TRANSPORT can be an awkward issue for men and women who reach a lofty rank in the service of God, especially in countries and cultures where that also implies an elevated worldly position.
Blase Cupich, the new Catholic archbishop of Chicago, made headlines recently by becoming the first holder of that office to dispense with a chauffeur and drive his own car. "I felt a little landlocked, getting carted around," he explained. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of America's Episcopal church, is another cleric who prefers to be self-propelled if possible. An accomplished pilot, she cut a dash in her previous role as bishop of Nevada by flying herself from parish to parish. In some parts of the world, nature dictates the means of transport; Sofie Petersen, an Inuit lady who is Lutheran bishop of Greenland, sometimes has to rely on a sled drawn by huskies.
Read Full Article »