The Crystal Cathedral, which has put its iconic campus up for sale to end a bankruptcy crisis, has an interested party that needs a large cathedral: the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, Calif.
While that study is ongoing, "it is prudent to evaluate the opportunity to engage in the pending auction of this property and to mitigate the chance that it cease to function as a place of worship, if acquired by others," said Orange Bishop Tod Brown in a Wednesday (July 6) statement.
In November of this year, Bishop Tod Brown will turn 75 years old. It is mandatory for him, upon reaching that milestone, to tender his retirement to Rome. It is then up to Pope Benedict XVI as to whether Brown's tenure will be extended.
It is no secret that Brown wants a cathedral. After all, his classmate and buddy, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, got the chance to build his monument to the glory of God his ego in Los Angeles.
I gotta be meeeeeee!
But time is ticking for Tod. Although he has never formally announced anything, my sources told me that a few months ago while addressing the Knights of Malta, he asked the Pope for a five-year extension. The problem Brown has is that (a) the economy is tight and (b) he has the personality of a gnat. This combination makes it real difficult for wealthy donors to write a check. Especially since many would rather see no future threat to Catholic education in the Diocese of Orange. Too many schools have closed already; the oldest parish, St. Boniface in anaheim, might still have a school if its alumna, Vanessa Bryant, had hocked that ring Kobe gave her to apologize for rape.
Buying the Crystal Cathedral would be both economical and give Tod his monument to the glory of God his ego in a very short period, maybe even allow him to stay in office until its dedication. I hear that the Crystal Cathedral folks are not happy about the idea, since it would mean a buncha mackeral-snappin' Papists would be swinging their thuribles abut the place. Tant pis pour eux. The decision will be made by the bankruptcy trustee.
At least the structure resembles a cathedral and is recognizable as a place of worhip. Which is more than what Los Angeles got. To quote a priest I know upon viewing Our Lady of Angels - "It'll be something once they take it out of its box!"
Brought to you by IKEA
0 comments:
Post a Comment