{{Short description|American Catholic Bishop}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = | honorific_prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend | name = William Edward Koenig | honorific_suffix = | title = Bishop of Wilmington | caption = | appointed = April 30, 2021 | enthroned = July 13, 2021 | retired = | predecessor = W. Francis Malooly | successor = | other_post = <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = May 14, 1983 | ordained_by = John R. McGann | consecration = July 13, 2021 | consecrated_by = William E. Lori, John Barres, and W. Francis Malooly <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|08|17}} | birth_place = Queens, New York, US | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | motto = We walk by faith<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdow.org/newbishop/|title=Welcome Bishop – Catholic Diocese of Wilmington|date=21 August 2023|access-date=2 July 2021|archive-date=7 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707135131/https://www.cdow.org/newbishop/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | see = Diocese of Wilmington | church = Roman Catholic Church | education = Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception<br>Seminary of the Immaculate Conception<br>Fordham University }} {{Infobox bishopstyles | name= William Edward Koenig | dipstyle= *His Excellency *The Most Reverend | offstyle=Your Excellency | relstyle=Bishop | image = Coat of arms of William Edward Koenig.svg | image_size = 200px }}
'''William Edward Koenig''' (born August 17, 1956) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as bishop of Wilmington in Delaware since 2021.
==Biography==
=== Early life === William Koenig was born on August 17, 1955, in Queens, New York. Koenig grew up in East Meadow, New York, attending St. Raphael's Elementary School.<ref name=":0" /> Deciding to become a priest, he entered St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary in Uniondale, New York, the minor seminary in the New York City area.<ref name=":0" />
Koenig progressed to Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, New York, in 1975. Four years later, Koenig started studying at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York. He received a Master of Divinity degree from that seminary in 1983.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2021 |title=Pope Francis names Monsignor William Koenig as Bishop of Wilmington – Catholic Diocese of Wilmington |url=https://www.cdow.org/pope-francis-names-monsignor-william-koenig-as-bishop-of-wilmington/ |access-date=30 April 2021 |archive-date=30 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430200336/https://www.cdow.org/pope-francis-names-monsignor-william-koenig-as-bishop-of-wilmington/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== Priesthood === On May 14, 1983, Koenig was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rockville Centre by Bishop John R. McGann at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, New York.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Bishop William Edward Koenig [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkoenig.html |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>
After his ordination, the diocese assigned Koenig in 1983 as parochial vicar at St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Syosset, New York. Three years later, he was transferred to Setauket, New York, to serve as parochial vicar at St. James Parish. During his time in Setauket, Koenig also worked in the Campus Ministry Program at the State University at Stony Brook in Stony Brook, New York.<ref name=":1" /> Bishop John R. McGann named Koenig as director of vocations in 1989 and director of ministry to priests in 1990.<ref name=":1" />
In 1989, Koenig became diocesan director of vocations at the cathedral residence of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, New York, helping in the formation of seminarians. In 1990, he also became diocesan director of ministry to priests. He held both positions for the next six years.<ref name=":1" />
In 1994, Koenig obtained a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University in New York City. In 2000, the diocese appointed him to his first position as pastor at St. William the Abbot Parish in Seaford, New York. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Koenig as chaplain to his holiness.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />Bishop William F. Murphy appointed Koenig as rector of St. Agnes Cathedral in 2009. He left that position in 2020 when Bishop John Barres appointed him vicar for clergy for the diocese.<ref name=":1" />
==== Bishop of Wilmington ==== On April 30, 2021, Pope Francis appointed Koenig as bishop for Wilmington.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=April 30, 2021 |title=Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Francis Malooly of the Diocese of Wilmington; Appoints Monsignor William Koenig of Diocese of Rockville Centre as Successor |url=https://www.usccb.org/news/2021/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-bishop-francis-malooly-diocese-wilmington-appoints |accessdate=April 30, 2021 |work=US Conference of Catholic Bishops}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pope Francis names new bishop for Delaware, overseeing Biden's Wilmington diocese |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2021/04/30/pope-francis-appoints-bishop-bidens-wilmington-diocese/7409188002/ |accessdate=April 30, 2021 |work=Delaware Online}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Koenig was consecrated by Archbishop William E. Lori on July 13, 2021, at the Church of St. Elizabeth in Wilmington, Delaware, with Bishops Barres and W. Francis Malooly serving as co-consecrators.<ref name=":2" />
Koenig was asked in 2021 if he would give the eucharist to President Joe Biden, who maintained a residence in Delaware. Some American prelates had stated they would refuse communion to Biden due to his support for abortion rights for women and same-sex marriage. Koenig said that he would discuss Catholic teaching with him.
In March 2023, Koenig expressed his opposition to a proposed bill in the Delaware House of Representatives that would require priests to violate the seal of the confessional to report admission of sexual abuse crimes to police.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Furlong |first=Tim |last2=Chang |first2=David |date=2023-03-09 |title=Proposed Del. Bill Would Require Priests to Report Confessions of Child Sex Abuse |url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/proposed-del-bill-would-require-priests-to-report-confessions-of-child-sex-abuse/3517258/ |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=NBC10 Philadelphia |language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also== {{div col}} * Catholic Church hierarchy * Catholic Church in the United States * Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States * List of Catholic bishops of the United States * Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops {{div col end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}} {{commons category}}
*[https://www.cdow.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Official Site] *[https://www.drvc.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre Official Site]
==Episcopal succession== {{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{succession box |title=Bishop of Wilmington |before= W. Francis Malooly |after= Incumbent |years= 2021-Present | }} {{s-end}}
{{portal bar|Biography|Catholicism|Delaware}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington|state=collapsed}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koenig, William Edward}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:People from Queens, New York Category:20th-century American Roman Catholic priests Category:21st-century American Roman Catholic priests Category:21st-century American Roman Catholic bishops Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Francis