Biography
Priesthood
On December 19, 1987, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City by Archbishop Charles Salatka. [2] After his ordination, the Archdiocese assigned him to St. Mary Parish in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He began studying at St. Paul University in Ottawa in 1990, earning a Licentiate of Canon Law degree in 1992. [1] [3] He returned to Oklahoma, and was appointed as Vice Chancellor and adjutant judicial vicar for the Archdiocese. [3]
Weisenburger was appointed pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Okarche, Oklahoma from 1995 to 2002. In 1995, he also began 17 years of service on the Council of Priests and the Archdiocesan college of consultors. After the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, he volunteered as an on-site chaplain for rescue workers. In 1996, Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran named him as Vicar General of the archdiocese. [3]
In 2002, Weisenburger was named pastor and then rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. [1] [3] He was also promoter of justice for the canonization of Reverend Stanley Rother, an Oklahoma priest murdered in 1981 by a death squad in Guatemala. On October 2, 2009, Weisenburger was appointed a prelate of honor with the title monsignor. [4] [1]
Archbishop of Detroit
On February 11, 2025, Weisenburger was appointed as Archbishop of Detroit, succeeding Allen Vigneron. [7] His installation occurred on March 18, 2025.
Dismissal of theologians at Sacred Heart Major Seminary
In 2025, Weisenburger terminated three professors of theology and canon law, Dr. Ralph Martin, Dr. Eduardo Echeverria, and Dr. Edward Peters, from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, effective immediately without explanation.
The professors had previously critiqued certain statements and teachings of Pope Francis, particularly regarding theological clarity. For example, in January 2024, Martin wrote a column for the National Catholic Register arguing that Francis’s remarks expressing hope that hell is empty could inadvertently support the heresy of Universalism, which posits that all will be saved. A spokesman for the archdiocese declined to comment on the firings. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Positions
A month into his tenure as Archbishop of Detroit, Weisenburger announced that as of July 1, 2025, parishes would be prohibited from celebrating the Tridentine Mass, citing Traditionis custodes. The Mass will still be allowed in non-parochial settings like St. Joseph Shrine and 3 other designated non-parochial settings. Priests not assigned to these sites could request permission to celebrate the liturgy on weekdays in non-parish settings, but only without lay attendance and under strict conditions, including annual renewal and a written affirmation of the validity of the Novus Ordo liturgy. The decree also prohibited the ad orientem posture in the Novus Ordo liturgy, mandating the use of freestanding altars in all parish churches within 180 days.
Additionally, Scripture readings in the liturgy were required to be in the vernacular using translations approved only by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. These norms were framed as balancing pastoral care for the faithful attached to the liturgy with fidelity to Francis’ call for the Mass to be the “unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.”
Weisenburger emphasized the need for unity under papal and episcopal leadership while acknowledging the “rich expressions of the Catholic faith in southeast Michigan." [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
Sexual abuse
During his tenure as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City (1996–2012), Weisenburger was involved in evaluating allegations of sexual abuse by clergy. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) criticized the response to these allegations, citing a lack of transparency and action in addressing cases of accused priests.
As Bishop of Tucson (2017–2025), Weisenburger addressed sexual misconduct within the diocese. In September 2018, he said the Diocese of Tucson had fired ten employees and rescinded clearances for twelve unpaid workers due to allegations of sexual misconduct. He noted these individuals likely passed initial screenings, but issues were identified during clearance renewals or separate incidents. Weisenburger stated that the diocese had “no known allegations of sexual misconduct with minors against any of our priests in active ministry today.” In response to a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing widespread clergy abuse, Weisenburger denounced the actions of offending priests as “criminal and sinful” and emphasized the diocese’s policy of reporting allegations to law enforcement, as established in a 2002 agreement with the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
In December 2020, the Diocese of Tucson, along with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was named in a federal racketeering lawsuit by two individuals alleging sexual abuse by four priests in Arizona during the 1970s. One plaintiff, Diana Almader-Douglas, claimed abuse by Fr. Charles Knapp when she was five years old in Pirtleville, Arizona. Weisenburger stated that the diocese immediately notified police, who declined to investigate, and an external investigation could not determine the credibility of the allegations. A third individual joined the lawsuit in 2021.
In 2018, Weisenburger linked the prevalence of abuse to the cultural shifts of the 1960s “sexual revolution,” a perspective criticized by some as deflecting responsibility from the Church’s institutional failures. The Diocese of Tucson has faced historical challenges, including a $14 million settlement in 2002 for clergy abuse cases from the 1960s to 1980s and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2004 to address 22 related lawsuits, creating a $22 million settlement pool. Weisenburger acknowledged these past issues, stating, “What happened in the past brought us to this point, and from here, we move forward and will always do it correctly.” [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]
Immigration
Weisenburger has been outspoken in support of immigrants. At a 2018 conference of bishops he suggested bishops might issue canonical penalties, potentially including a denial of Holy Communion or excommunication, to Catholic federal agents that enforce Trump-era immigration laws.
As Bishop of Tucson, Weisenburger had oversight of immigrant programs, including the Casa Alitas shelter operated by Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona. Casa Alitas, which provides temporary shelter, food, and medical care to illegal aliens who were caught and released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, operates multiple facilities in Tucson, including a high-profile site at a repurposed Ramada Hotel. In 2024, U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani, representing Arizona’s 6th District, called for a federal investigation into Catholic Community Services’ use of taxpayer funds for Casa Alitas, alleging potential financial mismanagement and a contractor-hiring violation involving inflated charges by a laundry service. Pima County officials confirmed an ongoing investigation into compliance with federal and county grant rules.
In a 2025 article for America magazine, Weisenburger advocated for a compassionate approach to U.S. immigration reform, emphasizing the human dignity of migrants and critiquing the inefficiencies of the current system, such as visa backlogs and harsh deportation policies. Drawing on his experience as a bishop on the Arizona-Mexico border and the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, he urged recognition of immigrants’ contributions and the moral imperative to treat them with reverence, aligning with Catholic social teaching.
In July 2025, Weisenburger opposed the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated approximately $46.5 billion for new segments of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and $120 billion for other immigration enforcement infrastructure. He said this would increase suffering by driving potential illegal aliens into dangerous border regions, increasing reliance on smugglers.
On July 14, 2025, Weisenburger participated in a procession organized by "Strangers No Longer," a grassroots organization of Catholics including clergy advocating particularly for amnesty rights for immigrants, from Most Holy Trinity Church to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office in Detroit. The event, described as a “solemn procession,” aimed to deliver a letter to ICE Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft, requesting a meeting to discuss concerns about law enforcement practices, including the use of face masks by agents, arrests without federal warrants, and the detention of individuals without felony convictions. The letter was co-signed by Fr. David Buersmeyer and Judith Brooks, the group’s board president. ICE officials declined to accept the letter.
Weisenburger offered a prayer before the march, emphasizing the Church’s call to uphold the dignity of illegal aliens, stating, “You call us to reverence your presence in all those we meet, but most especially the poor, the needy, the troubled, and the immigrant.” He further underscored the event’s alignment with Catholic social teaching, particularly the principles of human dignity and the common good, and described it as a “prophetic witness” to America’s tradition of charity and welcome. [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]
Environmentalism
In March 2024, Weisenburger publicly thanked Pope Francis for his critique of "irresponsible" American lifestyles contributing to the theory of anthropogenic climate change, as outlined in Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum . This document, a follow-up to the encyclical Laudato Si' , specifically highlighted the disproportionate per capita emissions in the United States compared to other nations, urging a shift away from unsustainable Western lifestyles.
Weisenburger’s environmentalism was notable for its alignment with Pope Francis’s call for urgent action on the so-called climate crisis, a position that contrasts with the focus of many Catholic leaders on issues such as abortion, marriage, or religious liberty. His participation in a November 2024 White House meeting with Biden administration officials, including senior climate adviser John Podesta, underscored his commitment.
At a University of Arizona event in March 2024, Weisenburger praised Pope Francis for directly challenging American consumption patterns, stating, “I’m a very proud American, but I was so grateful the Holy Father had the nerve to go after us.” [33] [34] [35]
COVID-19 vaccine mandates
In August 2021, Weisenburger issued a statement to his clergy, directing them not to be involved in supporting applications for religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine or mask mandates. He said that “all current anti-Covid-19 vaccines may be received without moral compromise,” citing the CDF’s 2020 note about the moral distinction between formal and material cooperation. He acknowledged the ethical concerns about fetal cell lines but maintained that the Church’s teaching resolved these concerns, making exemptions based on Catholic faith untenable. [36]
