A firm defender of the Dallas Charter\u2019s plicy of \u201czero tolerance\u201d\u009d for clergy who have been credibility accused of abuse, he has shown himself to be a careful steward of the Church\u2019s resources, successfully blocking a recent legislative effort to lift the statute of limitations for civil suits against the Church \u201d\u201d but not for other groups.<\/p>\n
Over the long haul, however, the new archbishop of Philadelphia will make his mark as a leader of the New Evangelization who is prepared to challenge the received wisdom of secular elites.<\/p>\n
\u201cChristianity is not mainly \u201d\u201d or even significantly \u201d\u201d about politics. It\u2019s about living and sharing the love of God. And Christian political engagement, when it happens, is never mainly the task of the clergy. That work belongs to lay believers who live most intensely in the world,\u201d\u009d he said, during a recent speech before a Baptist audience in Texas. \u201cBut a Christian life begins in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it bears fruit in the justice, mercy and love we show to others because of that relationship.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n