Allen Vigneron
His Excellency, The Most Reverend Allen Henry Vigneron | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Detroit Ecclesiastical Superior of the Cayman Islands | |
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| Archdiocese | Detroit |
| Appointed | January 5, 2009 |
| Installed | January 28, 2009 |
| Predecessor | Adam Maida |
| Other post(s) | Vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2019– ) Ecclesiastical Superior of the Cayman Islands Chairman, USCCB Committee on Doctrine Chairman, Michigan Catholic Conference Board President, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | July 26, 1975 by John Francis Dearden |
| Consecration | July 9, 1996 by Adam Maida, James Aloysius Hickey, and Edmund Szoka |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 21, 1948 Mount Clemens, Michigan |
| Nationality |  American |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Previous post(s) |
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| Motto | ASPICIENTES IN IESUM (Eyes fixed on Jesus) |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Allen Henry Vigneron | |
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
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Allen Henry Vigneron (born October 21, 1948) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Archbishop of Detroit and Ecclesiastical Superior of the Cayman Islands. He previously served as Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland from 2003 to 2009 and as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit from 1996 to 2003.[1]
Biography[]
Early life[]
The eldest of six children, Allen Vigneron was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, to Elwin and Bernardine (née Kott) Vigneron.[1] He is of French descent on his father's side and German descent on his mother's.[2] He graduated from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 1970, receiving degrees in both Philosophy and Classical Languages. He then furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1973.
Priesthood[]
Upon his return to Detroit, Vigneron was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal John Dearden on July 26, 1975 at St. Clement of Rome Church in Romeo, Michigan.[1] He then served as associate pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Harper Woods, Michigan. Vigneron then went back to Rome, obtaining his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University in 1977. After returning to Michigan, he resumed his pastoral work in suburban Detroit.
Vigneron completed his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning his doctorate in philosophy in 1987 with a dissertation on the philosopher Edmund Husserl. In 1985, Vigneron was appointed professor at Sacred Heart Seminary, becoming dean in 1988.
From 1991 to 1994, Vigneron served in Rome as an official in the Vatican Secretariat of State and as adjunct instructor at the Gregorian University. He then returned to Sacred Heart Seminary as its Rector. While at Sacred Heart, Vigneron removed several teachers that he perceived as straying from church dogma. Vigneron was raised by Pope John Paul II to the rank of Monsignor in 1994.[1][3]
Episcopate[]
Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit[]
On June 12, 1996, John Paul II appointed Vigneron as Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit and Titular Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie. He was installed and consecrated on July 9, 1996 by Cardinal Adam Maida, with Cardinal James Hickey and Cardinal Edmund Szoka serving as co-consecrators.
Bishop of Oakland[]
Vigneron was named Coadjutor Bishop of Oakland on January 10, 2003, succeeding Bishop John Cummins as the third Bishop of Oakland on October 1, 2003.[1]
While Bishop of Oakland, Vigneron helped lead protests against same-sex marriage.[4] At that time, he compared abortion and stem-cell research to slavery and racism.[3]
Archbishop of Detroit[]
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Vigneron as Archbishop of Detroit on January 5, 2009, replacing Cardinal Maida.[1] Installed on January 28, 2009, Vigneron is the first metropolitan Detroit native named Archbishop of Detroit.[1]
Vigneron was elected chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America on June 9, 2009. He received the pallium from Benedict XVI on June 29, 2009, in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. On April 21, 2011, Vigneron participated in an interfaith vigil held at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan.[5]
In 2013, Vigneron stated that Catholics who supported same sex-marriage should feel shameful about accepting communion in mass.[6] However, in 2015, he stated that the church does not want to drive any Catholics away from receiving communion.[7]
In December 2015, presidential candidate Donald Trump said that, if elected, he would restrict Muslim immigration into the United States. In response, Vigneron wrote a letter to priests in the archdiocese condemning the Trump proposals:
While the Catholic Church refrains from weighing in for or against individual candidates for a particular political office, the Church does and should speak to the morality of this important and far-reaching issue of religious liberty. Especially as our political discourse addresses the very real concerns about the security of our country, our families, and our values, we need to remember that religious rights are a cornerstone of these values. Restricting or sacrificing these religious rights and liberties out of fear – instead of defending them and protecting them in the name of mutual respect and justice – is a rationalization which fractures the very foundation of morality on which we stand. This also threatens the foundation of religious liberty that makes it possible for us to freely practice our faith. These are not only Catholic sentiments on these issues; these, I believe, are the sentiments of all Americans."[8]
On 15 May 2019, Vigneron published the pastoral note "The Day of the Lord", decreeing a ban of Sunday sports practices and games in the Archdiocese of Detroit, in an effort to make the day of the Resurrection refocused on prayer, family and rest.[9][10] On November 12, 2019, Vigneron was elected Vice President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.[11]
On December 14, 2020, a lawsuit accused Vigernon of failing to investigate complaints of sexual abuse at Orchard Lake Schools, an educational center in the archdiocese. Several male employees had accused Miroslaw Krol. a priest who was chancellor of the facility, of making sexual advances on them. A Schools board member, who ultimately resigned, tried to bring the allegations to Vigneron, also a member of the board. However, Vigneron refused to listen to the allegations because he said they were second-hand.[12] Ned McGrath, the archdiocese spokesman, said the archdiocese did not run the Schools and that Krol was under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Newark.[12]
On March 15, 2021, a Michigan man filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Vigneron and the archdiocese. The plaintiff claimed to have been raped in 2010 when he was eight years old by Aloysius Volskis, then a teacher at Bishop Kelly Catholic School in Lapeer, Michigan. Volskis allegedly told the boy that he had power with the devil and would kill his mother if he revealed anything. After a female student reported an assault by Volskis to police, he fled the country. The suit claimed that Vigneron and the archdiocese were negligent in their oversight of the school. Volkis had been assigned to Bishop Kelly after he was accused of sexual misconduct at Divine Providence Parish in Southfield, Michigan.[13][14]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g Yonke, David (January 6, 2009). "Archbishop appointed to Detroit diocese". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Vigneron definition". Le Figaro French Dictionary.
- ^ a b "Archbishop-designate Vigneron aims to defend teachings, build harmony". Detroit Free Press. 2009-01-27. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
- ^ Lattin, Don (January 18, 2003). "New Oakland bishop called conservative". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Burdziak, Alan (April 21, 2011). "Interfaith Vigil held at Islamic Center of America". Dearborn Press & Guide. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ^ Warikoo, Niraj. "Mich. gay marriage backers urged to skip Communion". USA Today. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- ^ Montemurri, Patricia. "Vigneron softens tone on Communion for Catholic gay supporters". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- ^ "Archbishop Vigneron on Muslim Immigration, Religious Liberty" (Press release). Archdiocese of Detroit. December 15, 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Archdiocese of Detroit to 'reclaim' holy day with shift away from youth sports on Sundays, seeking renewed focus on rest and family worship". May 15, 2019. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ "Detroit Archdiocese Cancels Sporting Events on Sundays". Ncregister.com. May 16, 2019. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019.
- ^ @USCCB (12 November 2019). ".@DetArchbishop has been elected vice..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Kozlowski, Kim (December 14, 2020). "Lawsuit alleges Orchard Lake Schools leader sexually abused, retaliated against male employees". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ "Lawsuit by Lapeer County teen alleges rape by priest in 2010, claims coverup by Archdiocese of Detroit". mlive. 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- ^ Hogan, Jeff (March 11, 2021). "Lapeer County teen files lawsuit alleging he was raped by a priest while a student at Bishop Kelley Catholic School". thecountypress.mihomepaper.com. The County Press. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
External links[]
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- 1948 births
- Sacred Heart Major Seminary alumni
- Catholic University of America alumni
- Living people
- People from Mount Clemens, Michigan
- 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
- Roman Catholic archbishops of Detroit
- Pontifical Gregorian University alumni
- American people of French descent
- American people of German descent
- Sacred Heart Major Seminary faculty
- Catholics from Michigan