Archbishop-elect Leonard: 'Salt & Light TV interview

There's a sidebar link here to 'Salt and Light TV' but it's probably quicker to go to the kto programmes page and click on video to the left. The interview, conducted by Fr Rosica, is in French. It is worth watching even if you don't understand what is being said. The personality of the Archbishop-elect simply bursts through the language barrier. It is an extremely warm and good-humoured interview, both parties being totally at ease, and it completely reverses the impression one may have formed via other media, that Bishop Leonard is simply a rigidly formal ritualist and nothing else. He emerges as one with a great love for the Word and evangelisation, for the Eucharist, for our Immaculate Mother, and for the Church. Like Pope Benedict, he too, first thought of the call to priesthood in early childhood. Unlike the Holy Father, he did not have the strong guidance of his father, who died during WWII before he was born. He pays tribute to his mother, a woman of simple faith, who brought him up 'normally' as a Catholic. He also speaks at some length of his relationships with Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI and tells us that he preached the Vatican Lenten spiritual exercises in the Jubilee Year before Pope John Paul. He shares how he felt on hearing the news of Pope John Paul's death, and his joy at the election of Benedict.

It is said that the Vatican has two primary questions about any bishop who is being put forward for higher status within the Church. One, is he loved by his priests and two how many seminarians are in his seminary. Well, in the case of Bishop Leonard I don't know the answer to the first question, but I learn from another source that of a total of 35 training for the priesthood in the whole of Belgium, 17 come from the diocese of Namur, which he is about to leave for Malines Brussels. This probably answers the first as well as the second question. I also read, or perhaps it is in this interview, that he stresses the importance of regular visitations to all the parishes of his diocese, and that he is assiduous about this. If only all bishops to whom this presents no difficulty, would take this leaf from his book.

May God bless Archbishop Leonard and strengthen him in the hard work that lies ahead of him. He is 75 but looks strong and healthy. Ad multos annos!

Next post should be a reminder about the new invocation for the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. I still intend to write to the Holy Father about this, but the letter has been delayed by other matters, both on and off blog. Bishop Williamson after that, Linguistics of Journalism after that, and after that, and after that..................!?