William E. Lori

American Catholic bishop

His Excellency, The Most Reverend William Edward Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore

See	Archdiocese of Baltimore
Appointed	March 20, 2012
Installed	May 16, 2012
Predecessor	Edwin Frederick O'Brien
Orders
Ordination	May 14, 1977 by William Wakefield Baum
Consecration	April 20, 1995 by James Aloysius Hickey
Personal details
Born	(1951-05-06) May 6, 1951 (age 73) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Denomination	Catholic
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Bridgeport (2001–2012) Auxiliary Bishop of Washington (1995–2001) and Titular Bishop of Bulla (1995–2001)
Motto	Caritas in veritate (Charity in truth)

Styles of William E. Lori

Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency^[1]
Religious style	Archbishop
Posthumous style	n/a

William Edward Lori (born May 6, 1951) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the 16th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland since 2012.

Lori previously served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport in Connecticut, and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. He also serves as vice-president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Biography

Education

William Lori was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 6, 1951, to Francis and Margaret Lori. He attended the Seminary of Saint Pius X in Erlanger, Kentucky, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in 1973. He earned a master's degree from Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 1977.^[2]

Priestly ministry

Lori was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal William Wakefield Baum on May 14, 1977, for the Archdiocese of Washington.^[3] After his ordination, Lori served as a parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Largo, Maryland, from 1977 until 1982. He earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1982. That same year, Lori became a theological advisor to Cardinal James Aloysius Hickey, maintaining that role until 2000.^[2]

Lori also served as the director of ecumenical affairs for the archdiocese from 1982 to 1986 and as Hickey's priest–secretary from 1983 until 1994. In 1994, Lori became the chancellor, vicar general, and moderator of the curia.^[4] In early 1995, Lori served as spokesman for the archdiocese when it removed four priests from ministry after they confessed to sexually abusing an altar boy years earlier.^[5]

Auxiliary Bishop of Washington

On February 25, 1995, Pope John Paul II appointed Lori as an auxiliary bishop of Washington and titular bishop of Bulla. He was consecrated by Cardinal Hickey on April 20, 1995, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., with Cardinal William Wakefield Baum and Bishop William George Curlin serving as co-consecrators.^[3]

Hickey sent Lori in 1997 to investigate irregularities in a Georgetown parish. The pastoral staff had allegedly used gender-neutral terms during mass and criticized the male-only priesthood. Lori interviewed dozens of parishioners under oath, leaving many of them unhappy with the experience.^[5]

Bishop of Bridgeport

On January 23, 2001, John Paul II appointed Lori as bishop of Bridgeport; he was installed on March 19, 2001.^[6] As bishop, Lori launched new initiatives in Catholic education, vocations, Catholic Charities, pastoral services, and other ministries^[2]

In 2002, Lori participated in writing the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. The initial draft of the charter applied to bishops, priests, and deacons. However, the revised draft mentioned only priests and deacons.^[7] When questioned why the revised draft omitted bishops, Lori said that the drafting committee: blockquote>"...decided we would limit it to priests and deacons, as the disciplining of bishops is beyond the purview of this document. 'Cleric' would cover all three, so we decided not to use the word "cleric.'"^[7] While serving in Bridgeport, Lori refused to release the names of diocesan priests who were being sued for sexual abuse, part of the sexual abuse scandal in Bridgeport diocese. The US Supreme Court ruled against Lori in 2009 and the diocese was forced to release the names.^[8]

Archbishop of Baltimore

On March 20, 2012, Lori was appointed archbishop of by Pope Benedict XVI; Lori was installed on May 6, 2012.^[9] In January 2019, Lori released “The Journey to Racial Justice: Repentance, Healing and Action.” The document acknowledged racism in the Catholic Church and suggested measures to combat it.^[2] In January 2019, Lori instituted an initiative for reporting allegations against any bishop in the archdiocese. The policy was drafted by the archdiocesan Independent Review Board.

Lori was appointed apostolic administrator in September 2018 of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, following the retirement of Bishop Michael J. Bransfield. Lori headed an investigation into allegations that Bransfield had engaged in sexual harassment and made inappropriate financial transactions.^[10]

In June 2019, the Washington Post^[10] obtained copies of the first and final drafts of Lori's report on Bransfield. The final draft omitted the names of several cardinals and bishops who had received cash gifts from Bransfield, including that of Lori himself. After the article was published, Lori returned his $7,500 contribution from Bransfield to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, asking that they donate it to Catholic Charities. Other bishops followed his example.^[11] Lori admitted removing the names to the Baltimore Sun,^[12] stating “looking back on this in hindsight, I would say that judgment call was a mistake.”

Memberships

Chancellor and chair of the board, St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore
Chancellor, Mount St. Mary's Seminary
Former board chair, Catholic University of America
Former board chair, Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut
Former chair and current member, USCCB Committee on Doctrine
Former chair, USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty
Chair, USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Universities and Colleges
Member, USCCB Committee on Pro–Life Activities
Member, USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage
Former member, USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse
Former member, USCCB Committee on Catholic Education
Supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus since 2005^[2]

Viewpoints

Abortion

In 2022, Lori expressed his support for a national ban on abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy.^[13]

References

^ His Excellency Archbishop William E. Lori. Retrieved November 30, 2014
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Biography of Archbishop William E. Lori". Archdiocese of Baltimore. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Archbishop William Edward Lori [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
^ "Pope Names Washington Auxiliary Bishop William Lori as Bishop of Bridgeport, CT" Archived 24 December 2005.
^ ^a ^b "W.Va. scandal muddies legacy of Vatican's longtime fixer from Baltimore". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
^ "Archbishop William Edward Lori [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "McCarrick, the bishops, and unanswered questions". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
^ Degeorge, Vincent (December 5, 2018). "Can Baltimore's archbishop bring accountability to West Virginia's Catholic Church?". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
^ "NOMINA DELL'ARCIVESCOVO DI BALTIMORE (U.S.A.)" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. March 20, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013.
^ ^a ^b W. Va Bishop gave powerful cardinals and other priests $350,000 in cash gifts Washington Post, June 5, 2019.
^ Vatican Cardinal, other priests, to return cash gifts Washington Post, June 7, 2019
^ In report to Vatican, Baltimore Archbishop Lori deleted mention of gifts from bishop he investigated Baltimore Sun, June 5, 2019
^ "Catholic bishops' pro-life chair supports 15-week abortion ban nationwide". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved December 27, 2023.

External links

Biography, Diocese of Baltimore
Diocese of Bridgeport
Catholic-Hierarchy.org
Knights of Columbus Biography
Archdiocese of Baltimore

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Federico Bonifacio Madersbacher Gasteiger OFM	*Titular Bishop of Bulla* February 28, 1995 – January 23, 2001	Succeeded by Percival Joseph Fernandez
Preceded by Edward Egan	Bishop of Bridgeport January 23, 2001 – March 20, 2012	Succeeded by Frank Joseph Caggiano
Preceded by Thomas Vose Daily	Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus 2005–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Edwin Frederick O'Brien	Archbishop of Baltimore March 20, 2012–present	Incumbent

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore

Churches
and parishes

List: List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore

Cathedral: Cathedral of Mary Our Queen

Co-cathedral: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Pro-cathedral: St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral

Parish churches: St. Alphonsus; Holy Cross; Holy Rosary; St. Elizabeth of Hungary; St. John the Evangelist; St. Leo; St. Vincent de Paul; St. Wenceslaus; Our Lady of Pompeii

Chapels and shrines: National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Catholic
education

Seminaries: Mount St. Mary's Seminary; St. Mary's Seminary

Higher education: Loyola University Maryland; Mount St. Mary's University; Notre Dame of Maryland University; St. Mary's University

High schools: Archbishop Curley; Archbishop Spalding; Bishop Walsh School; Calvert Hall College; Cristo Rey Jesuit; Loyola Blakefield; Maryvale Preparatory School; Mercy; Mount de Sales Academy; Mount Saint Joseph; Notre Dame Preparatory School; Our Lady of Mount Carmel; St. Frances Academy; St. John's Catholic Preparatory; Saint Maria Goretti; St. Mary's; The Catholic High School of Baltimore; The John Carroll School

Closed educational institutions: Cardinal Gibbons School; Institute of Notre Dame; Seton Keough High School; Towson Catholic High School; Woodstock College

Ordinaries

Archbishops: John Carroll, S.J.; Leonard Neale, S.J.; Ambrose Maréchal, P.S.S.; James Whitfield; Samuel Eccleston, P.S.S.; Francis Patrick Kenrick; Martin John Spalding; James Roosevelt Bayley; James Gibbons; Michael Joseph Curley; Francis Patrick Keough; Lawrence Shehan; William Donald Borders; William Henry Keeler; Edwin Frederick O'Brien; William Edward Lori

Auxiliary bishops: Dominic Laurence Graessel; Alfred Allen Paul Curtis; Owen Patrick Bernard Corrigan; Thomas Joseph Shahan; John Michael McNamara; Lawrence Shehan; Jerome Aloysius Daugherty Sebastian; Thomas Austin Murphy; Thomas Mardaga; F. Joseph Gossman; Philip Francis Murphy; James Stafford; William Clifford Newman; John Ricard, S.S.J.; Gordon Bennett, S.J.; W. Francis Malooly; Mitchell T. Rozanski; Denis J. Madden; Mark E. Brennan; Adam Parker; Bruce Lewandowski

Miscellany

Suffragan dioceses

Catholicism portal
Maryland portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport
Ordinaries	Bishops Lawrence Shehan Walter William Curtis Edward Egan William E. Lori Frank Joseph Caggiano
Churches	Cathedral St. Augustine Cathedral Basilica Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, Stamford Parishes St. Agnes, Greenwich St. Anthony of Padua, Fairfield St. Benedict-Our Lady of Montserrat, Stamford Blessed Sacrament, Bridgeport St. Bridget of Ireland, Stamford St. Catherine of Siena, Riverside St. Catherine of Siena, Trumbull St. Cecilia, Stamford St. Charles Borromeo, Bridgeport Christ the King, Trumbull St. Clement of Rome, Stamford SS. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport St. Gabriel, Stamford St. George, Bridgeport St. Gregory the Great Church, Danbury Holy Family, Fairfield Holy Name of Jesus, Stamford Holy Name of Jesus, Stratford Holy Spirit, Stamford Immaculate Heart of Mary, Danbury St. James, Stratford St. Jerome, Norwalk St. John, Darien St. Joseph, Brookfield St. Joseph, Danbury St. Joseph, South Norwalk St. Ladislaus, South Norwalk St. Lawrence, Shelton Saint Margaret Shrine, Bridgeport St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Brookfield St. Mark, Stratford St. Mary, Bridgeport St. Mary, Greenwich St. Mary, Norwalk St. Mary, Stamford St. Matthew, Norwalk St. Maurice, Stamford St. Michael the Archangel, Bridgeport Notre Dame, Easton Our Lady of Grace, Stratford Our Lady of Guadalupe, Danbury Our Lady of Peace, Stratford Our Lady of the Assumption, Fairfield Our Lady of the Assumption, Westport Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford St. Paul, Greenwich St. Peter, Bridgeport St. Peter, Danbury St. Philip, Norwalk St. Pius X, Fairfield St. Roch, Greenwich St. Rose of Lima, Newtown Sacred Heart, Georgetown Sacred Heart, Greenwich Sacred Heart, Stamford Sacred Heart of Jesus, Danbury St. Stephen, Trumbull St. Theresa, Trumbull St. Thomas Aquinas, Fairfield St. Thomas the Apostle, Norwalk
Education	Seminary St. John Fisher Seminary Higher education Fairfield University Sacred Heart University St. Vincent's College, Bridgeport High schools Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich Fairfield College Preparatory School, Fairfield Immaculate High School, Danbury Kolbe Cathedral High School, Bridgeport Notre Dame Catholic High School, Fairfield St. Joseph High School, Trumbull Trinity Catholic High School, Stamford
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