Eight years ago, the bishop of Marquette was ordained on the day B16's first encyclical released. And now, on this first anniversary of Papa Ratzinger's disclosure of his resignation, the successor of the last pontificate's favorite son on the US bench took the reins of Michigan's Upper Peninsula church, adopting the title of Francis' sweeping ecclesial manifesto as his motto, to boot.
At the close of today's rites, Bishop John Doerfler was quick, folksy and memorable in his first remarks, as he took the unusual step of laying out "the core and the center" of his pastoral program within minutes of being placed in the chair.
Here's the film:
The fourth seating of a Francis nominee in the last two weeks – after San Angelo, Fort Worth and Jackson – two more are on deck before month's end: Bishop Bob Deeley's installation in Portland on Friday, and on the other side of the impending Scarlet Bowl, the 27th's ordination of Papa Bergoglio's pick for Pueblo, Bishop-elect Steve Berg.
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