about priesthood – and I think it is the expectation of our people, and it’s one that I as archbishop, and that our faculty at the seminary, has to implement.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[dude]

S.S., long time no read. I think for the most part you are correct.

Cheers

[joanne]

Vivificat has an informative, significant post on "clergy/bishop bashing". Check it out! It serves as an important warning in our religious climate.

[James]

Ya know, Joanne. I'd be ecstatic if my family and I were treated to priests who believe fully in what the Church teaches, who strive with every fiber of their body and soul to live 'in persona Christi,' and who seek above all to save souls for God.

Sadly, I rarely if ever see such.

James

[dude]

I don't think what I was doing was 'clergy/bishop bashing.'

I was simply being critical of his inability to uphold Catholic teaching, and stating my reason as to why he is floundering around in his answers to direct questions. 2 out of 3 are regarding homosexuality. Most of our priests are gay, and rarely if ever have I seen one who starts out straight pull this weak equivocation. Hence my remark.

I am getting so tired of explaining this.

[A Simple Sinner]

Dude,

Work has been keeping me from following the blogs as much as I like... I thank you for the cheers!

Simple

[dmedici]

Prayer and action are not independent of each other. Catholics here are taking action through this blog and others like it even if the Church leadership are not contributing. Continue in your efforts to strengthen Catholicism while using the weapons given to you, the Church Militant - the rosary, fasting, the bible, holy mass, pennance. Read the histories of the saints and what they were able to achieve through just the rosary alone. Like the posters here, many of the saints were active socially and politically, personally speaking to individuals and leaders in question. Prayer is the fuel that drives the army of the Church Militant. Do not despair, you are making a change in the Church, even if it does not seem apparant at times.

[joanne]

I know how hard it is not to cross the line between necessary observation and "clergy bashing" and I'm not saying anyone here has crossed it. What I am saying is that in this particular climate, when we can't help but notice and sometimes must complain when certain bishops/priests are misguiding,neglecting, or abusing the faithful, it is especially important to beware the pitfalls!
The path between clericalism and Protestantism is so narrow as to be an eye of a needle. We'll get snagged if we're packing any pride, and in fact, I don't think it's possible to fit through that needle without the humility of the Blessed Mother. Perhaps it was particularly "for such a time as this" that Jesus gave Her to us.

[Dude]

Joanne:
Cool.