that this information came from hearsay only. DiNoia, who has been at the bishops' conference for four years, handles doctrinal topics that touch both on faith and morals. That work has broadened considerably into ethical areas, such as in health care issues. He described the work as "more than a 9-5 job. It's all-consuming." In addition to his teaching load, one course a semester, DiNoia edits the quarterly philosophy/theology journal The Thomist. In the Dominican election process, the electi...

"I'd absolutely no idea my name might emerge, and it didn't really until the day of the election," he said. Asked if he knew why he had been cassated, DiNoia replied that in the order, the higher superior, "unlike canon law, does not have to provide explanation and that's something we adhere to. "The reasons, no one knows. People have speculated," he said, "chiefly on my positions with the bishops conference, and the importance of my role as theology professor -- there aren't that many of us -...