Ideology?

Over at Whispers in the Loggia, Rocco Palmo has posted a long piece from a Salt Lake City newspaper about its incoming Ordinary, Bishop John Wester.   Wester has been an Auxiliary to the Archbishop of San Francisco, who was until recently, as you know, Archbishop Levada, the man who succeeded Cardinal Ratzinger at the CDF.  The piece suggests that Wester's appointment confirms the "type" of bishop Pope Benedict prefers, and leads with this:  "By all accounts, Bishop John C. Wester, the newly appointed leader of Utah's 200,000 Catholics, is fair-minded, pragmatic, nurturing and - here's the key fact - not overly ideological."

"Not overly ideological?"  Any trace of being "ideological" is "overly much" in a bishop, at least as the word is used by, say, Eric Voegelin.  But one suspects a different meaning is intended here.  Who, then, are the "overly ideological" bishops in the U.S.?  Are there U.S. bishops who are taking public positions or action that lacks the support of their office and the faith?  If anything, many of us would wish that the U.S. bishops would start showing more zeal in matters within the competence of their office, such as promotion and protection of the sacraments.  When doing so, they would be innocent of "ideology."  With Nancy Pelosi (apparently) receiving Holy Communion every Sunday and being radically and conspicuously "pro-choice" all week long, there's work to be done, even if it risks being mis-described as "overly ideological."  However, given Archbishop Wuerl's recent remarks in San Diego, I don't think we're going to see much that will worry those who fear "overly ideological" bishops.