Bye-bye, Bishop

Part 2

by Jody Ericson

The first indication that the Vatican was displeased with Gelineau's performance in Rhode Island was the appointment to the Providence diocese in March, 1995, of a coadjutor bishop, the Most Reverend Robert E. Mulvee. Gelineau told the press that he had requested a coadjutor as insurance for the diocese should a vacancy occur. Although he has denied rumors that he will retire after the diocese celebrates its 125th anniversary this April, he has admitted as much privately.

Nevertheless, William Halpin, director of communications for the diocese, insists there is no official date set for Gelineau's retirement.

"The Vatican is not replacing Bishop Gelineau," says Halpin. "He had an option to ask for a coadjutor or an auxiliary bishop. Bishop Gelineau chose a coadjutor . . . to ensure a smooth transition when he left."

Halpin adds that he would be "totally shocked" if Mulvee's appointment had anything to do with the abuse cases now pending against the diocese. "Sometimes coadjutors are brought in as a disciplinary matter, but that's not the case here," he says.

Two nationally known experts on the Catholic Church, however, don't buy this explanation. Most bishops, they point out, ask for a coadjutor when they are set to retire. The usual age of retirement for a bishop is 75; Gelineau is only 68. And Mulvee, the second coadjutor bishop the Providence diocese has had, is only a year younger than Gelineau. (The first coadjutor was the Most Reverend William Hickey, appointed in March 1919.)

"A coadjutor is usually brought in under very difficult circumstances . . . in situations in which Rome is attempting to assist the ordinary bishop," says Phyllis Zagano, a professor of communications and theology at Boston University and co-chair of Roman Catholic Studies at the American Academy of Religion.

There is no question in Frank Flinn's mind that Gelineau is being nudged out for some reason. A professor of religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and a consultant in forensic theology, Flinn says that Mulvee's arrival clearly indicates that Rome isn't happy with its Rhode Island bishop.

The scenario in Providence is apparently similar to one in Belleville, Illinois. There, Flinn says, a bishop was replaced recently after roughly a dozen priests in the small Midwestern diocese were accused of abuse. "They brought in a new bishop and cleaned it all up," says Flinn.

Flinn adds that the Vatican rarely replaces a bishop because of complaints against his priests, but when it does, "it means he [the bishop] mishandled the situation somehow. Maybe he didn't have enough insurance, or he didn't know how to finesse it." Flinn doubts that Gelineau considers his new coadjutor a blessing.

"He's not going to like this at all, " says Flinn.

Mulvee, in his first speech to his new flock, tried to downplay his role in the diocese. Joking about how a local television station mistakenly referred to him as a "co-agitator" bishop, he assured Gelineau that "that is not my present plan. So, Bishop, stay well. I will do my very best to serve you."

But, according to Zagano, a coadjutor doesn't "serve" the sitting bishop; rather, he shares his authority -- particularly in the assignment of priests to parishes. Gelineau cannot make any decisions on such matters without Mulvee's consent and vice versa. Zagano also notes that Mulvee is not simply a coadjutor bishop but one with a right of succession once Gelineau steps down.

Unlike Gelineau, who was born and bred in Vermont and returns to his hometown every year to hold Mass, Mulvee has a cosmopolitan background. One of four sons raised in Roxbury, he earned a master's degree in religious education from the American College at the University of Louvain, in Belgium, and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University, in Rome. Prior to his transfer to Providence, Mulvee also served as a bishop. In 1977, he'd been named the auxiliary bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire, and eight years later he became the sitting bishop of Wilmington, Delaware.

"These new bishops are like clones of the Pope -- dependable and qualified," Flinn says. "Just call this guy `John Paul' Mulvee."

Rome may have decided that Mulvee was needed to restore diocesan relations with parishes wracked by allegations of abuse. One religious observer adds that the pressure, too, is getting to Gelineau, who has had some health problems.

Part 3

Jody Ericson is a staff writer for the Providence Phoenix; she can be reached at jericson[a]phx.com.