Bishop Kevin W. Vann of the Diocese of Orange, California not only knows how to handle all those “gotcha” questions from secular reporters, he has apparently caused at least one reporter to walk away wondering if it was time to “re-evaluate” his relationship with the Church.

David Whiting of the Orange County Register published a provocative interview with the “Shepherd of Orange” in which Bishop Vann exhibited a masterful talent of winning hearts – even that of the self-professed lapsed Catholic who was interviewing him.

For starters, the bishop took off one of his famous “Our Lady of Guadalupe boots” to show Whiting the intricately stitched image of Our Lady of Guadalupe along with red roses that run down the side of each boot. On the back of the boot is the bishop’s coat of arms, which Whiting described as a kind of “21st-century tattoo” containing the Latin phrase, “In faith and in love that are Christ Jesus.”

Those words would soon become the theme for the rest of the interview.

The first tough question Whiting posed to Bishop Vann was on the hot-button topic of “tolerance” as it pertains to illegal immigration.

“The bishop immediately dismisses the term ‘tolerance,’ which he says has become a politically-charged word. Instead, the bishop addresses the issue in religious terms, equally telling but more powerful,” Whiting reports.

Vann asks if Jesus would turn away a certain group. And then, in answer to his own question, the bishop says, “God loves you. It’s not about issues. It’s about people.”

As for immigration, Vann has taken a leadership role on the issue and, as chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration network, co-signed a letter to the secretary of Homeland Security urging the secretary “to protect undocumented individuals and families as soon as possible.”

What did Vann have to say on the subject of gays?

The bishop simply smiled and said, “I just don’t categorize people.”

On the issue of priestly sex abuse, Vann refers to the leaflets scattered throughout the administration’s lobby – in various languages – which promise “To do everything possible to help the healing process of the victims of sexual abuse.”

Nor does the bishop make any apologies for the enormous “Crystal Cathedral” campus recently acquired by the diocese from the late former mega pastor, Robert Schuller, for $57.5 million. The 34-acre campus with seven buildings will include a radio station, community center and conference facilities. The massive church with its 10,000 glass panes is currently being renovated for Catholic use.

The purchase caused a great deal of controversy in the local Catholic community, but Vann’s response to all of this was equally calm and gentle.

“Some said it was too much money, especially considering how much the church paid to settle the molestation mess. Others said the Crystal Cathedral site was too ostentatious,” Whiting reports. “Vann explains the size of the campus and its buildings allows the community to do many things at once, from worship, to community events, to producing a radio station, to having simultaneous small gatherings. Last weekend, for example, there was a massive youth conference that included dinner.”

So what does all this have to with Easter, Whiting asks.

“As a lapsed Catholic – and it’s impossible not to re-evaluate one’s relationship to the church when talking to someone like Vann – I would suggest everything.”

It’s interesting to note that Bishop Vann did not compromise Church teaching, was not confrontational, and really didn’t try to sell Whiting on anything but what really mattered – the love of Jesus Christ.

It worked, just as it has for the last 2,000 years, proving once again that some things just never get old.

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