ST. FRANCIS, Wis. — Archbishop Listecki’s 75th birthday today also marked the changing of the guard for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Listecki signed his letter of resignation that will be sent off to Pope Francis to decide on who will be the new Archbishop of Milwaukee.
Listecki told WTMJ this is unlike any other birthday he’s had.
“It’s a birthday that demands a response from me, and that response is to fulfill what the church law has for every bishop of a Archdiocese,” he said.
He said the process could take anytime from a few years to even less than a year. He expressed what he’d like to see from whoever will succeed him in his position.
“I just hope he’s a really good man. A good bishop. A bishop with a priestly heart,” he said. “[I hope he has] a desire to serve and complete the mission of Christ.”
He said he’s so grateful for the 14 years he’s spent being the Archbishop of Milwaukee.
“I’d like people to know I’ve grown to love them. I appreciate [the people in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s] collaboration. We’ve worked together to fulfill the mission that Christ has established for us,” he said. “There’s a tremendous sense of gratitude… hopefully we are better off today than we were 14 years ago.”
He said even though he won’t be an archbishop anymore, he still wants to be involved in the archdioceses.
“I hope to continue to steer the archdiocese on the right course, he said. “Support the seminaries, support catholic charities… and our schools… Being the shepherd I’ve gotten released from my responsibilities, but I hope I can lead [folks] to the flock and lead them in the right direction.”
MILWAUKEE — Archbishop Jerome Listecki has overseen the Milwaukee Archdiocese since 2009, but the end stages of his tenure will begin today.
Per Canon Law, an archbishop must send a letter of resignation to the Pope on his 75th birthday. The Pope will then respond and, at some point, appoint a replacement.
Archbishop Listecki will turn 75 on Tuesday, March 12th, and told Wisconsin’s Afternoon News he has his letter ready to be sent. For now, he said it is like being in “limbo”.
“His (the Pope) response will usually be ‘you will stay in place until I appoint your successor’,” he told WTMJ.
Archbishop Listecki is a Chicago native who spent much of his career in the Greater Chicago Area. In 2005, he was installed as the Bishop of the Archdiocese of La Crosse. Just a few years alter, he was named the Archbishop of the Milwaukee Diocese.
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He told John Mercure & Julia Fello that it’s ‘sheer luck’ that his career has been spent in the same region. He would not speculate on who might replace him but said it is advantageous for someone to know the culture they are coming into.
“It could come from any place in the United States,” Archbishop Listecki said. “The reason it would be good if it were someone from the Midwest is you have a sense of the culture. Although no good Milwaukeen would say a South-Side Chicagoan should come to Milwaukee to lead the people, there would be similar things we embrace.”
Archbishop Listecki acknowledged that he has presided over good and bad times for the church.
“We were able to bring a sense of solace to those who were abused in the clergy sexual abuse scandal,” Archbishop Listecki said. “I wish that the public institutions would take the lead from the Catholic Church in doing to protect their children in their environments.”
Archbishop Listecki briefly described his retirement, including an Arnold Palmer and a lawn chair, but will continue serving the Catholic Church in ways he will be permitted to. In the 10-county area of Southeast Wisconsin, there are nearly 200 parishes and over 640,000 registered Catholics.
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