Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Levada, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sparks debate

LEVADA SEEN AS TOO CONSERVATIVE BY LIBERALS AND TOO LIBERAL BY CONSERVATIVES

Spirit Daily

The New York Times reports today (5/14): "When Archbishop William J. Levada was appointed ten years ago to lead the Roman Catholic archdiocese of San Francisco, he brought with him a reputation as an assertive protector of Church orthodoxy. In his previous post in Portland, Ore., he helped lead the fight against a state measure approving physician-assisted suicide, because the Church opposes euthanasia. In the 1990's he served on a Vatican committee that stripped the gender-inclusive language from a lectionary proposed by the American Bishops Conference. When an American bishops' pastoral letter on women failed to win approval at the Vatican, Archbishop Levada helped rewrite it with such a conservative cast -- condemning feminism and some forms of gender equality - that letter simply died."

And so we begin to gain insights into the new prefect for the highly powerful Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- the highest-ranking American ever at the Vatican.

In his previous post in Portland, Oregon, points out The Times, Archbishop helped lead the fight against a state measure approving physician-assisted suicide, and in the 1990's he served on a Vatican committee that stripped the gender-inclusive language from a lectionary proposed by the American Bishops Conference. "When an American bishops' pastoral letter on women failed to win approval at the Vatican, Archbishop Levada helped rewrite it with such a conservative cast, condemning feminism and some forms of gender equality," notes the newspaper, "that letter simply died.

Liberals consider him a hard-liner; conservatives worry about a possible liberal streak. He has faced criticism from them for not speaking out strongly enough against homosexuality. Really, it appears he is "strong middle-of-the-road."

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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 2:35 PM