Thomas Paprocki
Thomas John Joseph Paprocki is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois.
Early life and education
The third of nine children, Thomas Paprocki was born in Chicago, Illinois; he has six brothers and two sisters. A lifelong fan of hockey - who is sometimes referred to in the media as the "Holy Goalie" -, he began playing at a young age in the basement of his father's drugstore and supports the Chicago Blackhawks. He graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in 1970, and then entered Niles College, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974.From 1974 to 1979, he studied at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, where he earned a Bachelor's in Sacred Theology, Master's in Divinity, and Licentiate in Sacred Theology.
Ordination and ministry
Paprocki was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Cody on May 10, 1978, and then served as associate pastor at St. Michael's Church in South Chicago until 1983. In 1981, he earned his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law and founded the Chicago Legal Clinic to assist the working poor and disadvantaged.Paprocki served as administrator of St. Joseph Church in Chicago from 1983 to 1986 and as vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1985 to 1987. He then furthered his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained a Licentiate of Canon Law and a Doctor of Canon Law degree. Upon his return to the United States, he was named chancellor of the archdiocese in 1992 and later pastor of St. Constance Church in 2000. In 2013 he received an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
On January 24, 2003, Paprocki was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and Titular Bishop of Vulturaria by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following March 19 from Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., with bishops Raymond E. Goedert and Ricardo Watty Urquidi, M.Sp.S., serving as co-consecrators. As an auxiliary, he served as Episcopal Vicar for Vicariate IV, and as the cardinal's liaison for Polonia and for health and hospital affairs. He is also a member of the boards of directors of the Polish American Association and the Polish American Leadership Initiative.When the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, issued an executive order in 2005 requiring all pharmacists in the state to dispense prescription contraceptives, Paprocki condemned the order in Blagojevich's presence, saying, "I am dismayed that our secular society has reached the point that individuals are being required by law to violate their personal religious beliefs in order to accommodate the selfish demands of special interest groups."
In November 2008, Paprocki spoke out against the Freedom of Choice Act, saying, "It could mean discontinuing obstetrics in our hospitals, and we may need to consider taking the drastic step of closing our Catholic hospitals entirely. It would not be sufficient to withdraw our sponsorship or to sell them to someone who would perform abortions. That would be a morally unacceptable cooperation in evil." In a subsequent interview with The Chicago Tribune, he reaffirmed his position, saying, "If Catholic hospitals were required by federal law to perform abortions, we'd have to close our hospitals."
When remarking about who was responsible for the sexual abuse crises in the Catholic Church, Paprocki said that the devil was the principal force behind the lawsuits.
Bishop of Springfield
On April 20, 2010, Paprocki was appointed as the Bishop of Springfield by Pope Benedict XVI. He was installed at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on June 22, 2010. In November 2010, he organized a conference on exorcism.In April 2012, Paprocki was named as part of a three-member board of American Catholic Bishops charged by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with a multi-year investigation into the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious. He coined the name of the Fortnight for Freedom, a campaign of the American bishops on behalf of religious liberty.
Paprocki is Episcopal Board Chairman for the Catholic Athletes for Christ, and is the author of Holy Goals for Body and Soul.
Politics
In September 2012, Paprocki wrote a column in his diocese's Catholic Times newspaper about the upcoming elections. He declared that voting for a candidate who promotes actions or behaviors that are "intrinsically evil and gravely sinful" makes one "morally complicit" and places the eternal salvation of the soul in "serious jeopardy." His article went on at length discussing how in his view the Democratic Party embraced objectionable doctrines, such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Paprocki took notice of the Republican Party's support for capital punishment in murder cases, stating that this did not directly conflict with Church teaching. He also argued that party differences over caring for the poor and immigration were "prudential judgments about the most effective means of achieving morally desirable ends, not intrinsic evils."Ahead of the 2016 elections, Paprocki denounced the Democratic Party for its "aggressive pro-abortion stance and activist agenda expanding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights," adding that Republicans "have not fared very well in these same areas." He wrote that Democrats, who "articulate strong concern for the poor," have made little progress in fighting poverty. Paprocki said that Catholics could choose not to vote for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.
Opposition to abortion
In February 2018, Paprocki officially upheld a previous decision to bar U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, a Catholic in his diocese, from receiving Holy Communion after the Senator voted against a 20-week abortion ban. "In April 2004, Sen. Durbin's pastor, then Msgr. Kevin Vann, said that he would be reticent to give Sen. Durbin Holy Communion because his pro-abortion position put him outside of communion or unity with the Church's teachings on life," Paprocki said. "My predecessor, now Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, said that he would support that decision. I have continued that position." Paprocki said that the "provision is intended not to punish, but to bring about a change of heart."On June 6, 2019, Paprocki issued a decree officially barring Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton from presenting themselves to receive the Eucharist on account of their role in Passing the Reproductive Health Act, which removes spousal consent and waiting periods for abortions. While singling out Madigan and Cullerton specifically, Paprocki also asked that other legislators who voted for the bill not present themselves for Communion either, stating that they had "cooperated in evil and committed grave sin." Madigan stated that Paprocki had informed him earlier that he would be forbidden from taking the sacrament if he permitted the House to debate and vote on the measure, but that he chose to do so.
Opposition to same-sex marriage
In November 2013, Paprocki said that Satan was behind recent Illinois legalization of same-sex marriage and held an exorcism ceremony, during which he read the exorcism rite "in reparation for the sin of same-sex marriage".On June 23, 2017 Paprocki instructed priests in his diocese to "deny communion, last rites and funeral rites to people in same-sex marriages – unless they repent". He prohibited clergy and parish staff from either performing same-sex marriages or allowing wedding receptions to be hosted in any facilities or centres owned by the Catholic church. This was followed by strong criticism. Michael Sean Winters of the National Catholic Reporter called for Paprocki to be "sacked." Christopher Pett, incoming President of DignityUSA, described the decree as "mean-spirited and hurtful in the extreme." Paprocki defended his position as "a rather straightforward application of existing Church teaching and canon law."
In July 2017, he stated publicly that Catholic politicians who have been involved in making same-sex marriage legal in the United States should refrain from Holy Communion until they had sought forgiveness in the confessional.
Paprocki has been critical of the Jesuit priest James Martin, whose outreach to the LGBT community has drawn opposition from conservative Catholics. According to Paprocki, Martin "correctly expresses God’s love for all people, while on the other, he either encourages or fails to correct behavior that separates a person from that very love. This is deeply scandalous in the sense of leading people to believe that wrongful behavior is not sinful."
Opposition to labor unions
Paprocki dissented from the filed by the Bishops' Conference in support of labor unions in the Janus case. The bishops had affirmed the Church's traditional teaching in support for unions, citing various Church documents. Paprocki disagreed with the amicus brief. He instead supported the mandatory open shop for public employers. Paprocki has not been a visitor or spiritual guide at union halls but has collaborated with Legatus, and organization of Catholic corporate executives. He has also preached for lawyers and MBA executives.However, it must be said that Bishop Paprocki's stance makes a clear distinction in regards to unions: Although he did support the Janus ruling and respectfully rejected the USCCB's amicus brief, Paprocki did so in order to defend the conscience of the Catholic worker. Paprocki asserts that some labor unions support anti-Catholic stances; therefore, his approach defends the right of the worker to not support said groups that violate conscience. This distinction makes his opposition merely conditional; unions that are not contrary to Catholic teaching are not ruled out Ipso facto. The bishop explains this , and he cites Pope Leo XIII's critical encyclical paragraph 57 in order to show that although the Church has supported unions, said support has never been unconditional:
"To sum up, then, We may lay it down as a general and lasting law that working men's associations should be so organized and governed as to furnish the best and most suitable means for attaining what is aimed at, that is to say, for helping each individual member to better his condition to the utmost in body, soul, and property. It is clear that they must pay special and chief attention to the duties of religion and morality, and that social betterment should have this chiefly in view; otherwise they would lose wholly their special character, and end by becoming little better than those societies which take no account whatever of religion. What advantage can it be to a working man to obtain by means of a society material well-being, if he endangers his soul for lack of spiritual food?"
Sexual abuse
In response to 2018 allegations by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò that Pope Francis coverruped up allegations of sexual abuse against former-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Paprocki called on all Vatican officials, including Francis, to "make public the pertinent files indicating who knew what and when...and provide the accountability that the Holy Father has promised." Paprocki criticized Pope Francis for declining to answer a question about whether or not the accusations were true, saying, "Frankly, but with all due respect, that response is not adequate."Paprocki called for "public prayers of repentance and acts of atonement" after reports of widespread sexual abuse and coverrup in the Catholic Church.