Strib Reports That Archbishop Flynn Has Requested Replacement

The archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is making plans to retire and has asked the Vatican to choose an eventual successor, two knowledgeable Catholic Church officials said Thursday. The archdiocese wouldn't confirm or deny the report. Archbishop Harry Flynn and the Rev. Kevin McDonough, vicar general, refused to comment, and archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath said, "I can't say a thing and I don't know anything."

One of the church officials said "people I trust" have said that the archbishop has written to Rome requesting a coadjutor archbishop, who would share administrative duties with Flynn until his retirement and then succeed him. "The process itself is a black box of loose timelines known only to the Vatican," said the church source, who is familiar with the process. [snip] StarTribune

Mitchell, our blogging partrner at Our Word, has extensive and inciteful comments this morning here (I don't think he slept last night).