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.

Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

On May 13, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI nominated Levada to succeed the pontiff, the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Levada would be principal defender of all the moral and theological doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, sometimes acting as chief prosecutor against members of the Church who have strayed from those values. As the most influential office in the Roman Catholic Church apart from the papacy itself, Levada would be considered the highest ranking American in the institution.

Related Topics:
May 13 - 2005 - Prefect

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other Americans heading dicasteries in the Roman Curia and associated institutions include Edmund Cardinal Szoka, Governor of Vatican City and President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State; James Francis Cardinal Stafford, Major Penitentiary; Archbishop James Harvey, Prefect of the Pontifical Household and Archbishop John Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Related Topics:
Roman Curia - Edmund Cardinal Szoka - Governor of Vatican City - President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State - James Francis Cardinal Stafford - Major Penitentiary - Archbishop James Harvey - Archbishop John Foley

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Levada announced that he would resign as Archbishop of San Francisco effective August 17, 2005, the tenth anniversary of the announcement of his appointment as coadjutor to San Francisco. One of his last official duties as metropolitan bishop was to serve as principal consecrator of Clarence Richard Silva as the new Bishop of Honolulu, since Honolulu is suffragan diocese of the San Francisco ecclesiastical province.

Related Topics:
August 17 - 2005 - Metropolitan bishop - Clarence Richard Silva - Bishop of Honolulu - Ecclesiastical province

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is likely that Levada will be elevated to the College of Cardinals at the next consistory since he his now head of a dicastery of the Roman Curia.

Related Topics:
College of Cardinals - Consistory - Dicastery

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~