Today's Catholic news:

Pope names San Francisco Archbishop as orthodoxy chief (SFChron).

Pope Benedict XVI today named San Francisco Archbishop William Levada to lead the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ...

It started out, somewhat informally, as the Inquisition (1184), then became official as Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition (1542), changed its name to The Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office (1908), and then to the current Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1965).

In any event, Andrew Sullivan doesn't like this guy, and points to an article written by Levada in 1995 where the archbishop disapproves of "privatizing morality", separation of church and state, as well as Democrats.

Sounds like Ratzinger picked a soulmate for the job. What caught our eye was this line from the Chronicle:

His doctoral dissertation was on papal infallibility.

We'd love to take a peek at that. Papal infallibility was invented by Pius IX in the nineteenth century as a response to the wrenching changes taking place in Europe. It was the time of the Industrial Revolution and of political revolutions as well. Modernity, democracy, pluralism, Enlightenment values - all which would be denounced in the Syllabus of Errors (1864).

Pius IX called the First Vatican Council in 1870, and wanted it to declare total infallibilty, but at the time the scope was restricted to only the areas of Faith and Morals.

Did Levada accept that limitation, or is he somebody who wants to give the pope additional power? Stay tuned.

posted by Quiddity at 5/13/2005 11:31:00 AM