Man in the Arena: Stand With, Pray For and Learn From, Bishop Salvatore Cordileone

By Deacon Keith Fournier
9/2/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

He will make amends, offer the experience to the Lord and then, by cooperating with grace, allow it to become the material out of which he is formed more fully into the character of Christ.

He showed genuine remorse for his actions and asked forgiveness of those whom he disappointed. In an age which is truly shame-less, he admitted that he felt shame! Finally, as a man of real "nitty-gritty" faith, the kind forged in fire, he asked the Lord to pull good - even out of our mistakes. Now that's the kind of real, human, and sincere response which should come from from a mature Christian.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

SAN DIEGO,CA (Catholic Online) - By now almost everyone who reads news online, listens to it on the radio or watches it on television has heard of the error of judgment committed by the Archbishop-elect of San Francisco, the Most Rev. Salvatore Cordileone, on Saturday, August 25, 2012.

My email was filled with comments from readers immediately after it occuured because I had written an article upon the Bishops appointment entitled Abp. Cordileone is One More Foundation Stone as Pope Benedict Fortifies the Church . I extolled the selection of this good Bishop for the formidable challenge he will soon face in providing pastoral leadership to the faithful of San Francisco and prophetic leadership in that critical area of a nation which is in such great need.

The Bishop's defense of true marriage and his fidelity to the unbroken and unchangeable teaching of the Catholic Church are well known. His defense of the fundamental human right to life and religious liberty have been presented in some media sources as having the potential to cause some kind of disruption in San Francisco. However, for the faithful of San Francisco, his selection to succeed the retiring Archbishop George Niederauer in governing the Church of San Francisco is a source of great joy.

Though I do not personally know the Bishop, I have reliable sources - and friends - who confirm what I have read in repeated accounts. He is a warm, caring and compassionate shepherd - and a truly good man. He has demonstrated courage and integrity in his defense of the truth in an age properly characterized by Pope Benedict XVI as a dictatorship of relativism. He has withstood the headwinds of a growing hostility toward the Catholic Church and is ready to assume a critical post in this urgent hour in history.

There is a propaganda effort to portray the Bishop - indeed all who adhere to the Jewish and Christian vision of the dignity of the human person, the primacy of true marriage and family and the necessary moral foundation of a truly free and just civil society - as "backward." Catholics are increasingly portrayed as proposing a return to some alleged "dark age".

In fact, it is the Catholic Church which leads us out of dark ages like the one we are currently in. She offers the world the path to true progress, in part, by offering great leaders in such critical times. From all that I can discern, Bishop Salvatore Cordileone is such a great leader.

Some of those who have written to me since the incident have asked if I have changed my mind in my assessment of this Bishop. The answer is No. Others expressed concern over what happened. Like me, they wanted to know all the facts before they formed an opinion. A few were suspicious. A few were too quick to judge. Now, the facts are out. So is the bishop's honest response:

"While visiting in San Diego this past weekend, I had dinner at the home of some friends along with a priest friend visiting from outside the country and my mother, who lives near San Diego State University. While driving my mother home, I passed through a DUI checkpoint the police had set up near the SDSU campus before I reached her home, and was found to be over the California legal blood alcohol level."

"I apologize for my error in judgment and feel shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself. I will repay my debt to society and I ask forgiveness from my family and my friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. I pray that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this."

Not only are the Bishops comments a sign of his integrity, his mother's comment to a to San Diego's KMFB, is endearing: "We were invited to some friend's house and he loved his wine and they kept filling his glass and filling his glass. And I didn't want to seem like a bossy mother. I should've told him, 'You're drinking too much wine.'" It is all so very human.

Let's reduce this to the simple bottom line. The Bishop and his mother were having dinner at a friend's house near San Diego University with a small group. They were likely celebrating the goodness of the Lord as revealed in his selection for this new assignment. As is often the case in good, wholesome, human celebrations, wine was a part of the experience. So far, there is absolutely nothing inappropriate which should in any way reflect upon the Bishop negatively.

His decision to drive his mother home was the error in the exercise of his judgment. He was stopped by police officers at a sobriety checkpoint near the campus. One of the officers, Mark ...

1 | 2 Next Page

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 10 of 33 Comments

mgm.
9 months ago
He had too much to drink then drove home .By the headline above you would have thought he had been caught in bed with a dead women or a live boy and really needed prayers.
RichStine
9 months ago
So, it was his mother's fault?

Or:

Because he was on a mission to aid his mother, all's forgiven? Leave his mother out of it. Bringing the padre's mother into it seems an emotive tactic to sway opinion. It might not be the case, but it looks manipulative.

Look. As someone who has learned the hard way about drinking, and drinking and driving, there is one thing that is absolute truth:
Yes forgiveness is available. He has not sinned against me nor requires my forgiveness. But the law requires that people be responsible for error in judgment.

He needs to take his punishment like any other citizen would have to.

Should he resign? Nah. Only if he really wants to. That resignation is such a question for this drinking and driving thing, when there are far bigger issues which need to be addressed, is a distraction at best.

God bless him. And if he should happen to read this: Look, bro. It happens. Quit drinking or quit driving. Hang in there!

I think it is
KarlVDH
9 months ago
Forgive him, pray for him, support him and let the man work by all means, but he's also the ONLY one responsible, and he IS accountable to his flock; this wasn't his mother's fault, or his hosts. HE got behind the wheel. We can't forget that... forgiving him doesn't make what he did "ok." His visible acceptance of responsibility and his contrition is very, very important if he's to lead, and we must let him have it.
Jean P
9 months ago
He celebrated as many have done, the driving home should have been prevented by the host and by his mother. Position should have not affected their judgement on deterring the clergyman from getting behind the wheel.
The lesson has been learned and forgiveness sought. Now we must let him do his spiritual job, and tend to faith and souls.
Judy Claar
9 months ago
Forgive my error of calling Bishop Salvatore Cordileone a Cardinal. Perhaps it is a slip of the tongue of what is to be? Think positive, and be Happy in the Lord....
KarlVDH
9 months ago
There's a subtext here we can all take a lesson from too... the sentiment of most of the posts here is right on, and correct... of COURSE we should all forgive and pray for the Archbishop. However, we need to remember HIS face and our willingness to forgive and pray for HIM the next time, when it's someone who's NOT a high ranking Church official... when it's, say, a politician, athlete or entertainer.
If we can find forgiveness for the one guy among them who really SHOULD be a role model, then we can certainly fiond, at LEAST, the charity in our hearts NOT to judge and shred other celebrities when it's them in the negative spotlight.
Alexander Pytlik
9 months ago
This excellent article has been also translated in German:

http://www.internetpfarre.de/blog/archives/298-WARUM-ERZBISCHOF-SALVATORE-CORDILEONE-NOCH-AN-GLAUBWUERDIGKEIT-GEWONNEN-HAT.html

or

http://7ax.de/5c4q
Judy Claar
9 months ago
Thomas Frazzini, Agreed! If nothing else is on his record, this is merely God's wake up call to him. It seems to me, that the good Padre has already done Everything required. He is Very sorry and Contrite with much humility. "Nothing more be said".

I also understand those who have lost loved ones or have had a loved one hurt by an intoxicated driver. It is devastating. Even if one "forgives", it stays w/you forever. My daughter was in the hospital, required surgery and plastic surgery...only this was not from a drunk driver, it was from a man, 78 yrs. old, who should have had his keys taken away long before this happened. I am not saying one should have one's keys taken away at a certain age. But, I am saying, that like alcohol, one person can be taking a bunch of meds, and perhaps even entering the dementia state, and should not be driving. In this way, these persons, are the same as alcoholic drivers. And not every one over their 70's, or even 80's, are like this. Look at Jo Ann...Smart, astute, "quick as a whip", "faster than a speeding bullet"...persons like this Do Not need their keys taken away, unless they so desire. (Thank you Jo Ann for allowing me to use you as an example, as this is how I perceive you!) Yes, as far as our Cardinal is concerned, there was that IF. But God Be Praised! an accident did not happen, nor was anyone hurt,
His brother priests know if there is a problem. And, let us pray, that this was a one time error of bad judgment w/drinking like I said. And...By the way Thomas, thank you for letting me use your name... not only in agreement, but in sharing and putting in my 2 cents worth! Forgive Always...
Bob M.
9 months ago
michael,
You're engaging in foolish alarmism. How you define sin (mortal sin in particular) and its imputability clearly demonstrates that you don't have the fundamentals of moral theology down pat. I would invite you to revisit the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the traditional manuals of moral theology to bone up in this area a bit before you engage in such public pontifications on moral matters. I also think that Archbishop Vigano (the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States), the members of the Congregation for Bishops, and the Holy Father himself are all quite capable of determining whether it is prudent to allow the installation of Archbishop Cordileone to go forward. They apparently believe that it is not only prudent, but quite necessary. So, michael, with due respect, get a grip.
michael
9 months ago
Many of the comments, unfortunately, see this as a light matter. Realize, however, that if an officer in the armed forces today received a DUI, his career would be finished with no hope for advancement. If either presidential candidate was arrested for this offense, he candidacy would be finished. Why even President George Bush almost lost to Gore in 2000 due to a DUI received years before as a young man. Two things...first it is a grave matter objectively speaking. Not only a man, but an archbishop elect, acted with great imprudence putting himself, his mother, and others in danger. Secondly, the archbishop-elect of San Francisco goes into this job on October 4th already handicapped. Every time he stands up to proclaim the truth of traditional marriage and condemn the abomination of sodomy in the very heart of modern day Sodom, he will be reminded of his own glaring failure. It is best for the good bishop to stay in Oakland or even take a leave of absence to serve as a simple chaplain. Now is not the time to enter into the area with the devil. He first needs "40" days of penance.

Prev12 3 4 Next

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment