Vaya con dios, Thomas Tobin and don't let the door hit you in the ass

Medievalist Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin Finally Gone From Deep Blue Rhode Island 

RhodeIslandAspie in the Daily Kos

John Paul II put a rule in that all bishops must retire at 75. This was seen as a way to clean house of Vatican II bishops.  Francis has used that rule to clean house of holdovers from two conservative popes. 

This guy will not be missed by liberal/progressive Catholics. Pope Francis has accepted his resignation and he’s probably headed down to The Villages with his Trumper friends

His reign has been a right wing shit show. He’s advertised to the world that he is a registered Republican. He’s certainly entitled to vote his conscience, if he has one. He’s entitled to register with what ever party he wants. But it doesn’t seem right for a bishop to hammer his affiliation in such a public way, regardless of what party.

He’s told Catholics they should not go to any Pride Week events. (lest their children be groomed.) He attacked Nelson Mandela before his dead body had even cooled off for the offense of having signed legislation that did what most democracies of the world had done — legalized abortion. After the US counsel of bishops issued instructions that any music in a Catholic wedding or funeral not detract from the dignity of the occasion, he reacted by banning any music not on the Catholic hymn list, which was not what the Bishops instructions stated. That caused anger in many Irish-American families when this meant that Danny Boy was now banned in RI Catholic funerals. He’s gone after President Biden claiming he is not Catholic for disagreeing with church on social issues such as abortion. He has attacked the current Pope many times for being on speaking terms with Catholics who may not see eye to eye with the church leadershipAt his previous posting, he was auxiliary  bishop in Pittsburgh while there was a major cover up of pedophilia, and when asked about it, he stated that as auxiliary bishop, it wasn’t his job to handle that.

New guy, Richard Henning, seems to be a bit more liberal. He’s not likely to be a church reformer type, but at least he will more likely be on speaking terms with all of the laity, and not just the religious right fanboys and fangirls.

Outside of the Catholic world, there is this belief that Catholics are a bunch of right wingers. But look at any Presidential vote, and the Catholic vote tends to track with the overall vote. Catholics as a group are quite mainstream. 

But they don’t get have any say who runs their church, hence the divide. No wonder so many Catholics go to church on Christmas and Easter and no more. If the Catholic laity were allowed to take part in the governing of their church as are the Episcopalians, we wouldn’t see these relics running the church.

Henning won’t try to change church teaching on the social issues, I’m sure, and probably wouldn’t if he were allowed to. But hopefully, the tone might be a lot more healthy.

Here’s more poop about the poop he’s thrown.