c. 2005 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco met privately with Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday (May 3), fueling speculation that he is a leading candidate to become the Vatican’s chief watchdog of Catholic doctrine, a position formerly held by the pope himself.

American associates of Levada said he appears to be a potential frontrunner to succeed Benedict _ the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger _ as prefect of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

From 1976 to 1982, Levada, now 68, worked at the office that Benedict led from 1981 until his election as pope on April 19. In 2002, Levada was named to a bishop’s position within the Congregation.

A leading American cardinal confirmed this weekend that Levada has been mentioned for the job, and associates in his former archdiocese of Portland, Ore., said talk has intensified in recent days that Levada may get it. If appointed, he would be the first American to hold the post.

“It’s a quiet rumor that I have heard,” Archbishop John Vlazny of Portland told The Oregonian newspaper. “He is a trained theologian who has kept up with theology.”

The Congregation is responsible for policing and enforcing church doctrine. As prefect, Ratzinger silenced rogue theologians, defined the church’s relationship with other faiths, and assumed jurisdiction over all cases involving sexually abusive priests.

Another U.S. cardinal, Francis George of Chicago, has downplayed rumors that he may also be in line for the post. The other prominent name that has lost traction in recent weeks is Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, the Austrian archbishop of Vienna.

If appointed, Levada would be the highest-ranking American at the Vatican and would almost certainly be named a cardinal. Two other American cardinals _ Edmund Szoka and Francis Stafford _ currently hold lower-ranking positions there.

Levada’s office in San Francisco declined to respond to reporters’ questions. The Vatican confirmed the two men met.

“This is one of the most important positions in the Vatican, and under John Paul II it was the most important position in regards to the internal life of the church,” said the Rev. Tom Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine America and author of the book “Inside the Vatican.”

In many ways, Levada would be a logical choice for the post because he has dealt with many of the contemporary social issues _ abortion, euthanasia and homosexuality _ that confront the church. In every instance, he has never strayed from church teaching, and in some cases found innovative ways of compromise. In San Francisco, for example, he defended church teaching against gay marriage. But in 1997, he brokered a deal with the city that continued public funding to Catholic Charities while also allowing employees to enroll domestic partners in church-sponsored health care.

“From our side of the pond, we would think it would be good to have him in that Congregation,” Vlazny told The Oregonian. “From Rome’s side, they already know him.”

Levada is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ committee on doctrine and was the sole U.S. representative on a committee that revised the church’s Catechism. He also served on a joint U.S.-Vatican panel that finalized new policy on abusive priests, as well as a task force on the church’s response to dissenting Catholic politicians.

Before he was appointed to San Francisco in 1995, he was archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995 and served as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles from 1983 to 1986.

Those who know him say Levada suffers from the same hardline public reputation as the pope, but like Benedict, he is described as shy, quiet and a jokester with a warm pastoral nature.

“He certainly is an expert at theology, but there’s a lot of difference between saying he has a focus on doctrine and saying he’s doctrinaire,” said Mary Jo Tully, whom Levada appointed chancellor of the Portland archdiocese in 1990.

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From all accounts, Levada and Benedict are also friends, and the respect goes both ways, judging from Levada’s comments after the new pope’s election.

“I have come to know him as unfailingly gracious and fair by personal temperament, as well as keenly interested in and knowledgeable about pastoral concerns throughout the universal church,” Levada said.

Last March, Levada’s doctrine committee affirmed actions taken by Ratzinger to silence an American Jesuit, the Rev. Roger Haight, who had been silenced by the Vatican for a controversial book about theology.

“It is essential that we, as the authentic teachers and guardians of the apostolic faith, ensure that the faithful throughout the country … not become confused by ambiguous or erroneous theological speculation,” the committee said.

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While in Portland, Levada upheld church teaching as the state became the first in the nation to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Under Levada, the Catholic Church became the dominant political player in opposing a statewide initiative, approved by voters, that legalized assisted suicide.

He has scored low marks from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), an advocacy group that accuses him of keeping victims at arms length and mounting a vigorous legal battle to shield church records from public view.

“If you’re asking if I think he understands the issue and would be a fearless moral leader cleaning out the corruption in the church, I’d say no,” said Terrie Light, leader of SNAP’s Northern California chapter.

In a 1998 interview with National Catholic Reporter, Levada declined to define himself as conservative, moderate or liberal.

“I think that labels … are a plague,” he said. “They immediately set the agenda on the basis of of an already too polarized and unproductive liberal/conservative secular model. The church is not an easy fit for American society.”

Last year, he told fellow bishops that “a Catholic, to be in full communion with the faith of the church, must accept … teaching about the evil of abortion and euthanasia.” Yet, at the same time, he said church practice does not per se exclude dissidents from receiving Communion.

Reese, of America magazine, said having an American in such a prominent position would make sense as the new pope prepares to mount a war against what Benedict has called a “dictatorship of relativism” that is prevalent in Western society.

“No matter which way he would go on these things, at least he (Levada) understands where the Americans are coming from,” Reese said.

_ Peggy Polk reported from the Vatican and Nancy Haught reported from Portland.

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