A Weird Wuerl Story

I know a person who was a seminarian in Rome when Cardinal Wuerl was the Bishop of Pittsburgh.  At the time Bishop Wuerl would come over a few times a year (as did most bishops) to visit the seminarians studying at the North American College, the seminary for American guys in Rome. Nothing weird about the fact that he visited a few times a year.

But here's the weird part.

Every morning, Bishop Wuerl's seminarians had to bring up fresh-cut flowers and pressed shirts for the bishop, and some other similar duties.

When I first heard that story about 8 years ago, it made my skin crawl.  That is just so weird.

It shows a completely different mindset, and a clericalist mindset.

I know bishops that live in simple homes and ride the bus.  Pope Francis did some of that it sound like when he was an Archbishop.

I'm not saying simple living is going to guarantee holy bishops, but for most normal people, a bishop that lives a clerical lifestyle, that tells you all you need to know.

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!