I received this advance news story from journalist Mary Ann Mueller, and I thought it might be of interest. I have to admit, I'll be a bit disappointed if Cardinal Wuerl doesn't work in a brief mention about the Ordinariate. I know he has lots of responsibilities, but his job as liaison for the CDF in this matter is a pretty big deal, and not just to us. Of course, Chris Wallace might know nothing about it, and so won't ask a question directly relating to it; however, I'm curious to see if it comes into the conversation at all.
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Special Advance
By Mary Ann Mueller
12/22/2010WASHINGTON, DC—"That's it for this week," said Chris Wallace Sunday (Dec. 19) while looking directly into the Fox News Sunday camera with the capitol dome visible over his left shoulder. "Our guests next week (December 26) will be Sen. John Coburn and Washington's new cardinal, Donald Wuerl. Have a merry Christmas and we'll see ya next Fox News Sunday."
Cardinal Wuerl, the cardinal archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, was elevated by Pope Benedict XVI to the cardinalate on Nov. 20. He was also appointed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as its delegate in the United States to facilitate the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution and he also heads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' ad hoc committee created for the full implementation of Anglicanorum Coetibus.
"I would suspect that Fox News Sunday is going to focus on his being elevated to cardinal," explained the Rev. Scott Hurd, a Pastoral Provision priest and a member of Cardinal Wuerl's staff and the liaison to the Catholic Bishops' Conference working with the ad hoc committee dealing with Anglicanorum Coetibus. "Also, they will probably be asking questions about the significance of Christmas. There have been some evangelistic initiatives we've taken in the Archdiocese…
"My guess would be they would focus on those matters," Fr. Hurd speculated. "However it is very possible that someone at Fox News is aware that the Cardinal is involved with the Apostolic Constitution and will ask a question."
Fox News Sunday has been hosted by Chris Wallace since 2004. He is the son of veteran CBS correspondent Mike Wallace.
The Sunday public affairs television magazine, which features interviews with newsmakers and discussions of current affairs, was launched in April 1996. Fox News Sunday predates Fox News Channel by about six months. Fox News is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Broadcasting Company which was launched in 1986 and is an originally an outgrowth of 20th Century Fox.
Fox News Sunday is carried live at 9 a.m. Eastern time on various FOX television affiliates around the country, including in Washington D.C. where the program originates. The news show is also time-delayed for broadcast on other FOX TV network stations. Then the program is to be rebroadcast Sunday on the Fox News Channel at 2 p.m. Eastern time and again at 6 p.m. Eastern time. Fox News Sunday is the only regularly-scheduled news show produced by Fox. The program will then be rebroadcast on a number of radio affiliates. Fox News Sunday can also be seen on Hulu after it has been originally broadcast on the various Fox networks.
A spokesman for the Fox News Washington bureau said: "Fox News Sunday is very tight lipped about their guests." She offered no other information surrounding Cardinal Wuerl's schedule appearance on Sunday.
However the Fox News Sunday's program grid for December 26 says a little something about its upcoming guests: Tackling key issues and a political preview for the new year and an exclusive interview with Senator Tom Coburn. Plus, a holiday message from Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington, with a discussion of the role of religion in politics.
"The Cardinal might possibly speak about Anglicanorum Coetibus," Fr. Hurd noted. "but who knows?"
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Cardinal Wuerl did not speak about Anglicanorum coetibus on Fox News Sunday this morning. I did not see his appearance, but there is a transcript here:
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/transcript/sen-coburn-talks-debt-and-taxes-cardinal-donald-wuerl-religion-and-politics?page=2
Scroll down past the Coburn interview.
I must say, the Cardinal is very smooth, very deft at avoiding saying anything inflammatory or controversial while still holding the line on Catholic teaching on marriage. He is asked, of course, of about what he thinks about the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the military.
Some might say they wish the line were drawn a little more sharply. But again, the Cardinal obviously shows he knows how to pick his battles.
Deborah
There is an article on "MyCatholicStandard" (which appears to be the newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington) containing a transcript of an interview with Cardinal Wuerl and Fr. Hurd specifically focused on the ordinariate. Several of the comments in the interview seem to confirm what I had guessed, but this is the first time that I have seen the plan articulated in an official source.
Norm.