Playing the Pallium Prediction Game

First off, congratulations and Godspeed to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, recently appointed by Pope Benedict as the archbishop of New York. I have met Archbishop Dolan on a few occasions and have seen him speak several other times. Everyone comments on his wonderful personality, his gregarious nature, his friendly rapport with the parishioners. All of this is true in my experience, and the people of New York will value them as well. But I think it is also important to note that Dolan is a very smart guy. He has a PhD in church history, and he clearly has a sharp intellect. He will make a wonderful leader for the church in New York and our nation more broadly.

Above the fold on the front page of today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the “Pallium Prediction” game, as I shall call it, began. The question now is, who will succeed Archbishop Dolan as shepherd of the flock in Milwaukee.

In order to answer the question, or at least offer some tentative first predictions, it is useful to look at what Pope Benedict has already done thus far. John Allen, dean of the English-language Vatican press corps, recently wrote about this subject for National Catholic Reporter:

Dolan’s move to New York appears to cement how Benedict XVI is applying this broad approach to the most senior positions in the American church. The strategy is to name archbishops identified with the center-right, but men with reputations as consensus-builders rather than ideologues – hence “the center-right with a human face.” …
In effect, one could say that Benedict’s approach to senior appointments in the United States is consistent with a leadership style of “affirmative orthodoxy” – a strong accent on fidelity to traditional Catholic identity, but presented in a decidedly positive key.

The Journal Sentinel presents a number of candidates for archbishop of Milwaukee, some of who may fit this profile.

• Wisconsin Bishops Jerome E. Listecki of La?Crosse, Robert C. Morlino of Madison, David L. Ricken of Green Bay and Peter F. Christensen of Superior.
• Two others with ties to the state: Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry, who was ordained in Milwaukee and spent 20 years here; and Bishop Paul J. Swain of Sioux Falls, S.D., a former Madison priest who worked as legal counsel and policy director for then-Gov. Lee Dreyfus.
• A handful from around the country, all with Midwestern ties: Bishops Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz.; Blase J. Cupich of Rapid City, S.D.; Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa; and Thomas Paprocki, an auxiliary bishop in Chicago.

I think Bishop Listecki of La Crosse is a very strong candidate for the post. He holds a doctorate in canon law from the Angelicum, and a civil law degree from DePaul University. He’s a former Lt. Col. in the Army Reserves who was an auxiliary bishop of Chicago before taking over La Crosse in 2004 for Archbishop Burke. He’s a conservative with an energetic personality.

I have tremendous respect for Bishop Morlino – we served together on a panel several years ago at Edgewood College. That said, I would be surprised if he is tapped for Milwaukee, though not for the reasons the MJS discusses. I think he is a man on a mission to build a Cathedral for the people of Madison to replace St. Raphael’s.

Bishop Ricken just took over in Green Bay recently, and Bishop Christensen is relatively new to his diocese in Superior.

I heard Bishop Perry speak several years ago at a St. Thomas More Society Mass and Brunch – he is formerly the chaplain of the Wisconsin Society. He gave a very thoughtful presentation, and I think he’ll be a strong candidate. The one hesitation Rome may have is that he is a graduate of the Milwaukee archdiocesan seminary, and it runs against the usual practice to put a bishop over numerous fellow alumni.

Bishop Swain of South Dakota was for several years the right hand man of Bishop Morlino in Madison. Previous to ordained ministry, he was general counsel to Governor Dreyfus. He only took office in October 2006 in South Dakota, and I’m not sure if the Vatican will move him that soon.

I am doubtful that it will be Bishop Kicanas from Arizona. He ran against and beat Archbishop Dolan for the position of Vice President in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He’s also much more of a centrist, and he has demonstrated a dedication to the issue of immigration that makes more sense in Arizona.

Bishops Cupich and Pates are new names on my radar screen. From what I see now, though, I think Bishop Cupich could be a very strong candidate. He’s been bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota for over ten years, having been ordained to the episcopate at the tender age of 49. He’s a former college president with a his seminary degree from the NAC (where Dolan was once rector) and an STD from CUA. He also served as secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C. for a period. Bishop Pates, currently bishop of Des Moines, Iowa, is also a former secretary at the Nunciature. He’s a former auxiliary in the Twin Cities with an STL from the Gregorian University in Rome.

For several years now, I have liked Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Chicago, the final candidate mentioned by the MJS. He holds a doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian, and a j.d. in civil law from DePaul University. He’s been an auxiliary in Chicago since 2003, and previously served as chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago. His principal consecrator was Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, current president of the USCCB. He’s a conservative, a marathon runner, Polish, and a hockey goalie.

Then of course there’s the distinct possibility that the Journal Sentinel did not get all the possibilities. There could be another diocesan bishop or auxiliary bishop somewhere on the short list. Archbishop Weakland was not even a bishop before his appointment – he was a Benedictine abbot.

So on the whole, I think that Bishops Paprocki, Cupich, Perry and Listecki would be the top possibilities based on my review of the available information. I expect the process, involving the Vatican Congregation for Bishops and Apostolic Nunciature, and ultimately the Holy Father, to take about a year to work itself out based on other assignments. We’ll see – this is probably not the last edition of the Pallium Predictor.

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