L.A. Times takes note of cardinals and bishops who are nearing retirement age

Today's (Sunday's) Los Angeles Times has an article (click on this post's title) by Duke Helfand that points out the following:

"Nearly one-third of 265 active U.S. bishops must submit letters of resignation to the pope within five years because they will have reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. More than half the bishops will reach the milestone within 10 years."

The article notes that Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles is 73, as is Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, and that Cardinal Francis George of Chicago and Cardinal William Levada are 72.

Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco is 72, as is Bishop Tod Brown of Orange (Calif.).

As we know, when members of the hierarchy reach age 75 they must submit letters of resignation to the Holy Father -- who can then accept the resignation immediately but usually takes some months or even a year or more to name a successor.

So let's pray that the Pope names truly orthodox, truly pro-Latin Mass and truly anti-abortion successors to all the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who will retire in the next few years.