A reader writes

I regard this as very bad news. My understanding is this Priest is a very good and orthodox member of the Clergy. Father Z I believe spoke highly of him. Since I don’t trust the MSM’s interpretation of the actual story, I find this news alarming.

It seems that the hierarchy is indeed being beaten back by the Wolves. Any comments here?

All I know is what the link you sent me says. If the reportage is accurate, it tends to confirm what I suspect about the mysterious process by which people become bishops: the Pope is almost entirely at the mercy of whatever bureaucracy is at work in vetting candidates and nobody in Rome knows what Google is or how to use it.

I personally don’t think it’s a disaster if a guy who says stupid and ridiculous crap is not made a bishop. My guess (and I stress the word *guess*) is that he was recommended to Benedict as a liturgical stickler. But as the Williamson affair ought to have taught us, liturgical sticklerishness is not a necessary guarantee of other aspects of episcopal qualification, nor or sanctity or even common sense.

That’s not to say the Beeb reports about this guy are accurate. Until I actually read what the priest said I, like you, don’t trust it. But Rome, I think, needs to get out of the bubble and vet these people better. I expect that if the bureaucracy swings into action now, they could have a more efficient process in place by the 25th Century. Meanwhile, stories like this also throw into grave doubt any confidence one might have if you subscribe to the “John Paul knew everything about these abusive bishops” school of thought. I have to really wonder how much a Pope knows about people who are more or less just a dossier handed them by some group of functionaries.

But, as I never tire of saying, I don’t know. Neither do you. But I can’t say I’m very upset if we are spared yet another boob in a mitre. Milingo-calibre appointments, while entertaining, should be kept to a once in a quarter-century phenomenon.