Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Archbishop Charles Chaput to become next Archbishop of Philadelphia

The news has broken that Cardinal Rigali, the Cardinal Archbishop of Philadelphia, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, will retire and be replaced by the current Archbishop of Denver, Charles Chaput.

Cardinal Justin Rigali held a news conference this morning at 10am to announce that Pope Benedict XVI had named Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M., Cap. as the 13th Bishop and 9th Archbishop of Philadelphia.  Archbishop Chaput will be Installed on Thursday, September 8, 2011, the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul at 2:00 p.m.  The Holy Father has also appointed Cardinal Rigali as Apostolic Administrator with all of the responsibilities of Archbishop until the Installation of Archbishop Chaput.

Archbishop Chaput, who is 66, is a member of the Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin.  He was ordained a priest in 1970 and became a bishop at the age of 43.  At that time he became the Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota.  Since 1997 he has served as Archbishop of Denver.  A member of the Prairie Band Potowatami Tribe, Archbishop Chaput is the second Native American to be ordained a Bishop in the United States and the first Native American Archbishop.

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