Brand-new Philadelphia Archbishop Justin Rigali had not even taken his seat on the throne in the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul when conversation in one of the pews turned to when he would be leaving.
An older man told anyone who would listen his prediction that Rigali could succeed his ailing friend Pope John Paul II as the leader of Catholics worldwide. Such an appointment would make him the first American to hold the position.
Even for someone with as distinguished a career as Rigali’s, the rise through the ranks would be nothing less than meteoric.
The former archbishop of St. Louis was appointed by the pope to replace the retiring Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua as head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in July. Then on Sept. 28, the pontiff included him among his latest class of cardinals. Rigali is the only American on that list and will be elevated at the Vatican on Tuesday.
The focus was on Philadelphia last Tuesday, as Rigali, 68, celebrated his installation Mass with 1,000 laity and 1,600 invited guests. During the services, Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo — the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States — read letters from the pope designating Rigali as Bevilacqua’s successor and a cardinal-designate.
Rigali, speaking in a soft voice, greeted the audience in eight languages prior to delivering a 10-page homily.
His sermon touched on a number of issues affecting the church locally and as a whole. The archbishop showed the conservative leanings for which he is known, and briefly addressed the Church’s sex-abuse scandal, though without naming it specifically.
"In proclaiming human dignity, the Church of Philadelphia renews its commitment to defend human life against whatever wounds weaken or destroy it at any stage," Rigali said. "It also renews its resolve and its efforts for the protection of children against whatever would harm them, abuse them or violate their sacred dignity."
In his sermon, Rigali also spoke about the Church’s "renewed commitment" to Catholic education.
"How grateful we are to all the educators that commit themselves to the mission of the Church with great love, effort and sacrifice," Rigali said. "How fortunate is this local Church to have Catholic education — generously sustained by the people of God at all levels of primary, secondary and university education — offer great hope for the Church and society of tomorrow."
The fate of parochial education has been in the news diocese-wide, with last month’s high-school teachers’ strike and, locally, with the consolidation of schools.
Last month, in one of his final official actions as head of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua accepted the recommendation to consolidate South Philly’s two Catholic high schools, St. John Neumann and St. Maria Goretti.
Beginning next September, the students of the two single-sex schools will attend classes in one consolidated facility known as Ss. John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School. The new school will be housed at 10th and Moore streets, in the building currently used by Goretti.
Additionally, 11 archdiocesan grade schools have been closed or consolidated in the last two decades.
The Rev. Michael Olivere, president of Neumann, said he feels Rigali’s record in St. Louis shows that the new archbishop is committed to education.
That commitment extended to the inner city at least once. In June 2001, during groundbreaking ceremonies for a new Catholic high school within city limits, Rigali called the institution a sign of the archdiocese’s commitment to minority education and urban development.
"The Catholic Church remains a strong presence for all members of society and in all parts of the community," the archbishop said at the time.
However, he also has indicated he is not opposed to consolidating and closing parish schools when enrollment is dropping and finances are tight. As the local Catholic population continues to shift from the city to the suburbs, that might seem like a more viable solution.
Olivere remains optimistic that closures can be avoided.
"We are all aware that we have a lot of challenges here with regard to the changing demographics in the city and the rising cost of Catholic education on every level," he said. "I am confident with his background and his strong commitment in St. Louis, he is going to work hard to maintain what we have and develop it."
Olivere and Rita Schwartz, president of Association of Catholic Teachers Local 1776, hope the archbishop’s previous success as a fundraiser will follow him in Philadelphia and benefit the schools.
"I am very hopeful that instead of looking at schools and consolidating and closing them," Schwartz said, "that he will somehow be able to put his talents to use raising money to keep the schools open."
According to the union president, 91 percent of funding for Catholic high schools depends on student tuition. She believes there is a more equitable solution, and she is writing a letter to Rigali requesting a meeting to discuss it. Schwartz added she also wants to let him know the teachers are not happy with the result of the most recent contract negotiations.
"This is beyond money, although money was a big part of it," she said. "It was also a lot about respect, and [the teachers] didn’t feel the schools’ office gave them the respect that they were entitled to."
In 1996, St. Louis’ archdiocesan grade-school teachers tried to unionize, but Rigali refused to recognize them. Instead, he formed what he called the Parish Teacher Compensation Committee to examine teacher salaries, and the Parish School Assistance Fund, which made it possible to increase teacher salaries.
Schwartz, who is also president of the National Association of Catholic Teachers, spent time in St. Louis last summer advising the grade-school teachers, who are again trying to organize.
