Published: September 12, 2011
It’s official: Archbishop Niederauer has resigned
San Francisco archbishop out of hospital, recovering from heart surgery in Southern California
San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer has been released from the hospital after undergoing heart surgery and is recuperating in Southern California.
Archbishop Niederauer, 75, underwent double cardiac by-pass surgery at Long Beach Memorial Hospital on Monday, Aug. 29. He was released from the hospital the following weekend “and the recuperation is on schedule and in line with the expectations of his physicians,” the archdiocesan newspaper Catholic San Francisco reports.
Catholic San Francisco also reported that Archbishop Niederauer submitted his letter of resignation to the Vatican on June 14, the same day he turned 75, in accordance with Canon Law. It is up to the pope whether to accept the resignation or allow the archbishop to continue in his post past the mandatory retirement age.
After experiencing chest pain, Archbishop Niederauer was taken to the emergency room at Long Beach Memorial Hospital on the evening of Aug. 28 by Cardinal William Levada, with whom he had been vacationing in Southern California. Following an angiogram, Archbishop Niederauer was admitted to the hospital and the following day underwent double by-pass surgery.
“On Sept. 1 employees of the archdiocesan Pastoral Center attended a special Mass, organized and celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop William J. Justice, to pray for Archbishop Niederauer’s quick recovery,” Catholic San Francisco reported.
Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Niederauer as the eighth Archbishop of San Francisco in 2005. He replaced his longtime friend and high school classmate Cardinal Levada, who was named Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Vatican insiders have speculated that Cardinal Levada will likely submit his resignation as well by year’s end. Cardinal Levada turned 75 on June 15.
Cardinal Levada and Archbishop Niederauer co-own a condominium in Long Beach, their hometown.
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