Mgr Cushley is described as a 'Vatican insider' who has worked closely with both Benedict XVI and Francis, drafting speeches for Pope Francis's predecessor during his historic visit to the United Kingdom. This being said, there is not a great deal of information on the new Archbishop on the internet.
May God bless the new Archbishop and may he bring comfort and healing to a Catholic Church in Scotland much in need of direction and holy leadership.
As the Herald reports, in his statement the Archbishop-Elect said...
“I am humbled that our Holy Father Pope Francis has nominated me for such an important task here in our ancient capital. I know it’s a delicate moment and that there is a lot to be done, but with God’s grace and the kind support of the clergy and people of Edinburgh, I will work cheerfully and willingly with all the energy I can muster."
“There are certain important questions that I will also have to familiarise myself with. I have no jurisdiction in the diocese until after I have been ordained in late September. Only then will I be able to take stock of what has happened and see what can be done."
“It is my sincere hope to do this always in truth and in charity, with a view to reconciliation and healing among the Catholics of Edinburgh. My first task is to preach the good news, Christ crucified and risen from the dead, to confirm my brother priests in their Catholic faith and ministry, and to be a loving, simple, wise shepherd to the flock that has been entrusted to me.”
Amen!
5 comments:
He was a childhood neighbour of one of my colleagues and is a friend of her cousin, also a priest. By all accounts a good and holy man with a keen sense of humour.
There's no apostrophe in St Andrews btw.
I think the Tablet are trying to 'own' him already. They've got this quote on their website today.
"Mgr Cushley has a keen interest in liturgy but has never shown an interest in the Tridentine Rite."
http://thetablet.co.uk/latest-news/5531
It is significant that the new appointment to the key position comes from Secretariat of State, and Msgr. Cushley is said to be diplomatic, pastoral, and moderate. He has a license in liturgy from Sant’ Anselmo, the Benedictine institution in Rome.
Msgr. Cushley also has a connection to Archbishop Pieri Marini, personal secretary to Archbishop Annibale Bugnini, who was architect of the liturgical reform under Paul VI. Marini’s book from Liturgical Press, A Challenging Reform: Realizing the Vision of the Liturgical Renewal, is edited by Mark Francis, John Page, and Keith Pecklers. After their Foreword, the editors “acknowledge with gratitude the work of Monsignor Leo Cushley… who provided Archbishop Marini with an initial draft translation in English of the text and the appendices.”
I don't think the tablet hate the tridentine mass but SC did authoritively declare and pronounce for the reform of this rite and the tridentine right has not been reformed therefore it's ongoing use is problematic (to say the least).
Considering Mgr Leo wrote the draft of Realizing the vision of the liturgical reform for Marini-1 - I would say it's a safe bet that he is more towards the 'tabletinistas' on liturgy than the reform of the reform crowd.
Andrew rex surmises that Mgr Leo is a "tablinistista", but on very skimpy evidence. Mgr Leo did the translation of Archbishop Marini's book as a favour to colleague, a much more senior, colleague. It was, one might say, an academic, professional exercise and not a profession of faith.
I have known Mgr Leo for over 20 years and, in my humble opinion, the good Catholic people, and the rest, of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh have been very lucky. His appointment is indicative of how seriously Pope Francis personally takes their recent travails. Had present circumstances not come to pass I feel sure that Mgr Patrick Burke would have succeeded Cardinal O'Brien. Motherwell, the largest suffragan in Scotland by Catholic population, will likely now be the beneficiary of that twist of fate.
Liturgy is going to be the least of Mgr Leo's worries.
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