Hierarchy update

It was announced today that the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop John Favalora of Miami. It was also announced that Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Florida will replace him. Archbishop Favalora is 74, that is, about six months away from mandatory retirement. Apparently, he retired a bit early due to poor health. The fact that his replacement was named immediately means that his resignation had been in the offing for sometime.

Now-Archbishop Wenski is 59, originally a priest of the Archdiocese of Miami, he has been bishop of Orlando since 2004, having been named coadjutor of that same diocese in 2003.

The Holy See also announced today that Bishop Thomas Paprocki, 57, an auxiliary bishop in Chicago, was named as bishop of Springfield, Illinois, a see that has been vacant since its former bishop, George Lucas, became archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska last summer.

This leaves four Latin Rite dioceses vacant in the United States: Harrisburg; PA; LaCrosse, WI; San Antonio, TX; Orlando, FL. There are three Latin Rite ordinaries serving at or past 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignations to the pope: Bishops Higi and Skylstad of Layfayette, IN and Spokane, WA respectively, along with His Eminence, Justin Cardinal Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia.

Christos Anesti