William Joseph Levada

William Joseph Levada, (born 15 June, 1936 in Long Beach, California) is a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church from the United States. He is the Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco and currently serves in the Roman Curia as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Episcopal ministry

Levada was ordained a bishop on May 12, 1983 to the titular see of Capreae, and was assigned as an auxiliary bishop to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In 1984 he was appointed Episcopal Vicar of Santa Barbara County. In 1986 he was appointed chancellor and moderator of the archdiocesan curia. Serving under Roger Cardinal Mahony, Levada reorganized the internal structure of the diocese.

Related Topics:
May 12 - 1983 - Titular see - Capreae - Auxiliary bishop - Archdiocese of Los Angeles - Episcopal Vicar - Santa Barbara County - Chancellor - Moderator - Curia - Roger Cardinal Mahony

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On September 21, 1986, Levada became the Archbishop of Portland. During his tenure in Portland, Levada help to revitalize Mount Angel Seminary, which had fallen into a great deal of decadance. Levada briefly taught at this school as well. Other accomplishments in Portland included reorganizing Catholic Charities, working in outreach to the Hispanic Catholic community, and renovating St. Mary?s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Related Topics:
September 21 - 1986 - Archbishop of Portland - Portland - Mount Angel Seminary - Charities - Hispanic - St. Mary?s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

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In 1987, Levada and six other Bishops were chosen by Cardinal Ratzinger to edit the forthcoming Catechism of the Catholic Church. When the Catechism was completed in 1993, the first English translation was very loose and used a great deal of inclusive language. Along with Archbishop Eric D'Arcy of Hobart, Australia and Fr. John Wall, Levada insisted that this be replaced with a more literal translation, and it was a new and more literal translation that was published in English in 1994. Levada also authored the glossary for the second edition of the Catechism.

Related Topics:
1987 - Cardinal Ratzinger - Catechism of the Catholic Church - Inclusive language - Eric D'Arcy - Hobart, Australia - 1994

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On August 17, 1995, Levada was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of San Francisco, and on December 27 of the same year succeeded John Raphael Quinn as the Archbishop of San Francisco. Some of Levada's most famous actions as Archbishop of San Francisco involved in the issues surrounding gay rights. In 1997, the City of San Francisco passed a law that all companies must provide the same benefits for domestic partners as for their spouses. Levada objected that this violated Catholic teaching on the unique status of marriage, but the city would not budge. Levada's solution was seen as a compromise in some circles and a brilliant move in others: He ruled that unmarried employees of the archdiocese could designate any person sharing the same address as their beneficiary. This complied with the statute while avoiding a privileged status for unmarried domestic partnerships. Levada also allowed a pastorally vibrant and predominantly gay and lesbian parish in the Castro district, Most Holy Redeemer Church to remain active in the Archdiocese.

Related Topics:
August 17 - 1995 - Coadjutor Archbishop - December 27 - John Raphael Quinn - Archbishop of San Francisco - Gay rights - Marriage - Gay - Lesbian - Castro - Most Holy Redeemer Church

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In November 2000, Levada was appointed one of the members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where he again served under Cardinal Ratzinger. This was a part-time task which let him remain in California.

Related Topics:
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - Cardinal Ratzinger

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Also in 2000, Levada became the Bishop Co-Chair of the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue in the United States. In November 2003, Levada was appointed as Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine. (This was a three-year term, but he will presumably resign this position in the near future.)

Related Topics:
2000 - Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue in the United States - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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On September 18, 1998, he consecrated Monsignor John C. Wester to the episcopate as an auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco. In January 30, 2003, he consecrated Monsignor Ignatius C. Wang to the episcopate as his second auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco. Bishop Wang, a native of Beijing, is the first Chinese and first Asian Bishop to be ordained for a diocese in the United States.

Related Topics:
September 18 - 1998 - John C. Wester - January 30 - 2003 - Ignatius C. Wang - Beijing

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Some critics have voiced uncertainty about how Levada handled priests who had committed sexual abuse in Portland and in San Francisco. http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2003-05-21/news/feature_1.html As President and Chancellor of Saint Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, Archbishop Levada has had to deal with the dismissal of his academic dean at the seminary after the dean's arrest in Santa Rosa on charges apparently related to child pornography and sexual abuse. http://www.almanacnews.com/morgue/2000/2000_03_08.sex.html

Related Topics:
Sexual abuse - Saint Patrick's Seminary - Menlo Park - Santa Rosa - Child pornography

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Many traditional Catholics were unhappy with Levada's refusal to allow Tridentine Masses to be celebrated in his Archdiocese.

Related Topics:
Traditional Catholic - Tridentine Mass

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