Was There More to Archbishop Burke's Appointment?

Though not mentioned here before, last Friday morning's saddening news of Archbishop Burke's move left some with many questions and a certain uneasy feeling. It seems that John Allen of National Catholic Reporter has picked up on it:

Since news of St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke’s appointment as prefect of the Apostolic Signatura was announced June 27, I’ve received numerous telephone calls and e-mails, from both sides of the Atlantic, posing some version of the following question: Was this a case of what the Italians call promuovere per rimuovere … promoting someone in order to get rid of him?

It’s a reasonable question, given Burke’s profile as a lightning rod in St. Louis. Not only is he the American bishop most identified with the push to deny Communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians, but he also engaged in very public spats involving rock star Sheryl Crow and basketball coach Rick Majerus. Basically his last act as archbishop was to issue canonical penalties for Sister of Charity Louise Lears for her support of women’s ordination. While most of Burke’s fellow bishops, and certainly the Vatican, would share the substance of his positions, not everyone applauds his pugnacious way of advancing them....

It's a bit presumptious to claim that his way of dealing with public scandals and public dissent was "pugnacious." Most faithful Catholics in St Louis (and elsewhere) welcomed the fact that a bishop was finally doing was a bishop is supposed to do in safeguarding the faith and protecting the faithful continued dissent and scandal from those who made claims to be Catholic.

The real test of whether there is a desire to place such a pastoral figure in St. Louis, of course, will come with the nomination of his replacement. For that reason, the selection will be keenly anticipated -- not only because of the historical importance of St. Louis as a center of Catholic culture, but also because of broader indications it may offer about the tone Benedict XVI and his nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, want to set for the American church.

We'll see what's in store for us. Many would agree that Archbishop Burke is not one who can easily be replaced.