Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has made a selection!
The Most Reverend Archbishop Alexander K. Sample from Marquette! A holy and sound leader that is much needed in the Portland Archdiocese. The Faith is hanging on by a thread in Oregon, and God has shown His great, loving, and beautiful mercy for the people of Oregon.
Here are some examples of the outstanding leadership of Archbishop Sample (Wikipedia):
In April 2009, Sample expressed his "disappointment and dismay" over the University of Notre Dame's decision to have President Barack Obama deliver its commencement speech and receive a honorary degree, given Obama's pro-choice views.[7] He added, "It saddens me beyond words that the great university named after Our Lady would bestow distinction and honor on a politician who would seek to expand threats to such innocent human life."
Sample has stressed that permanent deacons should not regularly preach at Mass; rather, they should preach at other services and serve the Church in the course of their daily witness to Christ. Bishop Sample’s 19-page letter, titled “The Deacon: Icon of Jesus Christ the Servant,” cited the principle that the one who presides at a liturgical service or who is the principal celebrant at Mass should also give the homily: “This should be the ordinary practice." Deacons should preach the homily at Mass “for some identifiable advantage for the faithful in the congregation, but not on a regular basis.”
The Curt Jester provided this:
At a press conference Tuesday, Sample, who has been bishop of Marquette, Mich., for seven years, said some people see Oregon as a tough place to be Catholic.
“I see it as fertile ground to plant the seeds of a new evangelization,” he said. The facts that Catholics account for about 14 percent of Oregonians and that almost 24 percent of the state’s population don’t identify as members of a particular church don’t discourage him.
“I want to connect those who are longing in their hearts for spirituality with the one whom I believe is an answer to that longing, Jesus Christ.”
Sample also promised to speak out on moral issues addressed by Catholic Church teaching.
“I won’t look for reasons to grandstand,” he said, “but when something has to be said, I’ll say it.”
Archbishop Sample's September 4, 2011 homily during the Extraordinary Form of the Mass:
God is Good. God indeed is Very, Very Good.
