New York prelate to lead bishops group

From The Washington Post-

America's Catholic bishops pulled a shocker Tuesday in picking their new president, disregarding tradition and precedent by rejecting the current vice president and instead choosing a man seen as more outspoken and conservative.

Voting 128 to 111, the U.S. Conference of Bishops picked New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who heads one of the nation's most prominent dioceses, to be its president for the next three years.

He defeated Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanas, who had been vice president and had faced a barrage of last-minute criticism in recent days over how he dealt with a priest who was accused of molesting more than a dozen boys and is now in jail. Victim advocates spoke out against Kicanas, but the more significant opposition came from conservatives, who considered him too moderate in tone.

The election heralded a desire in the conference - the highest governing body of the U.S. Catholic Church - for more aggressive, outspoken leadership on hot-button social issues, said the Rev. Thomas Reese, a scholar at Georgetown University.

"It signals that this is a very conservative body that's going to continue to play a major role in this country's culture wars," Reese said.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/16/AR2010111607034.html