Joseph Martino

Last updated
His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Joseph Francis Martino
Bishop Emeritus of Scranton
Diocese Scranton
AppointedJuly 25, 2003
InstalledOctober 1, 2003
RetiredAugust 31, 2009
Predecessor James C. Timlin
Successor Joseph Bambera
Previous post(s)
Orders
OrdinationDecember 18, 1970
by  James Aloysius Hickey
ConsecrationMarch 11, 1996
by  Anthony Bevilacqua, Francis B. Schulte, and Edward Peter Cullen
Personal details
Born (1946-05-01) May 1, 1946 (age 78)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NationalityFlag of the United States.svg  American
Denomination Roman Catholic
Alma mater St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Pontifical Gregorian University
Styles of
Joseph Francis Martino
Mitre (plain).svg
Reference style
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Bishop

Joseph Francis Martino (born May 1, 1946) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2009. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1996 to 2003.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Joseph Francis Martino was born on May 1, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Joseph F. Martino Sr. and his wife Eleanor Devlin. [1] He has a sister, Eleanor. He studied at Saint Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia and at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He then attended the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained his doctorate in ecclesiastical history and Licentiate of Sacred Theology.

Priesthood

Martino was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by Bishop James Hickey on December 18, 1970, in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. [1] After returning to Pennsylvania, Martino worked as an assistant pastor in Philadelphia (1971–1975, 1987), Penndel, Pennsylvania (1975–1977), and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania (summers of 1977-1981). He taught at Bishop Shanahan High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, from 1982 to 1984. Martino wrote the official document requesting the beatification of Sister Katharine Drexel.

From 1986 to 1992, Martino served as dean of formation in the Theology Division and assistant professor of church history at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. The Vatican raised him to the rank of honorary prelate in 1991. Martino served as director of the archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (1990–1993, 1997–2003) and for the Office for Renewal of Pastoral Life (1992–1997).

Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia

On January 24, 1996, Martino was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia and titular bishop of Cellae in Mauretania by Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated on March 11, 1996, by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, with Archbishop Francis B. Schulte and Bishop Edward Cullen serving as co-consecrators, at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. [1]

Bishop of Scranton

Martino was named as the ninth bishop of Scranton on July 5, 2003, by John Paul II. He was installed on October 1, 2003, at St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania. [1] In January 2007, Martino decided to close five Catholic high schools and 13 elementary schools. In January 2009, Martino announced that, due to a priest shortage and diminishing financial resources, the diocese would either close or consolidate almost half of its 209 parishes. [2]

In 2008, Martino decertified the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, a teachers union that had functioned in the diocese for 30 years. He replaced it with a diocesan association of teachers. The head of the Association of Catholic Teachers described this new group as a "company union". [3]

When the presidents of four Catholic universities and colleges in the diocese asked to meet with Martino, he demanded to first see the syllabi of all their courses on religion, faith and morals. The presidents refused this request, stating that their professors owned the syllabi. [3]

Retirement

Martino submitted a letter of resignation as bishop of Scranton to Pope Benedict XVI in June 2009, citing his poor health. At that time, he was 63, below the mandatory retirement age of 75 for bishops. Martino said in his letter that he was suffering from "insomnia and crippling physical fatigue." [4] He admitted that his stress derived from a “clear consensus among the clergy and the people of the diocese of Scranton regarding my pastoral initiatives or my method of governance.” According to a report in National Catholic Reporter , the apostolic nunicio to the United States had received numerous complaints about Martino's management style, his lack of consultation with others and his remoteness. [3]

Martino's resignation was accepted by Benedict XVI on August 31, 2009. [5] [6] Monsignor Joseph C. Bambera was named on February 23, 2010, as Martino's replacement.

Viewpoints

2008 presidential election

During the 2008 presidential election, Martino issued a pastoral letter that declared "public officials who are Catholic and who persist in public support for abortion...should not partake in or be admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion." [7] This was particularly controversial since the Democratic vice presidential candidate, then Senator Joe Biden, is a native of Scranton. Martino confirmed that Biden would be refused communion should he tour the region. [8] In October 2008, Martino made an unexpected appearance at a Catholic political forum in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where he stated, "No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese ... There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable." [9]

Abortion

Following President Barack Obama's inauguration, Martino accused Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), a Catholic who opposes abortion, of "cooperating with...evil" by supporting Obama's repeal of the Mexico City Policy. This policy, reinstated when George W. Bush became president, prohibited federal funding for foreign family planning aid groups who offer abortion services to women. [10] Martino declared that Casey's opposition to the Mexico City Policy "will mean the deaths of thousands of unborn children." [10]

Casey contended that funding these family planning groups would reduce the number of abortions by promoting the use of artificial contraception and other methods to avoid unintended pregnancies. In response, Martino said, "I remind you that it is never permissible to use immoral means (e.g., artificial contraception) to achieve a good end." [10] Martino explained his anti-abortion statements by saying, "I speak so forcefully about the right to life—the sanctity of life—from its beginning at conception to natural death, [so] that we not make ourselves God, the way Nazi Germany did." [11]

LGBT

On February 17, 2009, Martino expressed his "absolute disapproval" of Misericordia University inviting Keith Boykin, a best-selling author and LGBTQ rights advocate, to speak at its annual dinner as part of Black History Month. [12] Martino described Boykin's views as "disturbingly opposed" and "antithetical" to Catholic teaching, and stated that "Misericordia University in this instance is seriously failing in maintaining its Catholic identity." [12] In response to Martino's comments, Misericordia insisted that it "is committed deeply to its Catholic mission. Inseparable from that mission is our identity as an academic institution where ideas and positions are explored critically and freely." [12] Misercordia also noted that Boykin’s speech was not meant to be a forum for advocacy on a particular issue.

Also in February 2009, Martino condemned an upcoming production at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, of the Eve Ensler play, The Vagina Monologues. The diocese threatened to fire two diocesan employees if they involved themselves in the production. A high school student was also threatened with expulsion from school if she participated.

St. Patrick's Day celebrations

In late February 2009, Martino advised three local Irish American organizations that he would close St. Peter’s Cathedral during Saint Patrick's Day celebrations if the groups featured elected officials who supported abortion rights at their annual events. [13] Martino, "determined to prevent a scandal," stated that such officials should not be "given parade positions or dais opportunities either to be recognized or to speak to the assembled participants," which would "honor pro-abortion officials" or make it appear that “the Catholic Church is seen to be involved in this honoring.” [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Egan</span> American Catholic cardinal (1932–2015)

Edward Michael Egan was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Bridgeport from 1988 to 2000 and as Archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles J. Chaput</span> American prelate of the Catholic Church

Charles Joseph Chaput OFMCap is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the ninth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, serving from 2011 until 2020. He previously served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Denver in Colorado (1997–2011) and bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City in South Dakota (1988–1997). Chaput was the first archbishop of Philadelphia in 100 years who was not named a cardinal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel DiNardo</span> Catholic cardinal

Daniel Nicholas DiNardo is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the second and current archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas serving since 2006. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City in Iowa from 1998 to 2004.

National parish is a type of Catholic parish distinguished by liturgical rites or nationality of the congregation; it is found within a diocese or particular Church, which includes other types of parishes in the same geographical area, each parish being unique. A national parish is distinguished from the commonly known type of parish, the territorial parish, which serves a territory subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the territorial parish priest. A national parish is an ecclesiastic subdivision which serves a community of people but is not necessarily a geographic subdivision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Pennsylvania, USA

The Diocese of Scranton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a suffragan see of Archdiocese of Philadelphia, established on March 3, 1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Zubik</span> American RC bishop

David Allen Zubik is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania since 2007. Zubik previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay in Wisconsin from 2003 to 2007, and as an auxiliary bishop of Pittsburgh from 1997 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward James Slattery</span> American prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1940)

Edward James Slattery is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa in Oklahoma from 1993 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Patrick Foley</span> American Roman Catholic archbishop and cardinal

John Patrick Foley was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. From 2007 until 2011, he was Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, an order of knighthood under papal protection, having previously served as President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications from 1984 to 2007. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007. He provided the commentary for the American television viewers of the Christmas Midnight Mass from St Peter's Basilica, Rome. However, in 2009, he retired from that role after 25 years. The commentary was taken over by Monsignor Thomas Powers of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, an official in the Congregation for Bishops.

Rocco Palmo is a Catholic commentator and writer living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph P. McFadden</span> American prelate

Joseph Patrick McFadden was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Formerly an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, he was installed as Bishop of Harrisburg on August 18, 2010. He served in that position until his death in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Stika</span> American Catholic prelate (born 1957)

Richard Frank Stika is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville in Tennessee from 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Longley</span> Catholic archbishop

Bernard Longley is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was named the Archbishop of Birmingham on 1 October 2009, and installed on 8 December 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Angelo Saltarelli</span> American prelate

Michael Angelo Saltarelli was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1995 to 2008. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey from 1990 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Joseph Sullivan</span> American prelate

Dennis Joseph Sullivan is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey since 2013. He served as vicar general and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 2004 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Vann</span> American Catholic prelate

Kevin William Vann is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Orange in Southern California since 2012. Vann previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth in Texas from 2005 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Dougherty (bishop)</span> American Roman Catholic prelate (1932–2022)

John Martin Dougherty was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Dougherty served as the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2009.

James Clifford Timlin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1984 to 2003. Timlin was accused in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report of covering up sexual abuse crimes by priests in his diocese during his tenure as bishop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Carroll McCormick</span> American prelate

Joseph Carroll McCormick was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in Pennsylvania (1960–1966) and bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania (1966–1983).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Doherty</span> American Roman Catholic bishop

Timothy Lawrence Doherty is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a priest of the Diocese of Rockford in Illinois until he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana by Pope Benedict XVI on May 12, 2010. On July 15, 2010, Doherty was consecrated, becoming the sixth bishop of the diocese.

Because the Catholic Church opposes abortion as a matter of doctrine, some Catholic bishops have refused or threatened to refuse communion, or threatened to declare excommunication upon Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. In some cases, officials have stated that ministers should refuse communion to such politicians per canon 915 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law; elsewhere, that the politicians should, on their own, refrain from receiving communion ad normam canon 916; and in other cases, excommunication has been suggested.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Bishop William Joseph Winter [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  2. ↑ "Bishop Announces Final Decisions on Parish Restructurings". Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton . February 1, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "Why did the bishop of Scranton, Pa., resign?". National Catholic Reporter. 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  4. ↑ Legere, Laura (2009-08-31). "Vatican accepts Martino's resignation, interim leaders announced". The Scranton Times-Tribune . Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  5. ↑ Legere, Laura and Stacy Brown (2009-08-28). "Bishops Martino and Dougherty due to step down". The Scranton Times-Tribune . Archived from the original on 2009-08-30.
  6. ↑ Palmo, Rocco (2009-08-28). "In Scranton, the Curtain Falls". Whispers in the Loggia.
  7. ↑ Palmo, Rocco (2008-09-26). "From Scranton, "Moral Force"". Whispers in the Loggia.
  8. ↑ Schillinger, Charles (2008-08-31). "Biden risks refusal of Holy Communion". Scranton Times-Tribune.
  9. ↑ McConnell, Steve (2008-10-20). "Bishop stresses abortion view at political forum". Wayne Independent.
  10. 1 2 3 Krawczeniuk, Borys (2008-02-06). "Bishop Martino accuses Sen. Bob Casey of "cooperating with … evil"". Wayne Independent.
  11. ↑ Rocco, Palmo (2009-03-13). "Joe in the Spotlight". Whispers in the Loggia.
  12. 1 2 3 Hofius Hall, Sarah (2008-02-17). "Bishop Martino rips college for gay-rights speaker". The Times-Tribune .
  13. 1 2 Legere, Laura (2008-10-20). "Hot Topic: Bishop warns Irish planners in Scranton". The Times-Tribune .

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Scranton
2003–2009		Succeeded by
Preceded by
–
 Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
1996–2003		Succeeded by
–
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.