by Dan Morris-Young
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A live broadcast of the Mass celebrating San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer's golden jubilee of ordination will be streamed online Monday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time over USTREAM.
Installed as the eighth archbishop of San Francisco at the age of 70 in February 2006, Niederauer has not had much of a chance to wane in the waning years of his episcopal career. He has faced issues like gay marriage (Proposition 8), the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, closing Catholic schools and public doctrinal interpretations by parishioner (former House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi.
Perhaps the closest to respite he has had came in the wake of open-heart surgery last August. Niederauer turned 75 last June. As per church law, he tendered his resignation to the pope. Speculation on his successor to the high-profile see, however, had begun well before that.
Niederauer succeeded his close friend, now-Cardinal William Levada, in San Francisco. The men were class and band mates at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, Calif.
Catholic San Francisco's April 20 edition carried a special section commemorating Niederauer's 50th year of ordination.