海角大神

The聽Catholic Church聽on Thursday installed聽Salvatore Cordileone, a leader in the fight against same-sex marriage,聽as archbishop of the Archdiocese of聽San Francisco.

Following his installation as the religious leader of more than 500,000 Catholics in the largely聽gay-friendly Bay Area, Cordileone, 56, delivered a sermon and spoke about his recent arrest after failing a sobriety test at a police checkpoint.

"God has always had a way of putting me in my place," he said. "With the last episode in my life, God has outdone Himself."

Cordileone spent about 11 hours in a聽San Diego聽jail cell in August after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to driving with alcohol in his system, said聽Gina Coburn, spokeswoman for the San聽Diego City聽Attorney.

Cordileone has been particularly outspoken in Church opposition to same-sex matrimony as chairman of the U.S. Conference of聽Catholic Bishops Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of聽Marriage, a role that has put him at odds with many Bay Area Catholics.

He also led Church support for the 2008 voter-approved聽California聽state constitutional amendment, Proposition 8, that banned gay marriage.聽

While taking his place as the archbishop of聽San Francisco聽and two other area counties, Cordileone called the drunken driving incident a "regrettable mistake."

Pope Benedict appointed Cordileone to preside over the Archdiocese of聽San Francisco聽in July.

"The archbishop is an advocate for immigrants and an opponent of the death penalty, but he comes here perceived as a one-issue bishop,"聽Brian Cahill, former聽San Francisco聽Catholic Charities executive director, wrote in an editorial published in聽the San Francisco Chronicle聽on Wednesday.

"He can continue to be the aggressive, outspoken leader of the American Catholic bishops in their effort to prevent civil gay marriage, or he can be the shepherd of his flock. He can't be both, and if he tries, he will fail."

Cordileone said his grandfather settled in聽San Francisco聽100 years ago.

"If someone had told him that his grandson would become the archbishop of this place, I'm sure he would think they were out of their mind," he said. "I'm sure there are people who think that today."

About 2,000 people, including 40 bishops, attended the installation and mass in the聽Cathedral of St. Mary. Outside the church, dozens of supporters carrying welcoming banners mixed with protesters, including the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence - a group of聽gay male activists who dress as nuns.

(Editing by Edith Honan and Mohammad Zargham)