Cardinal Egan on Priestly Appointments

The following is an interview Catholic New York recently conducted with Cardinal Egan.

CNY: Your Eminence, we have had requests for clarifications regarding the "Statement on Priests' Appointments" that appeared in the last issue of Catholic New York. Is there anything that you feel needs to be added?

Cardinal Egan: All of the members of the Priests' Personnel Board have stated that they did not speak with any reporters of any newspapers regarding their letter to me about priestly appointments. This does not square with a newspaper article in which the reporter claims that two members of the Board had spoken with him. A Board member suggests that one of their number may have spoken with a friend about the letter and the friend may have contacted the reporter. Frankly, it seems best simply to drop the matter.

CNY: Your Eminence, a priest who is not a member of the Priests' Personnel Board is said to have admitted to you that he had contacted a reporter about the recent transfers of pastors, stating that some, including himself, were being transferred "in the middle of terms." What can you say about that?

Cardinal Egan: Archdiocesan policy about the transfer of pastors "in the middle of terms" is well known. It was reaffirmed, after consultation with the Presbyteral Council, in 2006. After two six—year terms, a pastor who remains in his parish may be transferred each subsequent year for pastoral reasons. The priest to whom you refer has been the pastor of his parish for no less than 26 years, and co—pastor for two years before that. Of course, when there are significant pastoral reasons, a transfer of a pastor may be necessary even within his first two terms; and this is understood by all.

CNY: Your Eminence, is it true that pastoral assignments are no longer made after notifying the priests of the Archdiocese that a particular pastorate will be coming open?

Cardinal Egan: No, this is not true. However, because of a smaller number of candidates for pastorates, exceptions have had to be made over the past several years. The Director of Priest Personnel has indicated to me that this year as many as eight pastors will have been assigned after the usual notification. I sincerely wish it could be more.

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