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With one decision from the Vatican, Texas losses its archbishop and Los Angeles gains a coadjutor archbishop. Archbishop Jose Gomez was named today (Tuesday) as the successor to Cardinal Roger Mahony upon his retirement. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies has the story.
April 6, 2010 · Archbishop Jose Gomez said he’s grateful for the opportunity to serve the church in Los Angeles but leaving Texas will not be easy.
“Bittersweet feelings, because I have to leave San Antonio – as you know San Antonio is like home to me and it's going to be difficult very difficult transition as I respond to the call of the Holy Father to come to Los Angeles,” said Gomez.
Los Angeles is the largest archdiocese in the nation and Latinos make up the majority of Catholics there.
Speaking via telephone from Los Angeles at a San Antonio press conference Gomez said Pope Benedict XVI is aware of the importance of ministering to Latinos in the American Catholic Church.
“The Holy Father knows the number of Latinos and Latino Catholics in this country and how important they are for the present and future of the church. And in San Antonio we know that. Because the history of San Antonio and our long standing tradition of ministering to Hispanics and Latinos,” he said.
It’s expected that Rome will soon select a archdiocesan administrator to run the San Antonio Archdioceses. And that a replacement for Gomez will be named in six months to a year by the Pope.
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