Mgr. William Levada appointed member of the Congregation of Bishops
Mgr. William Joseph Levada, the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was appointed a member of the Congregation of Bishops by Benedict XVI on August 24, 2005. He will have a strategic position allowing him to exercise the right to control the nomination of bishops, notably Americans. Indeed, members of the Congregation of Bishops have an influence on episcopal nominations in their own countries.
Mgr. Levada was named Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on May 13. It is the first time an American was appointed to this key post. According to Vatican specialists, it was a strong sign given to the Church in America, a sign confirmed by this new nomination.
The new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is a resolute supporter of religious liberty, as opposed to the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ: "Thanks to the Constitution of the United States, we have come to enjoy life in a country which guarantees us the natural right to religious liberty. Every one of us has the right to profess our faith according to his own conscience. The government being forbidden to profess a particular religion, this allowed it to adopt a “disinterested” attitude to all religions; their doctrines and their faith are not the object of meticulous examination on the part of the government (except for questions concerning public order). As a consequence Catholics are free to profess as true, the dogmas revealed in the Bible and by the Church for 2000 years, dogmas such as the Trinity (God in three Persons) and the Eucharist (in which the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ). The Catholic Church in no way asks that these dogmas or this faith be written into American legislation. The Church, in fact, allows and shares with enthusiasm, the constitutional interdiction of establishing a State Religion or hindering its free exercise.” (Reflection on the role of Catholics in political life and the reception of Holy Communion, Mgr. William Levada, June 13, 2004)
