VOTF At
Work in the World
VOTF
San Francisco, CA is planning a discernment to take
place in October (see the Bridgeport, CT report on their
own discernment process as well as coverage on the subpoena
issued to San Francisco Archbishop Levada – In the
Vineyard,
August 11). Kris Ward reports below:
Seek and
you shall find; ask and it will be given to you; knock and
the door will be opened to you.
Our affiliates
in California have heeded the Lord's words and in a move
that might be considered the first fruit of our national
convocation they have decided to hold a "discernment" regarding
the next archbishop of San Francisco.
The San
Francisco post has become vacant because Archbishop William
S. Levada was appointed to the post of Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope Benedict XVI. Archbishop
Levada took up residence in Rome on August 17. It is in this
Congregation that the decisions are made, subject to papal
approval, regarding the defrocking of priests.
Voice
of the Faithful convenes this discernment and calls all Bay
Area Catholics -laity, religious and priests,- to join together
in a time of seeking the Spirit's guidance on October 9 at
St. Matthew in San Mateo from 11:30 AM to 3 PM.
The
How and Why of it are:
WHY? To
gather, to pray, to listen, to speak, to hope, to propose,
a new Archbishop of San Francisco. The next Metropolitan
Archbishop is the concern and responsibility of all Catholics
in this Province.
How? First,
prayer and then listening to church historians and theologians
share the history of how laity, religious and the ordained
were able to have input into the selection of a new bishop.
Then in small groups, those assembled will try to put together
a list of qualities and men that will help the Church, heal,
grow and be holy. VOTF recognizes and honors the Catholic
tradition of Episcopal governance as outlined in Lumen
Gentium and our process will respect that tradition.
This initiative
is spearheaded by VOTF leaders Ed and Peg Gleason, Jim Jenkins
and Peter Davey.
All members
of Voice of the Faithful can be part of this initiative,
no matter your geographic location.
First,
we are bound together by prayer. Please consider adding this
discernment to prayer in your daily life and our communal
prayer in parishes and at affiliate meetings.
Second,
if there is not a vacancy in your diocese at this time, consider
the model that Bridgeport has provided for us (see Vineyard August
11). Also, affiliates and unaffiliated members can hold
educational discernments if there is not a vacancy in your
diocese at
the current time. Invite theologians and church historians
to speak on this topic to lay the foundation for a discernment.
Please
consider these possibilities in your affiliate discussions
as you consider the resolutions that came out of our convocation
in Indianapolis and begin your conversations about where
VOTF energies will be spent and what directions we will take.
Courage
and wisdom abounds in California in this effort. There is
support for the discernment from a pastor who is widely known
and respected in the Bay Area. We seek the movement of the
Spirit. More news as the plans progress.
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