What does the election of Bishop Gerald Kicanas portend for the future implementation of Summorum Pontificum in the United States?
Bishop Kicanas won election over Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee for the position of Vice President of the the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. By tradition, the Vice President is a virtual lock to be the new President in the next term. Thus, the election is significant. Bishop Kicanas is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Tucson, AZ, home to the St. Gianna Latin Mass Community. St. Gianna’s was led by Fr. Richard Rego until his recent demise.
Since the death of Fr. Rego, the future of St. Gianna’s is in flux. In a past Memo published in August by Bishop Kicanas, he noted that the faithful would continue to have the Traditional Mass available at St. Gianna’s.
More recently, however, the situation seems to be a little unsettled, at least potentially. The following comes from the St. Gianna’s site:
Update on Status of Saint Gianna Latin Mass Community and Announcements
In a letter dated September 6, 2007, his excellency, Most Reverend Gerald F. Kicanas, Bishop of the Diocese of Tucson, appointed Fr. David Reinders as the Chaplain of SGLMC for a period of six months, to be re-evaluated in March 2008. We wish to express our gratitude to his excellency, and know that SGLMC would not be possible without his pastoral support.
… Please note that Fr. Reinders is essentially providing for our spiritual needs all while still holding down his full-time chaplain position at the veteran’s hospital here in Tucson. Please pray for his perseverance as he takes on this added responsibility.
…Lastly, we need everyone’s prayers. Pray for the intercession of our patroness, St. Gianna, that we may always trust in Our Lord as she did, and that with her intercession, we can grow in both parishioners and holiness. Pray for the happy repose of the soul of our founder, Fr. Richard J. Rego, and for all of us to remember that we must always strive to live our Catholic faith with Catholic morality, the mass, the sacraments, and always in obedience to Holy Mother Church.
Sancta Gianna, Ora Pro Nobis!
It may be that the immediate future of St. Gianna’s might provide some clue to the attitude of Bishop Kicanas, and thus of the USCCB, regarding the generous implementation of Summorum Pontificum. Let us pray to Mary, Mother of the Church, that the faithful may have free and full access to the traditional sacramental forms.
