Bishop Niederauer of Salt Lake City named archbishop of San Francisco

Published: 2005-12-15

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop George H. Niederauer of Salt Lake City as the new archbishop of San Francisco. Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, papal nuncio to the United States, announced the appointment in Washington Dec. 15. Archbishop Niederauer, 69, succeeds Archbishop William J. Levada, who headed the San Francisco Archdiocese for 10 years before his appointment this past summer as prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The new San Francisco archbishop has headed the Salt Lake City Diocese since 1995. In his seminary days he was a classmate of Archbishop Levada and of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony. Cardinal Mahony praised the appointment. He said the new archbishop's recent book, "Precious as Silver: Imagining Your Life With God," is "a spiritual gem." He described Archbishop Niederauer as an avid and discerning reader and a highly effective homilist and teacher.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .