San Francisco: climate tense ahead of new archbishop's installation

MARIA TERESA PONTARA PEDERIVA
Vatican Insider
July 30, 2012

Pure provocation. This is how the series of reactions to the appointment of Mgr. Cordileone as archbishop of the America’s most anti-conformist city can be summed up. Cordileone is currently Bishop of Oakland where he still celebrates mass according to the ancient Rite.

This is a prestigious role for 56 year old Salvatore Cordileone from San Diego. He was appointed Archbishop of San Francisco by Benedict XVI last week, after 3 years as leader of the Diocese of Oakland (where 26 priests have been accused of abusing minors) – a vast territory with a high rate of urban crime. Just across the San Francisco Bay lies his future title of cardinal.

But Cordileone is the bishop - the only one among his Californian colleagues - to have campaigned in favour of the famous Proposal 8 which put a stop to civil unions between same-sex couples. The Proposal was subsequently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court because it was deemed discriminatory. It seems he even contributed 6 thousand dollars out of his own pocket for the campaign and last autumn he wrote to Congress again, supporting marriage as one of the key principles of freedom.

Full article at the Vatican Insider