Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops website
Saturday, July 14 2012
(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today appointed the Reverend Gregory Bittman as Auxiliary Bishop of Edmonton, Alberta. He will assist the Archbishop of Edmonton, the Most Reverend Richard W. Smith, who is also President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Bishop-Elect Gregory Bittman was born on March 5, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1991, he obtained a Master’s of Divinity Degree from Christ the King Seminary in Mission B.C., and in 2009, he obtained a JCL Degree in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America. He was ordained to the priesthood on August 15, 1996. At the time of his appointment to the episcopate, he was serving as Judicial Vicar and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Edmonton. He was also an Ex-Officio member of the College of Consultors, the Council of Priests, the Priests’ Personnel Committee, the Project Review Board and the Finance Council in the Archdiocese of Edmonton. He has also served as the Spiritual Director to Seminarians over the past few years.
The Archdiocese of Edmonton has 126 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 378,545, served by 94 diocesan priests, 84 priests who are members of religious institutes, 20 permanent deacons, 271 religious Sisters and Brothers, and 42 lay pastoral workers.
Last Updated on Saturday, July 14 2012
Is it just me, or does this strike others as strange? The new Auxiliary Bishop of Edmonton has been a priest just shy of 16 years, – and he’s now a bishop?! That’s really moving up the episcopal ladder very quickly. Not only that, but, to my knowledge, there have never been auxiliary bishops in the Edmonton Archdiocese. Does anyone know what triggered this?
*Simple – the Archbishop is the head of the Canadian bishops. Obviously he would need someone to do the work when he is running the roads and airports, both now and in the future!
* MJ there have been other presidents of the CCCB from other Archdiocese that never needed an Auxiliary Bishop. There is no reason for Edmonton to have one, it is a small Archdiocese. If the Archbishop could not do both he should not have accepted the position at CCCB.
*Agreed! My remarks were very much tongue in cheek!
* Sorry miss understood.
The Archbishop of the Edmonton Archdiocese from 1973 to 1999 was Joseph MacNeil. Archbishop MacNeil was President of the CCCB from1979-1981. MacNeil had no auxiliary bishops and the archdiocese had more parishes and priests was significantly larger then then it is now. I just think the decision to appoint an auxiliary now is strange, and all the more so when the new auxiliary has, relatively speaking, very little experience as a priest.
*These are political appointments, friends – strategic, political appointments.
Damage control is a big responsibility.
McNeil did not have trouble covering up for sex abuse of children in his hay days ,it was easy to pay and transfer.Richard had to start his career by cleaning up some of the messes left in behind by other Bishops in Edmonton (MORE TO COME)Msgr Lynn’s incarceration in Pa. U.S.A.and the world wide att’n Penn state has garnered ,Bishops and the higher ups in the R.C.church will have to work harder ,if they intend to continue managing the cess pool as in days gone by.Comatose -Brain dead parishioners are slowly being awakened and abuse of Gods little children will no longer be tolerated by these ravenous monsters posing as gods CHOSEN.Can’t fool all the people any more as the entire world is now watching this what is reported to be the most evil corrupt corporate entity in the world.DENOTED ABOVE ANONYMOUS
*I hate to but I have to. Agree whole heartedly.
*In the last year I have had some communication with the Archdiocese of Edmonton re: Captain Father Angus McRae. Not much other than a reply letter from the Archdiocese advising me to seek legal counsel and pursue my remedies in court.
Is there really a point to the inquiry? It’s like asking why Toronto just got another auxillary bishop, and why one of their auxillary bishops was only a priest 12 years when ordained. To become a bishop a person need only be a priest for 5 years, and like others have noted, Edmonton is small. It would actually be a good place for an auxillary to start.
Why does the appointment of an auxiliary bishop get attention here on a sex abuse site?
*Glen’s question: “Why does the appointment of an auxiliary bishop get attention here on a sex abuse site?”
Pope Benedict’s name was mentioned numerous times at this website and nobody complained.
It seems your not satisfied when a clergy’s name makes the accused list and your not satisfied even when a clergy’s name is not on the accused list.
Maybe re-reading Sylvia’s posts above may help and give you some insight but in order to acquire this insight one needs to have an open mind.
No comment on the latter part of my last sentence.
Good point Lina. I think the bottom line is Glen is here to stir the point. We’ve seen it before. He is now on the moderate list.
Does anybody know if bishop Bittman has a Legionnary past? I have noticed that, notwithstanding the shocking revelations about Fr. Maciel, many of his young and photogenic minions continue to advance through the hierarchy of the church. I think this is troubling considering the spiritual formation these men must have undergone and the cover-up culture they marinated in. I have no information whatsoever about this bishop but the way his biography was presented and the image he projects seems to be consistent with this order. I hope this is not the case but thought I would ask this group.