Philadelphia's Cardinal Retires Amid Scandal
Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times
Cardinal Justin Rigali
Published: July 20, 2011
Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Cardinal Justin Rigali, the Roman Catholic leader of Philadelphia, on the grounds that he had reached the retirement age of 75, the Vatican said in a statement on Tuesday, some five months after the city's 1.5 million-member archdiocese was convulsed by evidence that officials had ignored sexual-abuse charges against dozens of active priests.
The Vatican confirmed that Cardinal Rigali would be succeeded by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, 66, a Native American who is known for his aggressive public opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, according to people familiar with the plans.
Although perhaps seen as inevitable after the grand jury investigation in Philadelphia, the resignation of Cardinal Rigali, who is now 76, is significant, Vatican experts said, because he had been seen as a consummate church insider and one of the most powerful Americans to serve in the Roman Curia.
Last year,� Cardinal Rigali submitted�the standard letter of resignation when he turned 75, the customary retirement age for bishops, although some have served beyond the age of 75. His resignation is being accepted only now.
�"Because he's over 75, you can't make the case that he resigning because of the scandals," said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University and a Jesuit priest. "Certainly, the Vatican never wants to give the appearance of having someone resign under pressure."
But Cardinal Rigali's tenure in Philadelphia will inevitably be linked to the mishandling of sexual-abuse cases, which had gone on for decades but erupted this year into what Father Reese called "a disaster for the church."
In 1989, Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Rigali as the second-highest ranking member of the Congregation for Bishops, which appoints bishops. He later served on the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Source: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/us/20bishop.xml
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