By Michael McCarthy, Staff Writer
At the end of January 2020, Pope Francis appointed Nelson J. Perez, Bishop of Cleveland, to be the new Archbishop of the Philadelphia diocese. This appointment replaced Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, ending his 9-year term. The appointment has widely been seen as one more move by Pope Francis to install church leaders sympathetic to his causes in positions of power in the church.
Chaput was appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia in 2011 by Pope Benedict during a moment of crisis for the diocese. Shortly before his appointment, a county grand jury had accused the archdiocese of failing to stop clergy abuse. Archbishop Chaput promptly removed multiple priests and closed 49 schools in the diocese, garnering praise from his colleagues and Philadelphian Catholics for the necessary but difficult decisions he had to make.
Archbishop Chaput has focused on conservative issues throughout his career. As Bishop of Denvery, he participated in a successful effort to oppose the legalization of gay marriage; civil unions would not become legal until the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2016. In Philadelphia, he has said that Catholics who have divorced and remarried cannot receive communion unless they abstain from sex, and he has supported denying communion to politicians who support abortion rights. In part because of these actions, Archbishop Chaput became popular in Philadelphia’s predominantly conservative Catholic population.
With the appointment of Bishop Perez, Pope Francis seems to be guiding the church in a more liberal direction. Perez will be the first Hispanic archbishop for Philadelphia at a time when the population of Hispanic Catholics in Philadelphia is growing rapidly. His pastoral style will emphasize reaching out to marginalized groups and advocating for their rights. Of the issue of immigration at the Mexican border, Perez said, “It is the role of the state and the government to protect our dignity.” This is a marked change in focus and message from Archbishop Chaput.
Nevertheless, Dr. Michelle Francl, Chair of the Chemistry Department at Bryn Mawr and an Adjunct Scholar for the Vatican Observatory, thinks that more will stay the same than change under Bishop Perez. She acknowledges that Bishop Perez is part of a larger effort from Pope Francis of, “looking for people from marginalized and underrepresented populations,” but when she considers the theological differences between Pope Benedict, who appointed Archbishop Chaput, and Pope Francis, she finds that, “At heart, I don’t think they’re really that far apart.”
Hannah Appelhans (Bryn Mawr ’22), a Catholic, contests what “liberal” means in this context. She says that the difference between an Archbishop like Perez and one like Chaput is akin to, “following the meaning of the law, not the letter of the law.” Like Dr. Francl, she believes Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Perez are more alike than unalike, and hopes that Bishop Perez will work to amplify voices not usually heard in the church. Putting the appointment of Bishop Perez again in the context of Pope Francis’s leadership of the church, she says, “Religious women had felt under Benedict that they were less heard in the decision-making process.” Appelhans continued, “He [Pope Francis] has done a little bit more to address that and make their voices heard.” She hopes that Bishop will continue this effort in Philadelphia.
Pope Francis has emphasized political issues such as economic inequality and climate change over cultural issues such as homosexuality and birth control. He has appointed church leaders sympathetic to his cause to key positions in the church, causing a growing divide between its liberal and conservative factions. The appointment of Perez is widely seen as part of this change. Pope Francis never made Archbishop Chaput a Cardinal, but he did upgrade the liberal Archbishop of Newark to the red hat, even though Newark is a much smaller diocese. Church law required Archbishop Chaput to submit his resignation when he turned 75, but rather than ignore it and wait a few years to appoint someone else, Pope Francis acted immediately to replace him.
Dr. Francl hopes that this new image of the church and Bishop Perez’s appointment will alter perceptions of Catholics within the Bi-Co. She says that the Bi-Co can often have, “a cartoon image of what a Catholic is” and hopes that his pastoral style will reflect the focus of Catholicism as, “works of mercy, works of charity, and less about being a culture warrior.” Rather, she prefers Catholics to be seen as, “people who change the culture” so that it becomes more welcoming and inclusive.
Bishop Perez will officially become Archbishop of Philadelphia on February 18. Archbishop Chaput said that he plans to devote three months to reading, cooking, and praying, after which time he will continue to be involved in the church community. A prominent voice in the church, the chances that he will remain quiet after being Archbishop are exceedingly slim.
Image credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer
