Surprise! New Archbishop for Indianapolis

Posted on 16 October 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In other news, the hitherto Secretary of the Congregation for Religious in Rome, Most Reverend Joseph William Tobin, after only about 2 years, has been promoted to be Archbishop of Indianapolis. More HERE.

Technorati Tags: ,

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in SESSIUNCULA and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

39 Responses to Surprise! New Archbishop for Indianapolis

  1. Adam Welp says:
    16 October 2012 at 2:30 pm

    Thanks be to God! We have been waiting for this for a long time (well at least it felt like a long time to me)!

  2. lelnet says:
    16 October 2012 at 2:38 pm

    Congratulations, and welcome to our new Metropolitan, from at least this resident of the Diocese of Gary. :)

  3. Magash says:
    16 October 2012 at 2:42 pm

    Perhaps the Holy Father feels that Archbishop Tobin is more suited for the pastorship of a archdiocese than for what is after all mostly an administrative role. No fault there, some people are not cut out to be bureaucrats (not to say that a good amount of bureaucratic work doesn’t go on in diocese.)

  4. Jon says:
    16 October 2012 at 2:47 pm

    Adam,

    Unless you’re a liberal, I’d go easy on the Te Deum’s.

    Tobin is a known liberal, and is being sent home after only two years in his post because he’s been sitting down to tea and crumpets with the LCWR instead of taking them to the woodshed.

    His Grace is being “kicked upstairs,” and unfortunately as he’s only 60, that means he’s going to be knocking around the USCCB for another 15 years. Swell.

    It’s too bad there aren’t any titular icebergs in Antarctica for situations like this.

  5. Adam Welp says:
    16 October 2012 at 2:57 pm

    Jon,

    Sorry, I just got caught up in the moment :). If he is as you say then there goes my idea to start a Latin Mass Society in New Albany.

  6. yatzer says:
    16 October 2012 at 3:05 pm

    Oh my, this doesn’t sound good at all. Hope very much that I’m mistaken.

  7. Augustin57 says:
    16 October 2012 at 3:14 pm

    Well, if that’s right, there go the vocations for Indianapolis for a while. Maybe they could bring in some nice missionary priests from Africa to fill the gaps till they get an orthodox Archbishop.

  8. robtbrown says:
    16 October 2012 at 3:25 pm

    Jon says:

    Tobin is . . . being sent home after only two years in his post because he’s been sitting down to tea and crumpets with the LCWR instead of taking them to the woodshed.

    Winner, winner, codfish dinner.

  9. yatzer says:
    16 October 2012 at 3:26 pm

    @Augustin57,
    They’ve already done that. Any more ideas? Right now there is no freshman class at the seminary and the talk is about how parishes increasingly will have to be closed or consolidated.

  10. Augustin57 says:
    16 October 2012 at 3:42 pm

    @yatzer,

    That’s sad, but predictable. Those dioceses who are most faithful to the Church and teach the fullness of Christ’s teaching usually produce many more vocations than those that do not. It’s like the old saying, you get what you pay for. No prayer, no sacrifice, no fidelity to Christ teaching, etc…. no vocations.

  11. AnnAsher says:
    16 October 2012 at 4:05 pm

    Jon said “It’s too bad there aren’t any titular icebergs in Antarctica for situations like this”
    I laugh and I have a few others I’d like to nominate for Icee See/as ;)

  12. Dr. K says:
    16 October 2012 at 4:31 pm

    It’s a demotion for Bp. Tobin.

  13. Sissy says:
    16 October 2012 at 4:34 pm

    Dr. K said : “It’s a demotion for Bp. Tobin.”

    But it sounds as if it is the diocese who will pay the price.

  14. Catholicity says:
    16 October 2012 at 5:04 pm

    One person chimes in “he’s a witch!” and everyone goes looking for their torches and pitchforks? What a welcome to Archbishop Tobin. Shame on you Joe, and shame on the others for entertaining his insult. Welcome to Indianapolis, Abp. Tobin!

  15. Blaise says:
    16 October 2012 at 5:27 pm

    Good point Catholicity. For some commenters on here it often seems like you would only have to celebrate the OF of the mass to be a “known liberal.” That said, if he has been having tea an crumpets with the LCWR maybe he should have been doing so over a nice big fire and making pointed remarks about the inquisition.

  16. acardnal says:
    16 October 2012 at 5:36 pm

    From what I have read in several reports, AB Tobin, while acting as Sec’y of the Cong. for Religious, was either very naive, ignorant or a supporter of the LCWR activities as indicated in this one report. He apparently was not a supporter of the CDF’s appointment of AB Sartain and the close supervision of the LCWR that they imposed.

    Herewith some quotes of AB Tobin from this news report:
    http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/radical-feminist-nuns-group-stunned-by-vatican-criticisms-reform-plan
    QUOTE:
    Archbishop Joseph Tobin, said that he anticipated no censure from Rome as a result.

    “I can say that I would be very surprised if anybody would purport to give any punitive or overly prescriptive norms as a result of this visitation,” he said. “If the visitors, in dialogue with the sisters, have identified some specific issues that need to be dealt with, okay. But forcing people into habits or something like that? That’s not what this is about.”

    Tobin also said that strong actions against American women’s religious orders “would be really disrespectful of what women religious in America have accomplished,” and that the “depth of anger and hurt that exists among the sisters … can’t be ignored.”

    Archbishop Tobin had previously told journalists that the animosity between the US religious orders and the Vatican is the Vatican’s fault. The real problem, he said, was the presence of “unscrupulous canonical advisers” in the Vatican.

    Two years after Archbishop Tobin reassured LCWR, Mother Clare Millea, the sister appointed in 2008 by the Vatican to coordinate the Apostolic Visitation of all the U.S. active religious orders, issued a statement saying, “Although there are concerns in religious life that warrant support and attention, the enduring reality is one of fidelity, joy, and hope.”
    UNQUOTE

    What does this indicate about what he will do in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis which had a problematic AB?

  17. Bea says:
    16 October 2012 at 5:45 pm

    It does not bode well for Indianapolis

    I found this in Wikipedia:

    In December 2010 Archbishop Tobin said that Rome must acknowledge the “depth of anger and hurt” provoked by a visitation of American nuns, saying it illustrates the need for a “strategy of reconciliation” with women religious.

    Catholicity@ One tries to be charitable and welcoming. And so he must be given a chance. I do not post the above information to condemn, but in True Charity to those in Indianapolis, it is good to have a “heads-up” so as not to be caught off-guard. Let charity prevail, but Truth must reign.

    It gives one food for thought as to why he was removed from the Roman scene, maybe cod fish dinner, tea and crumpets gave him indigestion?

  18. Catholicity says:
    16 October 2012 at 6:07 pm

    He’s a Redemptorist. If you know anything about their charism within the Church, you know that he was chosen specifically because he wasn’t going to go in for “shock and awe” when dealing with the religious orders. The fact that he hasn’t shown up on the “Rad-Trad” radar as a “libtard” and hasn’t shown up on the “Amchurch” radar as “right wing-nut” gives me pause. Has it ever occurred to you that the reason he was removed from “the Roman scene” was because certain personalities expected him to be something he’s not, and he refused to be untrue to his charism and his vocation as a C.S.s.R? It has occurred to me, and I’m surprised that Catholics who should know better would disregard the very common sense admonition that in the absence of facts, you always to ascribe the highest motives to an individual.

  19. Suburbanbanshee says:
    16 October 2012 at 6:19 pm

    Or maaaaaybe, it’s because the Pope thought he’d make a good archbishop for Indianapolis!

    Being a bishop with the care of souls is never a demotion. Goodness knows that the Pope enjoyed his bishopric, and was sad to be booted upstairs to the rule of Roman bureaucrats. Being a bishop in the US in this challenging day and age is truly being set as a watchman on the walls of a fort, as I think St. Chromatius talked about and the Pope quoted him saying.

    Let’s pray for the guy. He’s going to war. Let’s pray that he and the archdiocese can get along and do God’s will.

  20. Catholicity says:
    16 October 2012 at 6:27 pm

    Thanks, banshee. I agree.

  21. Adam Welp says:
    16 October 2012 at 6:28 pm

    At least he will be in his element with two large and many smaller, but no less important, religious houses located within the Archdiocese.

    St. Meinrad, St. Mother Theodore and Servant of God Simon Brute watch over and guide our new Archbishop as he leads our Archdiocese and Province.

  22. jkm210 says:
    16 October 2012 at 6:31 pm

    This has not been posted by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, nor do I see it on http://www.news.va/en. Is this accurate?

  23. Suburbanbanshee says:
    16 October 2012 at 6:33 pm

    Also, you can always have your new archbishop put out a pamphlet about Pentecost, Confirmation, and the Seven Gifts, and call it “Tobin’s Spirit Guide.” :)

    Yeah, all right, possibly I’ve seen Ghostbusters a few too many times. :)

  24. robtbrown says:
    16 October 2012 at 7:17 pm

    Catholicity says:

    He’s a Redemptorist. If you know anything about their charism within the Church, you know that he was chosen specifically because he wasn’t going to go in for “shock and awe” when dealing with the religious orders.

    He was chosen because they wanted an American in the position. Because he was Superior General for two terms, he had Roman experience, which is usually a requirement.

  25. jbpolhamus says:
    16 October 2012 at 8:24 pm

    ‘NO red hat for you!!’ Too bad for him, but worse for the rest of us that he didn’t do the job he was assigned to do with the attitude he was expected to do it with.

  27. lawoski says:
    17 October 2012 at 1:01 am

    Jon & AnnAsher-

    Rarely do I print out articles for the comments. However, your “icy” comments made me laugh so hard I had to save them for posterity. Thank you both for brightening my day.

  28. Phil_NL says:
    17 October 2012 at 3:55 am

    Jon said “It’s too bad there aren’t any titular icebergs in Antarctica for situations like this”

    Well, icebergs, no (though if you follow the rule that newly discovered territory is subject tot the diocese from which the expedition set out, and rule out the Russian claim – no diocese there anyway – some British see suddenly be a whole lot bigger :p).

    But there are plenty of sees in Northern Africa that could be put to good use. Moreover, I feel we’re lacking nuncios to such ravishing places as Mali, Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan, Chad, Mauritania and so on.

  29. Hidden One says:
    17 October 2012 at 8:16 am

    Whatever sort of man His Excellency is today, there’s no telling what he would be tomorrow if only we all would pray for him.

  30. yatzer says:
    17 October 2012 at 9:00 am

    I find his derogatory reference to Fox News disheartening. Not from being a particular fan, but because it seems to identify him as an admirer of the MSM and all that implies. This will most likely be my last bishop, and I had hoped for someone less apparently partisan. We’ve had enough of the Spirit of Vatican II. Give him a chance, sure; pray for him, of course, but I’ve just seen this play out too many times.

  31. TNCath says:
    17 October 2012 at 9:09 am

    One thing we can be sure of: this was not a run-of-the-mill appointment. It’s not often that an archbishop in the Curia goes to a diocese; it’s usually the other way around. It sounds to me that either Archbishop Tobin requested or “someone else” wanted Archbishop Tobin out of the way of whatever is going to come down from the LCWR investigation as well as the results of the Apostolic Visitation by Mother Clare Millea, the latter of which has yet to surface. The next thing to watch is to see what happens to Bishop Christopher Coyne, who is functioning as Administrator of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

  32. relee54 says:
    17 October 2012 at 12:11 pm

    Indianapolis will be fortunate to have Archbishop Joe Tobin as their shepard. I personally know him, and find him to be a kind, gentle and humble man who lives the Gospel. He will do a great job of leading his new flock. I bet he will happier in the long term being out in the trenches with the people of his archdiocese, than cooped up in the Vatican doing bureaucratic work.

    Shame on all you naysayers who would badmouth a prelate of the church without either giving him a fair shake or personally knowing him! Archbishop Joe does not have the temperment nor the personality to be the Vatican Rotweiler many of you seem to want, but when you are with him, you know you are in the presence of a saintly man.

  33. Chris Garton-Zavesky says:
    17 October 2012 at 12:46 pm

    Thanks be to God for the Chronological solution. In a short 7 years, Pope Benedict has all but remade the American Episcopate.

    Consider: Niederauer ____ Cordileone
    Mahoney _____ Gomez
    Bevilaqua ______ Chaput (ok., I skipped a few here)

    May His Holiness continue this sort of appointment.

    Father — didn’t you publish something from St. Louis some years ago about Bishop Fellay being named Ordinary in St. Louis and Bishop Williamson being named Ordinary to succeed Cardinal Mahoney?

  34. RomualdMonk says:
    17 October 2012 at 9:22 pm

    As a religious, it seems that Rome is not very serious about saying what the vocation and future of Consecrated Brothers is given the turnover of CICLSAL Prefects and Secretaries over the past few years. This document has been on the burner way too long and this new appointment will only lengthen the time until publishing.

  35. robtbrown says:
    18 October 2012 at 7:08 am

    TNCath says:

    The next thing to watch is to see what happens to Bishop Christopher Coyne, who is functioning as Administrator of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

    There are several possibilities. He could stay in Indiana and be named coadjutor in Gary, whose bishop will retire in a year. More likely that he would return to the East: Bridgeport, Ct, Rochester, NY, and Portland, Mn, are now open.

  36. robtbrown says:
    18 October 2012 at 7:14 am

    relee54 says:

    Shame on all you naysayers who would badmouth a prelate of the church without either giving him a fair shake or personally knowing him! Archbishop Joe does not have the temperment nor the personality to be the Vatican Rotweiler many of you seem to want, but when you are with him, you know you are in the presence of a saintly man.

    My understanding is that it has little to do with not being a Vatican Rotweiler. There were US bishops underwhelmed with his comments about the LCWR.

  37. robtbrown says:
    18 October 2012 at 9:55 am

    RomualdMonk says:
    17 October 2012 at 9:22 pm

    As a religious, it seems that Rome is not very serious about saying what the vocation and future of Consecrated Brothers is given the turnover of CICLSAL Prefects and Secretaries over the past few years. This document has been on the burner way too long and this new appointment will only lengthen the time until publishing.

    When a document takes a long time to come out, it often means that there is substantial disagreement.

  38. irishgirl says:
    18 October 2012 at 10:52 am

    Oh, oh…this doesn’t sound good.
    I know that there are some FSSP parishes in the archdiocese of Indianapolis. I hope that the new Archbishop will let them stay open.

  39. acardnal says:
    18 October 2012 at 6:05 pm

    @jkm210: Reports of Tobin’s appointment confirmed by Vatican today.
    http://www.visnews-en.blogspot.com/2012/10/other-pontifical-acts_18.html