{{Short description|American Catholic prelate (born 1952)}} {{distinguish|text = with Bishop [[Thomas Joseph Tobin]] of Providence}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Cardinal | honorific_prefix = [[His Eminence]] | name = Joseph W. Tobin | honorific_suffix = [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer|CSsR]] | title = [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]], [[Archdiocese of Newark|Archbishop of Newark]] | image = Cardinal Tobin (4x5 cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Tobin in 2017 | church = [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] | archdiocese = [[Archdiocese of Newark|Newark]] | diocese = | see = | appointed = November 7, 2016 | enthroned = January 6, 2017 | retired = | predecessor = [[John J. Myers]] | successor = <!-- Orders --> | ordination = June 1, 1978 | ordinated_by = | consecration = October 9, 2010 | consecrated_by = [[Tarcisio Bertone]] | cardinal = November 19, 2016 | created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Francis]] | rank = [[Cardinal Priest]] | other_post = {{ubil | Cardinal Priest of [[Santa Maria delle Grazie a Via Trionfale]] (2017{{nbnd}}present) | [[Mission sui iuris of the Turks and Caicos Islands|Ecclesiastical Superior of Turks and Caicos]] (2016{{nbnd}}present) }} <!-- Personal details --> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|5|3}} | birth_place = [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], US | death_date = | death_place = | previous_post = {{ubil | [[Archdiocese of Indianapolis|Archbishop of Indianapolis]] (2012{{nbnd}}2016) | [[Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life|Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life]] (CICLSAL) (2010{{nbnd}}2012) | [[Titular Archbishop]] of [[Obba (town)|Obba]] (2010{{nbnd}}2012) | [[Superior General]] of the [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer]] (1997{{nbnd}}2009) }} | motto = {{langnf|la|Gaudete in Domino|Rejoice in the Lord|break=yes}} | coat_of_arms = | ordained_by = [[William Edward Cousins]] }} {{Infobox cardinal styles | cardinal name = Joseph W. Tobin | dipstyle = * [[His Eminence]] * [[His Eminence|The Most Reverend Eminence]] | offstyle = [[Your Eminence]] | relstyle = [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] | See = [[Archdiocese of Newark|Newark]] | image = Coat of arms of Joseph William Tobin.svg | image_size = 200px }}
{{Ordination | ordained deacon by = | date of diaconal ordination = April 30, 1978 | place of diaconal ordination = [[Poughkeepsie, New York]] | ordained priest by = | date of priestly ordination = June 1, 1978 | place of priestly ordination = [[Waterford, Wisconsin]] | consecrated by = [[Tarcisio Bertone]], SDB | co-consecrators = {{ubl | [[Franc Rode]], CM | [[Agostino Vallini]]}} | date of consecration = October 9, 2010 | place of consecration = [[Rome]] | elevated by = [[Pope Francis]] | date of elevation = November 19, 2016 | bishop 1 = [[Gregory J. Studerus]] | consecration date 1 = 2020 | bishop 2 = [[Elias R. Lorenzo]] | consecration date 2 = 2020 | bishop 3 = [[Michael A. Saporito]] | consecration date 3 = 2020 | bishop 4 = [[Kevin J. Sweeney]] | consecration date 4 = 2020 | bishop 5 = {{ill|Alfonso Vincenzo Amarante|it}} | consecration date 5 = 2023 | bishop 6 = [[Pedro Bismarck Chau]] | consecration date 6 = 2025 }} '''Joseph William Tobin''' {{post-nominals|post-noms=[[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer|CSsR]]}} (born May 3, 1952) is an American [[prelate]] of the [[Catholic Church]]. A member of the [[Redemptorists|Redemptorist]] order, he has been the [[Archdiocese of Newark|Archbishop of Newark]] since 2017. He previously served as the [[Archdiocese of Indianapolis|Archbishop of Indianapolis]] from 2012 to 2016 and as secretary of the [[Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life|Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life]] from 2010 to 2012. He has been a [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal]] since November 19, 2016.
==Early life and education== Joseph William Tobin was born in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], on May 3, 1952, the oldest of the 13 children of Joseph W. Tobin and Marie Terese Kerwin. His parents were immigrants from [[County Kerry]], Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-24 |title=Cardinal with Kerry links among the potential successors to Pope |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/south-kerry-news/cardinal-with-kerry-links-among-the-potential-successors-to-pope/a570476542.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=Irish Independent |language=en}}</ref> He was [[baptism|baptized]] five days after his birth at the [[Most Holy Redeemer Church (Detroit, Michigan)|Church of the Most Holy Redeemer]] in Detroit, founded and administered by the [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer]] (Redemptorists). He later attended the [[parochial school]] at the church.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., D.D. |url=https://rcan.org/cardinal-tobin/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Archdiocese of Newark |language=en-US}}</ref>
By the time he had graduated, Tobin felt called to serve as a [[Catholic priest]]. He applied to join the Redemptorists, who accepted him as a candidate. He then attended St. Joseph's Preparatory College in [[Edgerton, Wisconsin]], the Redemptorist [[minor seminary]]. After graduating from St. Joseph's in 1970, he was received into the Redemptorist [[novitiate]] to begin his formation as a member. Tobin made his temporary profession of [[religious vows]] as a member of the Redemptorists on August 5, 1972, and his [[perpetual vows]] on August 21, 1976.<ref name=":0" />
In 1975, Tobin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Holy Redeemer College in [[Waterford, Wisconsin]]. He then studied at [[Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary]] in Esopus, New York, earning a [[Master of Religious Education]] degree in 1977 and a [[Master of Divinity]] degree in pastoral theology in 1979.<ref name=":0" />
==Ordination and ministry== Tobin was ordained a [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priest]] for the Redemptorist Order by Archbishop [[William Edward Cousins|William Cousins]] at Holy Redeemer College on June 1, 1978. The following year, Tobin returned to Detroit, where he was appointed the [[parochial vicar]] of Holy Redeemer Parish. He was later named [[pastor]] there, serving from 1984 to 1990. From 1980 to 1986, he served as an [[episcopal vicar]] for the [[Archdiocese of Detroit]], and also assisted at the local diocesan marriage tribunal. From 1990 to 1991, Tobin served as pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]].<ref name=archn>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rcan.org/offices-and-ministries/archbishops-office/tobin-biography |title="Biography of His Eminence, Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R.", Archdiocese of Newark |access-date=May 6, 2019 |archive-date=May 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506185844/https://www.rcan.org/offices-and-ministries/archbishops-office/tobin-biography |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The Redemptorists elected Tobin as their general consultor in 1991 and as their superior general in 1997<ref name=":0" /> He began a second term as superior general in 2003. That same year, he was named vice-president of the Union of Superiors General. Tobin also served as a member of the Council for Relations between the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the [[International Union of Superiors General]] from 2001 to 2009.
In 2005, Tobin participated in a [[Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church|synod of bishops]] in Rome. He spent a week in a Spanish-language discussion group that included Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, the future [[Pope Francis]].<ref>{{cite news | access-date = November 18, 2016 | work = National Catholic Reporter | url = https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-ultimate-headhunter | title = Pope Francis, the ultimate headhunter | date = November 18, 2016 | first = David | last = Gibson | agency = Religion News Service}}</ref>
Tobin took a sabbatical to [[Blackfriars, Oxford|Blackfriars Hall Priory]] in [[Oxford, England]] in 2010, residing with the [[De La Salle Brothers]]. While there, he pursued his interest in the rise of [[secularization]] and secular culture, attending seminars by anthropologist [[Peter B. Clarke]], studying at the Las Casas Institute and taking classes at Blackfriars. Tobin speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
==Roman Curia== In May 2009, the Vatican named Tobin to oversee the professed men's element of the 2010 [[Apostolic visitation to Ireland|Apostolic Visitation]] of the [[Catholic Church in Ireland|Church in Ireland]]. On August 2, 2010, Tobin was appointed secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL)<ref>{{cite news |last=Kohn |first=Joe |date=December 2, 2010 |title=Abp. Tobin visits Redeemer |url= |access-date= |newspaper=Michigan Catholic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Archbishop-designate Joseph Tobin, tapped for a high Vatican post, says 'I carry southwest Detroit in my Heart' |url=https://www.detroitcatholic.com/news/archbishop-designate-joseph-tobin-tapped-for-a-high-vatican-post-says-i-carry-southwest-detroit-in-my-heart |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Detroit Catholic |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[titular Archbishop|titular archbishop]] of [[Obba (town)|Obba]]. Tobin became the second American cleric to head CICLSAL.{{efn|In 1969, Rev. Edward Heston, [[Congregation of Holy Cross|C.S.C.]], an Ohio native, was named secretary of the same Congregation by [[Pope Paul VI]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}}}}Tobin learned of his appointment two weeks before the Vatican announced it. He recalled:{{Blockquote|text=I was painting my mom's house in Ontario when the phone rang. The voice on the other end said it was Cardinal Bertone, and my first thought was that it was a prank, … you know, I thought maybe it was one of the Redemptorists fooling around. Quickly, though, I realized that it really was Bertone, and he said that the Holy Father wants you to do this. My first reaction was to tell him that off the top of my head, I could give him the names of five people much more qualified to do this job than I am. I was completely serious about it. But Cardinal Bertone said no, this is what the Holy Father wants. He said I could take a week to ten days to think about it, so I talked to my superiors, my closest friends in religious life, and my spiritual director.<ref>{{cite news|last=Allen|first=John L. Jr.|title=Q&A with Fr. Joseph Tobin|url=http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/qa-fr-joseph-tobin|access-date=April 9, 2013|newspaper=National Catholic Reporter|date=August 6, 2010}}</ref>}}
Tobin received his [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|episcopal consecration]] in Rome on October 9, 2010. He had said:
{{Blockquote|text=[My] hope is that the Vatican's relationship with the local churches can be a sort of creative tension. I think life without tension would be very boring and useless. We can't walk, we can't talk, we can't sing without tension. You need to have tension in your vocal chords and your back, let alone a guitar. However, tension can be destructive. The challenge is to recognise the diversity of gifts and the plurality of churches and the one spirit that unites us. And I think that is the adventure of a lifetime.<ref>{{cite news|last=Arco|first=Anna|title='Life without tension would be boring'|url=http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2010/09/02/‘life-without-tension-would-be-boring’|access-date=April 9, 2013|newspaper=Catholic Herald|date=September 2, 2010}}</ref>}}
When Tobin arrived at CICLSAL, it was already conducting a [[Canonical visitation|visitation]]—a critical inspection of ministries and organization—of the 341 institutes of apostolic [[women religious]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goodstein |first=Laurie|title=U.S. Nuns Facing Vatican Scrutiny|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/us/02nuns.html|access-date=April 10, 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 1, 2009}}</ref> At the same time, the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] (CDF) was conducting a doctrinal assessment of the [[Leadership Conference of Women Religious]] (LCWR), focused on its theological orthodoxy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Women religious leadership conference faces investigation for continued 'problems' |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/15715/women-religious-leadership-conference-faces-investigation-for-continued-problems |access-date=April 10, 2013 |newspaper=Catholic News Agency|date=April 18, 2009}}</ref>
In December 2010, Tobin said that the Vatican needed to acknowledge the "depth of anger and hurt" among the nuns that was provoked by the CDF visitation, saying it illustrated the need for a "strategy of reconciliation" with women religious.<ref>{{cite news|last=Allen|first=John L. Jr.|title=Vatican must hear 'anger and hurt' of American nuns, official says|url=http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/vatican-must-hear-anger-and-hurt-american-nuns-official-says|access-date=April 7, 2013|newspaper=National Catholic Reporter |date=December 7, 2010}}</ref> The CDF issued its report on the LCWR in April 2012; Tobin was reportedly unhappy with the report content and the failure of the CDF to consult him before releasing it.<ref name="insider">{{cite news |title=Pope appoints archbishop Joe Tobin as head of Indianapolis archdiocese |url=http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/world-news/detail/articolo/stati-uniti-united-states-estados-unidos-18973/ |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20130306023705/http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/world-news/detail/articolo/stati-uniti-united-states-estados-unidos-18973/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 6, 2013 |last=O'Connell |first=Gerard |publisher=Vatican Insider |date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=October 16, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=McElwee|first=Joshua J.|title=Pope appoints Franciscan to religious congregation|url=http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-appoints-franciscan-religious-congregation|access-date=April 7, 2013|newspaper=National Catholic Reporter|date=April 6, 2013|archive-date=October 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007163804/http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-appoints-franciscan-religious-congregation|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Archbishop of Indianapolis==
On October 18, 2012, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] appointed Tobin as archbishop of Indianapolis, a Catholic community of 246,000.<ref name=insider/> He was installed on December 3, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spread the good word, urges new Archbishop of Indianapolis Joseph W. Tobin|url=http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012121203028|last=King|first=Robert|newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|date=December 3, 2012|access-date=December 4, 2012}}</ref> His reassignment from the Curia had been rumored since Tobin expressed his unhappiness with the CDF's highly critical report on the LCWR in April 2012.<ref name=insider/>
In May 2016, the Vatican named Tobin to oversee the [[Sodalitium Christianae Vitae]], a religious community that a Vatican review had found in need of thorough-going reform.<ref>{{cite news|title=Vatican appoints Archbishop Tobin as delegate for Sodalitium reforms|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/33882/vatican-appoints-archbishop-tobin-as-delegate-for-sodalitium-reforms|access-date=February 13, 2017|agency=Catholic News Agency|date=May 13, 2016}}</ref>
==Cardinal== On October 9, 2016, Francis announced that he would make Tobin a cardinal in a [[papal consistory]] on November 19, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title= Pope announces 17 new Cardinals in consistory |url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/09/pope_announces_17_new_cardinals_in_consistory/1263940 | work=Vatican Radio | access-date = October 9, 2016 | date= October 9, 2016| first= Lydia | last=O'Kane}}</ref> On that day, Tobin became a [[Cardinal-Priest]] of [[Santa Maria delle Grazie a Via Trionfale]].<ref>{{cite press release| publisher=Holy See Press Office | date = November 19, 2016 | access-date= November 19, 2016| url= http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/11/19/161119b.html | title=Titular churches and diaconates of the new cardinals, 19.11.2016}}</ref> Francis named Tobin a member of the [[Pontifical Council for Culture]] on November 11, 2019,<ref>{{cite press release | access-date = November 11, 2019 | date= November 11, 2019 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/11/11/191111c.html | title = Resignations and Appointments, 11.11.2019 | publisher = Holy See Press Office}}</ref> a member of the [[Congregation for Bishops]] on March 4, 2021<ref>{{cite press release | access-date = March 7, 2021 | date= March 4, 2021 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2021/03/04/0128/00295.html#memb | title = Resignations and Appointments, 04.03.2019 | publisher = Holy See Press Office}}</ref> and a member of the [[Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura]] on June 21, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=CNA|title=Cardinal Tobin appointed member of Vatican's highest court|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248076/cardinal-tobin-appointed-member-of-vaticans-highest-court|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Catholic News Agency|language=en}}</ref>
Tobin participated in the [[2025 papal conclave]], and was even considered ''[[papabile]]'' by a few sources, namely ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Who Will Be the Next Pope? Here Are Some Possible Contenders. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/next-pope-francis-candidates.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref> The ''[[National Catholic Reporter]]'' ran an article highlighting Tobin as a serious candidate, namely due to his charitable works as a Redemptorist, his support for Francis' agenda, and his vocal opposition to [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Christopher |title=Once on the outs, American Cardinal Tobin now a contender |url=https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/papal-front-runner-once-outs-american-cardinal-tobin-now-contender |website=[[National Catholic Reporter]] |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref> However, all sources noted that there is a longstanding taboo within the church to elect a pope from the dominant global power.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Padilla |first1=Noe |last2=L. Ortiz |first2=Jorge |last3=Trethan |first3=Phaedra |title=Who will be the next pope? A former Indianapolis Archbishop among possible candidates |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2025/05/06/joseph-tobin-indianapolis-cardinal-archbishop-list-next-pope-francis-archdiocese-newark-conclave/83476096007/ |website=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref> Regardless, Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost would be elected the first ever American-born pope; [[Leo XIV]], although he had largely lived in Peru and Rome since 1983.<ref>{{cite web |last1=WINFIELD |first1=NICOLE |last2=GERA |first2=VANESSA |title=Robert Prevost, first pope from US in history of the Catholic Church, takes the name Leo XIV |url=https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-vatican-d7991a37a679f09792ed220cc1f6bbed |website=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref>
==Archbishop of Newark== ===Appointment and tenure=== On November 7, 2016, Francis named Tobin as archbishop of Newark, a city which had, like Indianapolis, never before been headed by a cardinal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/us/pope-francis-archbishop-joseph-tobin-newark-archdiocese.html|title=Pope Francis Names Joseph Tobin to Lead Archdiocese of Newark|last=Goodstein|first=Laurie |date=November 7, 2016| newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=November 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | access-date = November 7, 2016 | date = November 7, 2016 | url = https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-appoints-new-cardinal-tobin-archbishop-newark | work = National Catholic Reporter | title = Francis appoints Indianapolis' Tobin as archbishop of Newark, first cardinal in archdiocese's history | first = Joshua J. | last = McElwee}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Mueller |first=Mark | url = http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/who_is_newarks_new_cardinal_an_introduction_to_joe.html |title=Who is Newark's new cardinal? An introduction to Joe Tobin | work =NJ.com |date= November 7, 2016 | access-date=November 7, 2016}}</ref> He was installed there on January 6, 2017.<ref>{{cite news | work = [[The New York Times]] | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/nyregion/cardinal-tobin-new-newark-archbishop-cites-chasm-between-life-and-faith.html | access-date = January 6, 2017 | date = January 6, 2017 | title= Cardinal Tobin, New Newark Archbishop, Cites 'Chasm Between Life and Faith' | last= Barron | first = James}}</ref>
== Viewpoints ==
=== Abortion === Tobin in 2021 expressed concern about the exclusion of the [[Hyde Amendment]] from the proposed 2022 federal budget that President [[Joe Biden]] sent to the US Congress. Enacted in 1980, the amendment prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion services to women.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=More bishops warn against federal abortion funding |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248306/cardinal-tobin-colorado-bishops-warn-against-federal-abortion-funding |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}</ref>
=== Capital punishment === In July 2020, Tobin and several other bishops petitioned President [[Donald Trump]] to commute the death sentence of [[Dustin Honken]]. He had been convicted in 2004 of murdering five people in Iowa, including two children. Tobin remarked that Honken's execution would "...reduce the government of the United States to the level of a murderer and serve to perpetuate a climate of violence which brutalizes our society in so many ways."<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Cardinal Tobin asks President Donald Trump for clemency in death row execution case |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/45110/cardinal-tobin-asks-trump-for-clemency-in-death-row-case |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}</ref> Honken was executed later that month.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crowder |first=Courtney |title='Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for me': Iowan Dustin Honken says short prayer before being executed |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/courtney-crowder/2020/07/17/dustin-honken-execution-iowa-man-executed-federal-prison-terre-haute-indiana-methamphetamine-murder/5456933002/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Clergy sex abuse=== On August 17, 2018, the ''[[Catholic News Agency]]'' reported that six Newark priests had allegedly experienced sexual misconduct by two priests in seminary and ministry in the archdiocese. Tobin responded with a letter to the archdiocesan priests that the same day, saying that he had been unaware of the issue. He encouraged priests to refer media inquiries to the archdiocesan director of communications.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 20, 2018 |title=Cardinal Tobin denies knowledge of 'gay subculture' in Newark |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/39168/cardinal-tobin-denies-knowledge-of-gay-subculture-in-newark |access-date=August 25, 2018 |website=Catholic News Agency}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Emma Brockes |date=August 25, 2018 |title=Why the Catholic church keeps hitting the wrong note |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/aug/24/why-the-catholic-church-keeps-hitting-the-wrong-note |access-date=August 25, 2018 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff reporter--> |date=August 21, 2018 |title=Cardinal Tobin tells priests not to speak to press after 'gay sub-culture' claims |url=http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/08/21/cardinal-tobin-tells-priests-not-to-speak-to-press-after-gay-sub-culture-claims/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822124141/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/08/21/cardinal-tobin-tells-priests-not-to-speak-to-press-after-gay-sub-culture-claims/ |archive-date=August 22, 2018 |access-date=September 1, 2018 |agency=Catholic News Agency |newspaper=Catholic Herald}}</ref>
On August 25, 2018, Archbishop [[Carlo Maria Viganò]], a former [[Apostolic Nunciature to the United States|apostolic nuncio to the United States]], released a letter describing a series of warnings to the [[Holy See|Vatican]] regarding alleged sexual misconduct by then-cardinal [[Theodore McCarrick]], a predecessor of Tobin in Newark. Viganò claimed that McCarrick "orchestrated" the appointment of Tobin as Archbishop of Newark.<ref name="CNA_2018.08.25">{{cite news |last=Pentin |first=Edward |date=August 25, 2018 |title=Ex-nuncio accuses Pope Francis of failing to act on McCarrick's abuse reports |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/39227/ex-nuncio-accuses-pope-francis-of-failing-to-act-on-mccarricks-abuse-reports |access-date=September 1, 2018 |publisher=[[Catholic News Agency]]}}</ref><ref name="NYT_2018.08.26">{{cite news |last=Horowitz |first=Jason |date=August 26, 2018 |title=Pope Francis Long Knew of Cardinal's Abuse and Must Resign, Archbishop Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/26/world/europe/pope-ireland-sexual-abuse-letter-vigano.html |access-date=August 27, 2018 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Tobin denounced Viganò's statement for "factual errors, innuendo and fearful ideology." He said that the letter "cannot be understood as contributing to the healing of survivors of sexual abuse" and called for "guaranteeing a safe and respectful environment where all are welcome and breaking down the structures and cultures that enable abuse."<ref>{{cite web |date=August 27, 2018 |title=Statement in Response to "Testimony" of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States |url=https://www.rcan.org/statement-response-testimony-archbishop-carlo-maria-vigan%C3%B2-former-apostolic-nuncio-united-states |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828035815/https://www.rcan.org/statement-response-testimony-archbishop-carlo-maria-vigan%C3%B2-former-apostolic-nuncio-united-states |archive-date=August 28, 2018 |access-date=September 1, 2018 |work=[[Archdiocese of Newark]] website}}</ref>
One journalist claims that in a conversation with Tobin that he said that around the time he came to Newark in 2016 he heard "rumors" about McCarrick having slept with seminarians. However, Tobin chose not to believe them, stating that at the time they seemed too "incredulous" to be true.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kelly |first=Mike |date=August 31, 2018 |title=Kelly: The secret life of Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and reports of sex abuse |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/mike-kelly/2018/08/31/catholic-church-sex-abuse-secrets-must-faced/1149640002/ |access-date=September 1, 2018 |newspaper=USA Today}}</ref>
In August 2020, Tobin disputed a Catholic New Agency in which anonymous priests claimed that a "gay subculture" existed in the archdiocese and in its college seminary.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CNA |title=Cardinal Tobin denies knowledge of 'gay subculture' in Newark |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/39168/cardinal-tobin-denies-knowledge-of-gay-subculture-in-newark |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}</ref>
=== Immigration === Tobin is a strong advocate of increased acceptance of migrants into the United States and of a lenient position towards [[undocumented immigrants]]. In March 2017, he accompanied 59-year old Catalino Guerrero, an undocumented immigrant, to his [[deportation]] hearing. In May 2018, Tobin called on Catholic leaders to resist Trump's immigration policies, saying, "you really have to believe in inflicting cruelty on innocent people to choose to support the policies we've seen in recent months."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/05/17/tobin-calls-trump-immigration-policies-cruelty-innocent-people/ |title=Tobin calls Trump immigration policies 'cruelty on innocent people' |last=Levitt |first=Shannon |date=May 17, 2017 |publisher=Crux Now |access-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904225633/https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/05/17/tobin-calls-trump-immigration-policies-cruelty-innocent-people/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In September 2019, Tobin gave a blessing to a crowd gathered outside the [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] (ICE) office in Newark. They were protesting the immigration policy of the [[Trump administration family separation policy|Trump Administration]] that separated children from parents who were [[Undocumented immigrants (U.S.)|undocumented immigrants.]] He remarked, "These draconian measures are not a solution to our broken immigration system. They are violations to human dignity."<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Cardinal Joseph Tobin blesses immigration protest against ICE policy |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/42182/cardinal-tobin-blesses-immigration-protest |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}</ref>
In January 2026, a day after the [[killing of Alex Pretti]] by [[United States Border Patrol]] agents in [[Minneapolis]], Tobin denounced ICE as a "lawless organization" and urged Catholics to oppose additional funding for the agency.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Loughlin |first=Michael J. |title=Cardinal Tobin: Pray, mourn and say 'no' to ICE funding |url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/cardinal-tobin-pray-mourn-and-say-no-ice-funding |access-date=2026-01-26 |website=National Catholic Reporter |language=en}}</ref>
===LGBTQ issues=== Tobin, in April, welcomed a "pilgrimage" of gay and lesbian Catholics and their families to the archdiocese's cathedral in 2017. In an interview before the Mass, Tobin said, <blockquote>"The word I use is 'welcome'. These are people that have not felt welcome in other places. My prayer for them is that they do. Today in the Catholic Church, we read a passage that says you have to be able to give a reason for your hope. And I'm praying that this pilgrimage for them, and really for the whole Church, is a reason for hope."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/nyregion/catholic-church-gays-mass-newark-cathedral.html|title=As Church Shifts, a Cardinal Welcomes Gays; They Embrace a 'Miracle'|date=April 17, 2019 |newspaper=New York Times|access-date=July 9, 2019}}</ref></blockquote>In an interview with NBC's [[Anne Thompson (TV journalist)|Anne Thompson]] In April 2019, Tobin said:<blockquote>"The Church, I think, is having its own conversation about what our faith has us do and say with people in relationships that are same-sex. What should be without debate is that we are called to welcome them." Tobin was then asked about language in the [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] that refers to [[homosexuality]] as "intrinsically disordered." Tobin answered, "Well I don't call them 'intrinsically disordered' ... It's very unfortunate language. Let's hope that eventually that language is a little less hurtful."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.today.com/video/how-cardinal-joseph-tobin-found-his-calling-in-the-catholic-church-1496688707952|title=How Cardinal Joseph Tobin found his calling in the Catholic Church |date=April 17, 2019 |publisher= Today Show|access-date=July 9, 2019}}</ref></blockquote>
Tobin in 2019 expressed his support for the 2017 book called ''Building a Bridge'', by Father [[James Martin (priest, born 1960)|James Martin]], [[Society of Jesus|SJ]], which called for the church to modify its relationship with [[LGBT community|LGBT people]]. Tobin commented that <blockquote>"in too many parts of our church, LGBT people have been made to feel unwelcome, excluded, and even shamed. Father Martin's brave, prophetic, and inspiring new book marks an essential step in inviting church leaders to minister with more compassion, and in reminding LGBT Catholics that they are as much a part of our church as any other Catholic."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/41076/cardinal-tobin-catechism-language-very-unfortunate-on-homosexuality |title=Cardinal Tobin: Catechism language 'very unfortunate' on homosexuality |date=April 18, 2019 |access-date=June 7, 2019}}</ref></blockquote>
=== Political polarization === In June 2014, Tobin warned that the [[ideological polarization]] of American political life "helps to contribute to the [[balkanization]] of American Catholics into so-called right wing and left wing, or progressive and traditionalist, factions, who point fingers at each other". Speaking at a meeting of the College Theology Society, he said that:<blockquote>"In my opinion, finger pointing does a great harm to religious life because it makes us defensive ... [and] we feel constantly compelled to defend ourselves against other parties in the church."<ref>{{cite news |last=McElwee |first=Joshua J. |date=June 2, 2014 |title=Archbishop warns of 'balkanization' in US church |url=http://ncronline.org/news/politics/archbishop-warns-balkanization-us-church |access-date=November 17, 2015 |work=National Catholic Reporter}}</ref></blockquote>
=== Tridentine Mass === In April 2023, Tobin said that he sympathized with Catholics who were unhappy about restrictions on the Tridentine Mass that were published by Pope Francis in his 2021 moto proprio ''[[Traditionis custodes|Traditiones Custodes]]''.<blockquote>I would say the experience of feeling banished is something that is sadly part of the signs of the times, not simply for people who very much love the Traditional Mass.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Synod cardinal speaks on LGBTQ+ Catholics and those who love the Traditional Latin Mass |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255637/synod-cardinal-speaks-on-lgbtq-plus-catholics-and-those-who-love-the-traditional-latin-mass |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}</ref></blockquote>
=== Women in the church === Tobin supports greater roles for women in the Catholic Church. In an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]'' on December 22, 2017, Tobin said that he "understand[s] the consternation" among women who find themselves frustrated that they are not permitted to become priests. When asked about the possibility of a female cardinal, he responded, "Maybe my theology isn't sophisticated enough, but I don't believe that there's a compelling theological reason why the pope couldn't name a woman cardinal."<ref>{{cite news |last=Kristof |first=Nicholas |date=December 22, 2017 |title=Cardinal Tobin, Am I a Christian? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/22/opinion/sunday/cardinal-tobin-christian.html |access-date=September 1, 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
==See also== {{div col}} * [[Catholic Church in the United States]] * [[Hierarchy of the Catholic Church]] * [[Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States]] * [[List of Catholic bishops in the United States]] * [[Lists of popes, patriarchs, primates, archbishops, and bishops]] {{div col end}}
== Notes == {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{cite web| access-date = October 24, 2017| title= Tobin Card. Joseph William, C.Ss.R. |publisher= [[Holy See Press Office]] | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_tobin_j.html | url-status=dead | archive-date= November 20, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161120085327/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_tobin_j.html |ref=none}} * {{cite news|last1=Otterman|first1=Sharon|title=Coming to Newark Archdiocese: A Different Kind of Cardinal|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/nyregion/cardinal-joseph-w-tobin-archdiocese-newark.html|access-date=October 24, 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 22, 2016 |ref=none}} *[http://www.rcan.org Official website of the Archdiocese of Newark]
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef|before=Juan Manuel Lasso de la Vega y Miranda}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Redemptorists|Superior General of the Redemptorists]]|years=September 9, 1997 – November 4, 2009}} {{s-aft|after=Michael Brehl}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=Gustavo Rodriguez Vega}} {{s-tul|title=[[Obba (town)|Titular Archbishop of Obba]]|years=August 2, 2010 – October 18, 2012}} {{s-aft|after=Rafał Markowski}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Gianfranco Gardin]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life|Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life]]|years=August 2, 2010 – October 18, 2012}} {{s-aft|after=[[José Rodríguez Carballo]]}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Daniel M. Buechlein|Daniel Mark Buechlein]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Archdiocese of Indianapolis|Archbishop of Indianapolis]]|years=October 18, 2012 – November 7, 2016}} {{s-aft|after=[[Charles C. Thompson|Charles Coleman Thompson]]}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[John J. Myers|John Joseph Myers]]|rows=2}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Archdiocese of Newark|Archbishop of Newark]]|years=November 7, 2016 –}} {{s-inc|rows=3}} {{s-break}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Mission sui iuris of the Turks and Caicos Islands|Ecclesiastical Superior of the Turks and Caicos Islands]]|years=November 7, 2016 –}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Silvano Piovanelli]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Santa Maria delle Grazie a Via Trionfale|Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria delle Grazie a Via Trionfale]]|years=November 19, 2016 –}} {{s-end}}
{{Cardinals of the Catholic Church|state=collapsed}} {{US-RC-cardinals}} {{Archdiocese of Newark|state=collapsed}} {{Archdiocese of Indianapolis|state=collapsed}} {{Cardinals created by Francis}} {{portal bar|Biography|Catholic Church|Christianity|New Jersey|United States}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tobin, Joseph William}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century American cardinals]] [[Category:21st-century American Roman Catholic titular archbishops]] [[Category:Alumni of Blackfriars, Oxford]] [[Category:American immigrant rights activists]] [[Category:American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent]] [[Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Benedict XVI]] [[Category:Cardinals created by Pope Francis]] [[Category:Clergy from Detroit]] [[Category:Members of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life]] [[Category:Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary alumni]] [[Category:Redemptorist bishops]] [[Category:Redemptorist cardinals]] [[Category:Redemptorists]] [[Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Indianapolis]] [[Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Newark]]