Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland as the new Archbishop of San Francisco, the Vatican announced today.
The 56 year-old San Diego-native replaces Archbishop George Niederauer, 76, who has led the archdiocese since 2006.
In an archdiocese renowned for its same-sex marriage battles, the appointment is particularly noteworthy: Bishop Cordileone is a forthright defender of traditional marriage, known for his strong pro-life record and theological orthodoxy.
A fluent Spanish speaker and canon lawyer, he was one of the creators of Proposition 8 - the state referendum banning same-sex marriage - arguing that “only one idea of marriage can stand" and that people have to stand up for that definition. "If that's going to be considered bigoted, we're going to see our rights being taken away - as is already happening," he said in 2009.
Since January 2011, Bishop Cordileone has served as chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage, leading efforts to resist the legalization of same-sex marriage. He is also a member of the USCCB's Committee on Religious Liberty.
Before being appointed Bishop of Oakland by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, Cordileone was auxiliary bishop in San Diego from 2002. Prior to that, he worked seven years in Rome as an assistant at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial body in the Vatican, currently headed by Cardinal Raymond Burke.
Bishop Cordileone, a proponent of the extraordinary form, is also one of seventeen United States Bishops to sign the “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience” - a manifesto issued in 2009 by Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical Christian leaders to affirm support for "the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty".
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Cardinal Bernardin is rolling in his seamless garment this morning!
I wish the Archbishop-elect the very best! He’s going to have his hands fulll…to say the least!
I pray that good Catholics, loyal to the church in the Bay area, will rally strongly behind Archbishop-designate of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone. One of his biggest challenges will be to successfully resist the difficult clergy and politicians who have been giving so much support to the “Gay” movement. These folks will push the envelope in every way possible to weaken the new archbishop’s authority in the archdiocese.
My sympathies to Bishop Salvadore Cordeleone.
May God be with him every step of the way.
In the words of Pope Benedict XVI on his first sermon as Pope.
“Pray for me that I not flee for fear of the wolves”
Bishop Cordeleone has my prayers.
Gotta love the wisdom of pope Benedict XVI. When/where there are uncertainties and loose applications of the Church’s teachings, he provides solution of orthodoxy by assigning shepherd(s) who are staunch defenders of faith. First it was Philadelphia, and now San Francisco.
God is good!
A wonderful, and holy shepherd being sent into the lions den. With the help of our Lord, the Blessed Mother,and Saint Michael the Archangel, I’m sure the task will be accomplished.
I had the honor of meeting him in Rome before he was a Bishop, and again here in San Diego. Pope Benedict XVI has listened to the Holy Spirit, and chosen an archbishop with the heart of a lion.
Archbishop Cordeleone will be in my prayers.
God is good. It’s as if He is giving San Fran one last chance to shape up before He quakes it out of existence.
I am overjoyed to have Archbishop-elect Cordileone shepherding my archdiocese! I’ve been praying that Pope Benedict would choose wisely.
The comments for an article about the appointment at the local San Francisco newspaper (SF Chronicle) are a snapshot of what he will be having to deal with. They are very telling about the misconceptions certain people hold about the Catholic Church. No surprise. I’m not linking to it. It was my own fault that I spoiled my day by reading some.
I will support our new archbishop in prayers and action!!
Not only Archbishop-elect of San Francisco, but a future Prince of the Church! I feel blessed to have met Bishop Sal when he was in San Diego.
As a San Francisco native and resident, I am delighted and grateful. Welcome, Abp Cordileone!
Those of you talking about “God’s judgment” and “the lion’s den” read too many newspapers and spend too little time in our local parish churches. Pray for us in the SF Bay Area, but don’t write us off just yet!
The Holy Spirit at work doing His thing through the Holy Father and taking care of His Church. Cardinal Dolan in NY, Archbishop Chaput in Philly and now Archbishop Cordileone—-AWESOME
“MARIAGE” TWO BEAUTIFUL “OPPOSITE” LIVES UNITING AS ONE TO CREATE THE FUTURE IN “LIFE”
I too knew the Bishop from his time in San Diego. My best memory of him was participating in a long procession of the Blessed Sacrament on a hot Saturday in San Marcos nearly four years ago. Several hundred people, singing and praying, followed him on a two mile journey across town from St Marks Church to the newly dedicated K-12 St Joseph’s Academy across town. He held the Monstrance high and proud in the heat and sweat ran down his face. You can see photos here:
http://www.saintjosephacademy.org/apps/album/index.jsp?dir=departments/116680/24367&backLink;=/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=116680&type=d&backTitle=History
He will continue being a great leader for the Church in the Bay Area.
Well, on the one hand, I’m very pleased. It’s good to have a man so vocal about his beliefs in San Francisco. I only hope he will have been warned about Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in the Castro district.
When Archbishop George Neiderauer was new to SF, he was set up by a group of men dressed up as nuns, “Sisters of Perpetual” something. They videotaped him giving them Communion and put it on YouTube, as a joke. I felt badly for Archbishop George. He later apologized. One would think the pastor at that (homosexual) parish would have warned him.
While there is a new auxiliary bishop in San Jose, Ca (about 40 miles south of SF) Bishop Tom Daly, and he too, is Orthodox, bishops still seem almost “out of reach” to average people in the pews, unless you are a Catholic from an official organization. Among the priests that are very available and that get a lot of press is this one in SJ: (brace yourself)
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/11.18.09/cover-0946.html
Bishops are shepherds, teachers, defenders of Truth, and LEADERS! In a word..Orthodox! Leadership requires faith, humility and moral courage. All virtues which seem greatly diminished in the US Catholic Bishops over the last 40 years. The numbers speak for themselves and PB16 understands it. He is making brilliant and inspired appointments. Fact is life is about leadership in every human organization and endeavor. It is true from the family to governments to Christ’s Church….especially Christ’s Church…. Poor Dioceses? Almost assuredly poor leadership from it’s bishop. God Bless PB16 and all the leaders of the Church. Let us pray for them every day and remember them especially at Mass. We must always remember to not confuse the message with the messengers. The message is perfect Truth..The messengers are imperfect sinners.
Archbishop Cordileone has been known to be fearless in defending the true faith of the Catholic Church. The Holy Father Benedict XVl has made some stunning appointments in California, such that we have hope that the “spirit of vatican ll” Church is finaly on its deathbed. It would be my hope that the leaders of my Diocese would watch and learn, but that is a false hope. Our hope has been for a Holy Fearless Bishop, but that has’nt happened. We here must continue living our Catholic faith in the underground Church, which means keeping far from the influence of our Diocesan leaders.
Unfortunately, I am sadden again by the imposition of a bishop on the people of God without consultation. The pope has assumed this role. The investiture scandals really were the emperor and the pope taking the rights away from the people. So I musT yell very loud and say, “He is not acceptable.” I will not clap at the acclamation but if I can get in I will yell, “NO”.
One of my problems with this appointment besides the lack of consultation is the background of canon law. I see that is now the route to the episcopacy with so many bishops. We need shepherds and not lawyers for our leaders.
Most Catholics fail to understand their Right is in the Rite.
I don’t know why you Christians hate us gay people so much, but from these comments it is clear you enjoy persecuting us I will simply live the truth of who I am, enjoy your hate filled lives.
In reply to Mr Donaldson:
You obviously have not a clue about the One True Faith and the Real Roman Catholic Church. If you claim to be Catholic then it is CINO. If you knew anything at all you would know RCC is not a democracy. The Pope is the Vicar of Christ…he is not required to take a vote….on anything other than speaking ex-cathedra (ie. infallible teaching on dogma…last time in 1952). This is not a cafeteria faith or a grocery store where you can pick and choose which doctrines, rules etc that are convenient for you to believe/practice. Not to be unkind or uncharitable, but would you please stop your whining and trying to make your own rules. If you don’t like the rules then please leave or start your own church. After all no one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to stay. If you decide to stay..then have the decency to learn the faith…You can start with the Catechism of the Catholic Church for beginners… Until then less is more or you will confirm your ignorance every time you speak.
This is in reply to Charls R. Donaldson. You object to Bishop Cordileone being elevated to Archbishop of San Francisco because you claim there was no consultation. You have made an assumption which is in grave error. Pope Benedict XVI had the consultation of the Holy Spirit. Now I ask you where could you get better consultation. Right, didn’t think so.
Obama won the presidency because he carried a majority of Catholics. According to the most recent polls I have seen, he still has a majority of Catholics supporting him. This in spite of what is being referred to as the persecution of the Church which not enough Catholics even understand. Even Mass-attending Catholics are in favor of Obama by 3% more than non-Catholic Christians. What is propping Obama up, is that Latin Catholics are in favor of him overwhelmingly. Archbishop Cordileone is Latin. I wonder whether he has a plan to address this problem. The election is less than 100 days away.
Correction: Although Archbishop Cordileone speaks Spanish fluently, I am told that he is of Italian descent. Sorry for the error.
I am reminded of Nineveh in the Book of Jonah. Let us pray that San Francisco also repents.
Mike,
Christians don’t hate people. We hate all things that separate people from God: sin.
Don’t reduce your identity to your sexual appetite or behavior. Our sexual appetites are not chosen, but we do choose our own actions and identity.
I would bet this is a direct result of the long overdue US apostolic visits this year. All my love and prayers go out to his excellency and our Holy Father.
To Charles R. Donaldson: You need to leave the Church. Oh wait, you already have! You’ve excommunicated yourself! Good riddance.
Archbishop Cordileone has an Italian first and last name. His first name Salvatore=Saviour, his last name Cor=Heart, di=of, Leone=Lion. Heart of a lion, he certainly has lived up to his name, The saving Heart of a Lion.
The majority of Hispanics are voting for Obama. Does anyone even wonder why? There has to be a reason! And there is a good one. Since 1996 commentators have said that Hispanics are only voting in self defense. When there is a politician who vows to make ones ethnicity suffer, to slam them, to marginalize them, to humble them ect.. Then no Hispanic in their right mind is going to vote for him. With Obama being African American, Hispanics figure he’s been through it all and trust that he will not do a repeat on them. As for myself I stopped voting after 1996. When another Ronald Reagan rises up, then and only then will I return to the polls.
No wonder Catholics are leaving the church in droves! Birth control, Women priests, Not accepting gays, It’s not surprising that Intelligent Catholics are not around. (go ahead follow the flock, don’t think for yourselves)
Hey bitsy—ironic that you, of all people, should comment on “intelligence”, given that you think the Church doesn’t accept gays. The Church accepts everyone, but She also has a moral obligation to guide our behavior and help us avoid acting in ways that separate us from God. I won’t even get into birth control or women priests (which don’t and have never existed).
Do you just repeat sound bites because you can’t think for yourself?
Baa, baaa, bitsy.
I recall Bishop Cordelion each year at the walk for life in San Diego. He certainly has my prayers and gratitude for his leadership and example. God has blessed the City is San Francisco. St. Francis pray for your city and it’s moral leader!
For crying out loud, WE ALL support Catholics who struggle with same-sex attraction. It’s the ones who don’t struggle, who have given in and aggressively demand that the Church change its teaching on homosexual relations, who are in the wrong.
I’ve met Salvatore Cordileone and guess what??? He’s gay! I think it’s quite humorous that right-wing catholics love these closet gay guys running their church!
Dear Daishin,
Reminder from your friends—you forgot to take your meds, you’re hallucinating again.
Allan, This Daishin Sunseri, need not take any meds. He needs to make a good confession. One judges according to how one thinks. Daishan only reveals himself. How is he so sure that the good Bishop is gay, unless he and the Bishop held hands.
Daishun, it doesn’t matter to the Church or anyone in it whether or not the Archbishop is gay. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with the content of a person’s character. Sin results from bad intentions and erroneous behavior. If a homosexual person intends to live in imitation of Christ, and behaves in a way consistent with that—meaning, a dedication to celibacy—there is nothing to disqualify him or her from being a good example to other Christians, or to being named a Prince of the Church.
Now, a good example of a mortal sin is that of “calumnny,” in a which a person deliberately spreads information intended to harm another’s reputation. Ring any bells?
Bitsy - Intelligent Catholics are Bible literate. Try reading the New Testament first, forming your opinions based only on God’s word. Archbishop Cordileone is teaching truths directly from God’s word, and for that, I applaud him. More priests and bishops might follow his lead.
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