Cleveland’s Catholic Diocese Bishop Anthony Pilla has written a letter to the Vatican asking to be replaced, NewsChannel5 reported.
Pilla, 73, will not disclose why he placed the request to retire. He said the reason is between him and the Vatican.
Usually, bishops are replaced when they are 75 years old, but can stay on in the post at the pope’s request.
WEWS reported Pilla has suffered from a few health problems. He had a quadruple bypass in 1997 that was followed by an infection. He also had prostate cancer in 1999.
Pilla was asked if his health problems contributed to his decision to resign and he said he didn’t want to get into that, and that he was doing what was best for the diocese. [Source]
7 comments
I can think of a few more dioceses where this should happen…
There are also some allegations of financial irregularities brought up by the ex-lawyer for the Diocese, IIRC.
It’s a good thing that Pilla leaves.
As a Catholic in the Diocese of Cleveland, I’ll second that Dad 29!
He also oversees a diocese that is rife with dissent..See the website http://www.saveourchurch.org for details…
Most of are praying Benedict XVI will cull the herd. It’s beginning to look like the herd is culling itself.
Or, the more obvious:
Bishop Pilla is a 73-year-old in questionable to frail health. It’s been taking up to 30 months to have replacement bishops appointed, even when the diocese is vacant. Better he start the wheels rolling now, and his replacement coming round about his 75th b-day without exposing the Church in northeast Ohio to a long vacancy period……
karen marie
I think this segment should have had the subtitle “About Time” instead of the one above…….
We like it. We approve. We think about half the USCCB should submit early retirement offers and get the hell out of the way for better men.