Archbishop
Schwietz reflects on approaching retirement age ( The Archdiocese of Anchorage , Alaska
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz is a
busy man, serving as head of the two most geographically vast dioceses in the
nation. He serves both as archbishop of Anchorage
and as the temporary apostolic administrator over Fairbanks Texas
Despite his added duties and frequent
flights to small villages across Alaska
Last month Archbishop Schwietz spoke with
the Catholic Anchor about the realities of shepherding two dioceses and the
implications of approaching his 75th birthday.
What are some of the challenges in keeping the faith
alive in these northern-most hinterlands of America
ARCHBISHOP: One challenge is that there are far fewer
ordained priests out in the villages from what it was 20 or 30 years ago. As a
result, people don’t have the opportunity to attend Mass as often, and there
are a lot of Communion services. There is a need for more lay leadership. That
is a growing reality. People are stepping up to be lay leaders and the
challenge for us is to help them get the training and the educational
background needed for that kind of work.
Despite your new responsibilities, you are now less than
a year away from turning 75, the age at which according to church law all
bishops must submit their retirement letter to the pope. How are you preparing
for this huge transition?
ARCHBISHOP: I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about
what my life would be like after the Holy Father accepts the letter of
resignation, which I will submit when I turn 75. Normally, the process takes a
year or two before it is accepted and then someone else is named as the bishop.
But given the fact that 2016 will be the 50th anniversary of the Anchorage
But I’ve been thinking a lot about what I would
do after that. If the Lord continues to give me good health, I hope to stay
active. Some of it will depend on who my successor is and what they would like
me to do here. I have roots here now, and I would like to continue those roots.
But also I have been thinking about other things that I might be able to do. I
did a lot of work with the formation of seminarians in the past; maybe I would
be able to work in that way.
Why is the age of retirement set at 75?
ARCHBISHOP: It was set in Canon Law. I suppose it was
thought that after 75 people start declining in their abilities. That is not as
true today as it was in the past, and it varies from individual to individual.
It’s kind of a fluid number. I was joking with Cardinal (Orlando) Quevedo [of
the Philippines
How do you prepare the archdiocese to transition from one
archbishop — one shepherd — to the next? What does that entail?
ARCHBISHOP: It is important, as much as possible, to
have the diocese in good shape to be handed on to the next man. I think any
bishop who is coming to the end of his tenure would want to do that. For me, it
means trying to set up a good solid financial situation for this archdiocese.
The other thing that has been a great
concern of mine is to leave the archdiocese in a healthy situation in terms of
vocations and pastoral ministry. I have put a lot of energy into that and I am
very grateful that we have a number seminarians now and other young people who
are interested in the priesthood and religious life. That is very encouraging
and I’m hoping to be able to continue fostering that while I am still able so that
there is a positive atmosphere in the archdiocese when a new archbishop comes
in — an atmosphere that is welcoming and supportive to people who want to think
seriously about a life of service to the church. We have five seminarians now
and one ordination to the priesthood last summer.
How will your successor be picked? Can you walk us
through the process?
ARCHBISHOP: Normally the process is in the hands of the
nuncio who is the ambassador from Rome
It’s my understanding that the nuncio then
puts together a list of three possible candidates and sends in the files of the
three men that he thinks are probably a good fit for a particular place. Then
they have a committee at the Vatican
The pope chooses directly at the end?
ARCHBISHOP: Yes.
Do you expect to receive an auxiliary bishop to assist
you during the transition, similar to how then Anchorage Archbishop Francis
Hurley did back in 2000 when you first came up?
ARCHBISHOP: Archbishop Hurley asked for a coadjutor
bishop, which is different from an auxiliary. An auxiliary is a bishop who is
sent to help out the bishop. A coadjutor is a bishop who has the right to
succession. Archbishop Hurley was granted a coadjutor. One of the issues
involved in getting a coadjutor is that it is a budgetary issue. You have another
bishop joining the staff and you have to take that into account for the
archdiocese. I figure as long as my health is holding out and with the
constraints of our budget, it would be better for me not to ask for one, so I
have not asked.
According to the church, once a bishop, always a bishop.
How do you envision continuing to exercise your ministry once you step down as
the head of an archdiocese?
ARCHBISHOP: One of the realities here in Alaska is that
we are really strapped for clergy and it seems to me that if my health holds up
I could be of assistance, not only with the new archbishop of Anchorage but
with the new bishop of Fairbanks, too, in terms of confirmations and other
ceremonies. That might make life easier for the other bishops and I would be happy
to do what I could, and maybe also help in a parish.
On a global scale, when the church has an upheaval like
when Pope Benedict XVI stepped down as pope, there is a kind of mini crisis in
the church as we wait for the next pope to emerge. This phenomenon is also true
on a local level. What should the faithful keep in mind during a transition
like this, especially since the archbishop is so prominent in the life of an
archdiocese?
ARCHBISHOP: It’s inevitable that there will be some
unease, some fear that sets in when the leadership is gone for whatever reason.
We are a church that is used to having its shepherd — on the local level with
the bishop and then on the universal level with the Holy Father. It is
important to accept the reality of the uneasiness and the fear and what sort of
person will be sent by the church. But it is really important to trust in Providence
In light of what the church experienced
after the resignation of Pope Benedict and the election of Pope Francis, it was
a marvelous transition to an unexpected pastor who brought some new light to
the church. That should be a lesson to all of us that the Lord has lots of
surprises and we have to trust that the Lord is going to do good things for us
when the new archbishop is named. Trust in the Lord is really important.
In Alaska
ARCHBISHOP: There is a certain sense, when there isn’t
an archbishop in Anchorage or a bishop in Fairbanks that there is something
missing, even people who are far away in small villages, they have that certain
sense that something is missing. Part of that comes from the reality that we
all have an ingrained sense of the way the Catholic Church is. That kind of
feeling can be a gift that we can give to the Lord in prayer. I think the Lord
appreciates when we look honestly at ourselves and then turn our concerns over
to him.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
ARCHBISHOP: As I look back on my 14 years in Anchorage I still remember very clearly the phone call
from the nuncio telling me I would be coming to Anchorage
The challenges have been there, of course,
but the people here know how to band together and support each other, even
after squabbles. It is beautiful.
We’ve come through some very difficult
times but the faith of the people is strong and people have a hunger to know
their faith better. The young people are phenomenal in their support of each
other and the church. So there is something really good happening here.
http://www.catholicanchor.org/alaska-news/archbishop-schwietz-reflects-approaching-retirement-age/
