In an intriguing (to me) coda to a September post "Church or Faith?" about the Catholic conversion of Episcopal Bishop Jeffrey Steenson, it turns out that Steenson was received into the Church this past weekend--by Cardinal Bernard Law, no less, and in Law's Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.

The previous string featured a lively discussion about the reasons (not entirely clear to me, or perhaps too clear) for Steenson's conversion. What does this choice of Law say about his views? Cardinal Law was for many years the Ecclesiastical Delegate for the Pastoral Provision, the fancy title that says he is charged with overseeing the entry of Episcopalian clergy into communion with Rome, under the auspices of a special loophole overseen by the CDF. (Ah, if only we could all get such loopholes!) But Archbishop Myers succeeded Cardinal Law in that job a couple yars ago, I believe, well before Steenson started on his pilgrimage. So wassup with that?

David Gibson is the director of Fordham’s Center on Religion & Culture.

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