On Philly's new Archbishop

Well, Michael, I hope the conspiracy theorists don't visit the MoJ website while that photograph you posted is up there!  I get enough hate mail the way it is!  I'll confess, though, that I'm very excited about Charles Chaput becoming Archbishop of Philadelphia. I've had the pleasure of working with him closely on a number of projects and he is a deeply impressive person in every way.  As everyone knows, the Philadelphia archdiocese has very, very serious problems. So Archbishop Chaput faces a daunting job. But I haven't the slightest doubt that he is up to the challenge.

I'm also excited that Archbishop Chaput's voice will be amplified in the Church and the culture as a result of his appointment as Archbishop of Philadelphia.  As he works for reform and renewal in the archdiocese, he will, I have no doubt, be speaking out on national and international issues of the sort that are of central concern to MoJ scholars and readers. He is deeply thoughtful and completely fearless. Because of his profound and unwavering commitment to the sanctity of human life in all stages and conditions, and the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, many liberals in the secular and religious media will classify him as a "conservative," indeed, an "archconservative."  But objective observers will soon see that his overall views do not fit neatly into the categories of "conservative" and "liberal."  Of course, that shouldn't surprise anyone who knows anything about the Catholic tradition of thought about justice, human rights, and the common good.

With Timothy Dolan's appointment as Archbishop of New York, David O'Connell's appointment as Bishop of Trenton, and now Charles Chaput's appointment as Archbishop of Philadelphia, this has been an exciting couple of years for those of us living in the New York-Philadelphia corridor. These are three extraordinarily dedicated and dynamic leaders. All three are deeply committed to the Church's social mission and moral teaching.  And all three recognize the need to deepen the understanding of faithful Catholics so that they can become more firmly committed disciples of Jesus, and more effective laborers for justice and human dignity.