Joseph R. Binzer

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His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Joseph Robert Binzer
Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of Cincinnati
Titular Bishop of Subbar
Bishop Binzer vested in rose-colored chasuble, Laetare Sunday, 2012.jpg
The Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer in 2012.
ArchdioceseCincinnati
AppointedApril 6, 2011
InstalledJune 9, 2011
Term endedMay 7, 2020
Other post(s)Titular Bishop of Subbar
Orders
OrdinationJune 4, 1994
by Daniel Edward Pilarczyk
ConsecrationJune 9, 2011
by Dennis Marion Schnurr, Daniel Edward Pilarczyk, and Robert Daniel Conlon
Personal details
Born (1955-04-26) April 26, 1955 (age 66)
Cincinnati, Ohio
MottoHOPE IN THE LORD
Styles of
Joseph Robert Binzer
Coat of arms of Joseph Robert Binzer.svg
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Joseph Robert Binzer (born April 26, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2011 to 2020.

Binzer resigned as auxiliary bishop in 2020 after a Vatican investigation concluded that he mishandled sexual abuse allegations.

Biography[]

Early life and education[]

Joseph Binzer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of seven children of Robert and Joan (née Metz) Binzer.[1] He received his early education at St. Ann School in Groesbeck, and graduated from La Salle High School in 1973.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a major in accountancy from Miami University in 1977.[3] He then worked for eleven years as a Certified Public Accountant with Crowe, Chizek & Co. in South Bend, Indiana, and with Arthur Young & Co. in Cincinnati.[1]

In 1988, Binzer began his studies for the priesthood by entering Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West in Cincinnati.[3] He earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1994.[4]

Ordination and ministry[]

On June 4, 1994, Binzer was ordained a priest by Archbishop Daniel Edward Pilarczyk at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains.[5]

His first assignment was as a parochial vicar at St. Dominic Parish in Delhi, Ohio, where he remained for three years.[2] He then continued his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1999.[4]

After returning to Cincinnati, he served as a resident associate at St. Bartholomew Church in Finneytown, Ohio and member of the archdiocesan Tribunal.[3] He was master of ceremonies for Archbishop Pilarczyk from 2000 to 2003.[2] In 2003, he was named chancellor of the archdiocese, pastor of St. Louis Church in Cincinnati, and director of the archdiocese's Department of Executive Services.[3] In addition to these posts, he became vicar general of the archdiocese in 2007.[4]

Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati[]

On April 6, 2011, Binzer was appointed auxiliary bishop of Cincinnati and titular bishop of Subbar by Pope Benedict XVI.[6] He received his episcopal consecration on June 9, 2011. The Archbishop of Cincinnati, Archbishop Dennis Marion Schnurr, was the principal consecrator. The principal co-consecrators were the Archbishop Emeritus of Cincinnati, Daniel Edward Pilarczyk; and Bishop Robert Daniel Conlon. The episcopal consecration was held at Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains.[5]

Handling of allegations of boundary violations[]

In 2013, Binzer received allegations of improper behavior by Geoff Drew, a diocesan priest. Drew had been giving bear hugs, shoulder massages, and leg pats to teenage boys in his parish. Binzer notified the Butler County Prosecutor's Office of these allegations, but they chose not to prosecute Drew. However, Binzer did not notify Archbishop Dennis Schnurr about Drew and in 2018 Drew was transferred to another parish.[7][8]

On July 30, 2019 Archbishop Schnurr put Drew on leave siting Drew sending text messages to a teenage boy. In a letter to parents, Principal Vance said that the Archdiocese had never notified him about past allegations against Drew or mentioned monitoring him.[9] In December 2021, Drew was on trial for the unrelated rape of a teenage boy 30 years earlier.[10]

On August 5, 2019, the Archdiocese reprimanded Binzer for failing to notify the archdiocese about the 2013 Drew allegations and removed Binzer as head of priest personnel for the Archdiocese.[7] [11] That same month, Binzer resigned from the Child and Youth Protection Committee for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.[12]

Resignation[]

Binzer submitted his resignation of resignation as auxiliary bishop of Cincinnati to Pope Francis in late April 2020.[13] On May 7, 2020, the pope accepted it.[14][12] Binzer issued a public apology that said he had tendered his resignation after the Holy See concluded in April after its own investigation that his handling of Drew's case had "a negative impact on the trust and faith" of the people of the archdiocese.[13]

A year after his resignation, Binzer was assigned to pastoral duties at Corpus Christi Parish in Mt. Healthy, Ohio, and St. John Neumann Parish in Springfield Township, Ohio. [15]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Father Joseph Binzer appointed auxiliary bishop for Cincinnati". The Catholic Telegraph. 2011-04-06.
  2. ^ a b c "Bishop Binzer: Curriculum Vitae". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
  3. ^ a b c d "Biographical Sketch". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
  4. ^ a b c "Pope Names Vicar General as Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 2011-04-06.
  5. ^ a b "Bishop Joseph Robert Binzer". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
  6. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 6.04.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Condon, Ed (August 5, 2019). "Auxiliary bishop did not disclose Cincinnati priest accusations". Catholic News Service. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  8. ^ "Cincinnati Catholic Raised 'Red Flags' About Priest Over a Year Before Rape Indictment". National Catholic Register. Catholic News Agency. August 24, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  9. ^ "St. Ignatius principal says school officials were not warned about the Rev. Geoff Drew". WCPO. 2019-07-30. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  10. ^ staff, WCPO-TV. "Plea negotiations underway in Father Geoff Drew rape case". journal-news. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  11. ^ Lair, Mollie (2021-04-14). "Bishop who failed to properly report harrassment allegations assigned as pastor to two churches". WLWT. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  12. ^ a b Allen, Elise Ann (May 7, 2020). "Bishop resigns facing charges of negligence on priest suspended for sexual misconduct". Crux. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Bishop Joseph R. Binzer Resigns as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati". The Catholic Telegraph. May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  14. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 07.05.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  15. ^ Baker, Jennifer Edwards. "Cincinnati bishop who quit in fallout over priest charged with raping altar boy will be pastor over 2 churches". https://www.fox19.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08. External link in |website= (help)

External links[]


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