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Thomas Gumbleton

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His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Thomas John Gumbleton

J.C.D
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Detroit
Titular Bishop of Ululi
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
ArchdioceseDetroit
AppointedMarch 8, 1968
InstalledMay 1, 1968
Term endedFebruary 2, 2006
Other post(s)Titular Bishop of Ululi
Previous post(s)Vicar General
Orders
OrdinationJune 2, 1956
by Edward Aloysius Mooney
ConsecrationMay 1, 1968
by John Francis Dearden, Alexander M. Zaleski, and Joseph M. Breitenbeck
Personal details
Born (1930-01-26) January 26, 1930 (age 94)
Detroit, Michigan
MottoBe doers of the Word
Styles of
Thomas John Gumbleton
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Thomas John Gumbleton (born January 26, 1930) is a retired Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Education and career

Born in Detroit in 1930, Gumbleton attended Sacred Heart Seminary High School, and later Sacred Heart Seminary. He then went on to study at St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, and also the Pontifical Lateran University. He earned a B.A. degree in 1952, a M.Div. degree in 1956, and then later earned a J.C.D in 1964. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 1956, by Cardinal Edward Mooney.[citation needed] In 1968 Gumbleton was made the Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Detroit, and was later named Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit on March 4, 1968. He served as the pastor to a number of parishes including St. Aloysius, Holy Ghost and also at St. Leo's in Detroit until 2007.[citation needed]

Gumbleton founded the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights in December 1980 with former Episcopal Bishop Harry Coleman McGehee, Jr. and Rabbi Richard Hertz.[1][2] Gumbleton's Sunday homilies from St Leo's parish are documented by the National Catholic Reporter, where he also wrote a regular column.[3]

Views

Civil disobedience

In 1999 Gumbleton was arrested outside the White House along with eleven other anti-war protesters for disturbing the peace. Gumbleton was an opponent of the war in Iraq, being arrested once again outside the White House for engaging in civil disobedience; he was arrested along with United Methodist Bishop C. Joseph Sprague, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Nobel Peace Prize laureates Mairead Corrigan Maguire and Jody Williams, and members of pacifist organisations.[4]

Catholic teaching regarding homosexuality

Gumbleton has written extensively on Catholic teaching regarding homosexuality. Gumbleton often draws from his personal experience of having a homosexual brother.[5] During his time as bishop, Gumbleton wore a mitre at a church service on which were symbols of the cross, a rainbow and a pink triangle. The pink triangle caused particular complaints by some due to its history as a symbol of gay rights, after its use to identify homosexuals in Nazi Concentration Camps.[6] Gumbleton also came into the public eye before the Vatican's Instruction with regard to the ordination of homosexual men was released, arguing against Fr. Baker's article on the issue in America.[7]

Resignation controversy

Gumbleton claimed that he was sexually abused by a priest as an adolescent while in the seminary. This attracted some media attention. He stated; "I don't want to exaggerate that I was terribly damaged. It was not the kind of sexual abuse that many of the victims experience", further adding, "They are intimidated, embarrassed, and they just bury it. I understand that", explaining that, "I never told my parents.... I never told anybody." Gumbleton spoke out as a measure to encourage Catholics who have been abused to make complaints through the official channels.[8]

Gumbleton was notified that, through his actions in this case, he had violated the solidarity of communio episcoporum (communion of bishops) in canon law. He said at a conference in 2011 that as a consequence he was forced to give up his position as pastor at St. Leo's in January 2007[9] and asked to resign from the office of auxiliary bishop.[10]

In 2012, Gumbleton signed the Catholic Scholars' Jubilee Declaration on reform of authority in the Catholic Church.[11] Gumbleton was required under church law to submit his resignation when he turned 75. At that time, he petitioned to remain in office.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Montemurri, Patricia (March 15, 2013). "Retired Episcopalian Bishop H. Coleman McGehee has died at age 89". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  2. ^ "Michigan Coalition for Human Rights – History". Michigan Coalition for Human Rights. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  3. ^ National Catholic Reporter. French Against Vatican Sacking of "Red Cleric" Archived December 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Pax Christi. Civil Disobedience Action By Religious Leaders March 25, 2003
  5. ^ National Catholic Reporter. Bishop Wants Clergy and Laity Out of the Closet Archived January 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine March 21, 1997
  6. ^ New Ways Ministry. 1995 Building Bridges Award Recipient Archived February 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine 1995
  7. ^ America. Yes, Gay Men Should Be Ordained Archived April 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine September 30, 2002
  8. ^ Washington Post. Bishop Says Priest Abused Him as Teenager January 11, 2006
  9. ^ Sean, Michael. "Retired bishop asked to leave Detroit parish for testimony | National Catholic Reporter". Ncronline.org. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  10. ^ "Blog offline". Realcostofprisons.org. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  11. ^ "Bishop Thomas Gumbleton". Archived from the original on February 18, 2013.
  12. ^ ""Pope retires liberal Bishop Gumbleton", ''Christian Century'', February 21, 2006". Christiancentury.org. February 21, 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2013.

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
-
 Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit
1968–2006 		Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
New position
 Founding president of Pax Christi USA
1972–1991 		Succeeded by
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