For 17 years, Cardinal William Keeler has been archbishop of Baltimore, the first Catholic diocese of the United States. In March, turning 75, he submitted his resignation to the pope, as required by church law. He is expected to step down soon.
EXAMINER: How did it feel to send that resignation letter to the pope?
Keeler: It was something I looked forward to doing in keeping with our church laws, so I was not surprised when the day came and I could send the letter offering to retire as he might wish.
EXAMINER: Did you have any feelings about it?
Keeler: I just want to let my superior decide what my role should be, just as I did when I came to Baltimore. I said at that time, if I?d had my druthers, I?d rather stay in the Harrisburg Diocese. I knew people in every parish; I knew all of the editors and the people at the various television stations.
EXAMINER: It was home.
Keeler: It was home, right. When the pope wanted me to go to Baltimore, I said, “I salute and that?s fine.”
EXAMINER: Have you heard from the Vatican at all about what the time frame might be?
Keeler: The communication that relates to my offer of retirement will be released by the Holy See in due time.
EXAMINER: How do you see your accomplishments here?
Keeler: The biggest thing that I have set out for myself to do is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ on a regular basis, and that is something we try to do everyday.
We have some particular challenges. For example, we have the challenge of getting people to understand that there are good things happening in the world, that it?s not all simply negativity. I remember World Youth Day in Denver [in 1993], I was the president of that, and we had several hundred thousand young people come together.
The one the pope went to, but I found as I watched the television, the farther away people got from Denver, the more negative the reporting got. It didn?t reflect the reality. And that?s one of the peeves that I have, that we have to recognize that we?ve got some wonderful young people. There were several hundred thousand gathered in Denver and that goodness was not captured in any way by the media.
EXAMINER: Besides the young people, what else is the good news?
Keeler: One of the wonderful things is the upturn in vocations to the priesthood that we have experienced, again which I am happy to talk about, but haven?t seen it reflected in media reporting. Last year, we had the greatest response I?ve seen since I?ve come here to our seminary screening program.
EXAMINER: What?s the cause of that?
Keeler: I think it?s a return to basic values; people are experiencing it in their lives, especially younger people. These are mostly college-age students who come forwards to us to be included and screened.
EXAMINER: But priests are still spread pretty thin?
Keeler: They?re thin, but you know, historically that?s the way it?s been in the U.S., except for the period that peaked in the ?50s. Historically, my first predecessor, John Carroll, had to deal with great shortages. He went begging priests in Europe.
EXAMINER: What have been some of your disappointments?
Keeler: There was the big scandal of the sexual abuse crisis. It has certainly put a burden on our priests, and I?m hopeful now that, by the way in which we are being proactive in looking for any case, that we will help to atone for what obviously went wrong and which so many of us were so completely unaware of.
EXAMINER: It was controversial several years ago when you released all the names andphotos of accused priests, and that did not happen elsewhere. Do you think in this archdiocese that helped to assure people?
Keeler: That?s right, it was a sign to our people and a sign to our priests too that the church was being accountable, open, and being successful too, I think, with dealing with the crisis. What they should know is if that there?s a priest of the archdiocese of Baltimore, the individual is not one who is engaging in child abuse.
EXAMINER: What are the most important faith issues for the Baltimore area?
Keeler: Well, I think recognizing the place of religious education for our young people. But now it?s religious education for adults. A lot of people seem to have forgotten what they learned when they were young. We have a major challenge in preaching the gospel to people of every age. But especially we have it for the young people who are growing up.
And we see that in the inner city with so many turning to us just for a basic education in our schools. I have tried to keep our Catholic schools open in the city even though many of our people have moved to the suburbs.
EXAMINER: Are a majority of those children from non-Catholic backgrounds?
Keeler: Many are. And many are African-American.
EXAMINER: You don?t try to convert them?
Keeler: No, we do give them the basic Christian approach to things. I?ve heard parents tell me they want that. Many parents have sought me out and told me this means so much to our future. I think too, with the challenges we have today, with respect to marriage, the African-American community is willing to respond to us.
EXAMINER: Are you disappointed that Catholic politicians have not responded more to the efforts for the bishops to have them represent their faith in their public stance?
Keeler: Yes, yes, and we said that in a collective pastoral two years ago in Denver, when we prepared a statement on Catholics in politics.
EXAMINER: But you personally have never suggested that any particular politician be excommunicated ?
Keeler: No. I think what we need to do is be in more dialogue with them and that?s what we?re working toward to meet with individuals, to talk with them, and what we discover in the process, as we have met with senators, Democratic and Republican, is that there is a possibility of conversion, or at least moving them a little bit more toward what the church teaches as they understand it. We need to sit down and talk with them and help them to see a bigger picture.
EXAMINER: You?ve been very active in Jewish-Catholic relations for decades. Where do you feel that stands now?
Keeler: I think we?re in an excellent position because of what Pope John Paul II did and said. The photograph that I have for people waiting to see me, is Pope John Paul II standing in front of the western wall in Jerusalem, into which he has just put that prayer. In which he asked God?s pardon and forgiveness for anything that has been done by Christians to their Jewish friends and neighbors. That, I think, had a tremendous effect. I?ve talked to many Jewish people and I know that they do see the impact of John Paul II. Benedict XVI made a trip to the most populous synagogue in northern Europe, and spoke in a very familiar and helpful way to the Jewish people present. It was a big positive. He?s continuing exactly what John Paul did.
EXAMINER: What is your position on Jerusalem?
Keeler: Our position is that there should be full religious and civil freedom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and that?s not something that everybody shares, but it?s a vision that I?ve found is shared by a number of our Jewish friends in the United States.
EXAMINER: How about the relationships with Protestants?
Keeler: I?m working more with the mainline people than with the evangelicals, but right now, I?m part of the religious alliance against pornography, which now includes many evangelical churches. We see eye to eye on what we need to do about pornography, abortion and some other issues. That?s a great challenge for our society, but it?s also a challenge for religious leaders to come together on this.
