Justin Francis Rigali (born April 19, 1935) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the eighth Archbishop of Philadelphia, having previously served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1994 to 2003, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2003. Following a sex abuse probe into the Catholic Church, Cardinal Rigali resigned in 2011.[2]
Rigali was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Cardinal James McIntyre on April 25, 1961.[5] After his ordination, Rigali received pastoral assignments at parishes in Los Angeles and Downey, California.[4]
While in Rome, Rigalo served as an assistant during the first two sessions (1962–1963) of the Second Vatican Council.[6] Rigali returned to California in the summer of 1964 and was briefly assigned as an associate pastor at a parish in Pomona.[7] Back to Rome, he studied at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy from 1964 to 1966 in preparation for his diplomatic work for the Vatican.[4]
Vatican Secretariat
Rigali began his service in the English section of the Secretariat of State on November 25, 1964.[6] From September 1966 to February 1970, he served as secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature to Madagascar. The Vatican named Rigali as a papal chamberlain on July 11, 1967. On February 11, 1970, Rigali became director of the English section of the Secretariat of State. He also served as the English translator for Pope Paul VI, accompanying him on several international trips.[6]
During his service at the Secretariat of State, Rigali also served as a chaplain at a Carmelite monastery and as a professor at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.[4] He accompanied Pope John Paul II on several international trips, including his 1979 and 1987 visits to the United States. The Vatican elevated Rigali to a prelate of honor on April 19, 1980, and to a magistral chaplain in the Order of the Knights of Malta on October 25, 1984.[6]
During the same time, Rigali also provided pastoral service to parishes and seminaries in Rome.[4]
Archbishop of St. Louis
On January 25, 1994, John Paul II named Rigali as the seventh archbishop of St. Louis. Rigali was installed in St. Louis, Missouri, by Cardinal Bernardin Gantin on March 15, 1994.[9]
Rigalio became a member of the Knights of Columbus on November 7, 1994. During his tenure at St. Louis, Rigali showed a great interest in schools, visiting every Catholic high school in the archdiocese.[10] However, Rigali opposed collective bargaining by teachers, and opposed any efforts they made to unionize. Rigali was widely credited as an able administrator and effective fundraiser, although observers said that his popularity dimmed as his tenure continued.[10]
In January 1999, Rigali hosted the visit of John Paul II to St. Louis.[10] The pope reportedly decided to visit the archdiocese because of his longtime close friendship with Rigali in Rome.[10]
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, Rigali "brought financial stability to the St. Louis Archdiocese, overseeing successful capital campaigns to address immediate needs and raising endowment funds for the future."[11]
Archbishop of Philadelphia
Rigali was appointed the eighth archbishop of Philadelphia by John Paul II on July 15, 2003.[12][9] He was installed as archbishop on October 7, 2003. On September 28, 2003, the Vatican elevated Rigali to the College of Cardinals, a customary privilege for the archbishops of Philadelphia. Rigali was created as cardinal-priest of Santa Prisca in Rome during the consistory of October 21, 2003.[9]
On June 16, 2011, Benedict XVI appointed Rigali to serve as his special envoy to the celebrations at Prachatice in the Czech Republic for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bishop John Neumann.[13]
Retirement
On July 19, 2011, Benedict XVI accepted Rigali's resignation as archbishop of Philadelphia and named Archbishop Charles J. Chaput to succeed him.[14] Chaput was installed as archbishop on September 8, 2011.[15][16] Rigali then retired in residence at the Diocese of Knoxville. He was invited there by Bishop Richard Stika, with whom he shares living quarters.[17][18]
Rigali participated in the 2013 conclave that selected Pope Francis. Rigali remained eligible to vote in conclaves until he reached 80 on April 19, 2015. In December 2013, Rigali retired from the Congregation for Bishops.[19] During this period, Rigali participated in some activities in the Diocese of Nashville.[20]In January 2023, Rigali was hospitalized in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a few days for an undisclosed medical condition.[21]
In October 2005, a grand jury empaneled in 2003 by Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham released a report on the cover-ups of sexual abuse by clergy in the archdiocese. [22] In response to the report, Rigali stated that “no priests in ministry today who have an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them.” However, some groups disputed the accuracy of that statement.[23]
In 2007, a former Catholic high school student reported that he had been repeatedly molested by Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The alleged abuse took place when Bransfield was priest teaching Lansdale Catholic High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, during the 1970s.[24] Rigali, then archbishop of Philadelphia, announced in October 2009 that the allegations could not be substantiated and took no action against Bransfield.[24]
In 2011, Bransfield gave $1,000 to Rigali. Bransfield made other cash gifts to senior clerics in the archdiocese, including MonsignorTimothy C. Senior, the vicar for clergy.[24] One of Bransfield's accusers said that Rigali and other archdiocesan officials "looked the other way" and failed to inform him about the church's handling of his complaint.[24]
In early 2011, another grand jury in Philadelphia reported that the archdiocese was still negligent in its handling of sexual abuse accusations against clergy. In March 2011, Rigali suspended 21 priests in a single day, "prompting criticism that he should have alerted prosecutors sooner."[14][25][26]
Views
Same sex marriage
In June 2006, Rigali traveled to the White House along with Archbishop John J. Myers and Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley to attend a press conference by US President George W. Bush. The purpose was to support passage of the proposed Marriage Protection Amendment to the US Constitution in the United States Senate, which would ban civil unions and marriages by same sex couples. The amendment did not pass the senate in 2006 or in later years.
"There are reasons for rejoicing" in the pro-life cause: the growing participation by young people and a heightened awareness of the issue's intense and growing moral sensitivity among them, who will eventually have a contribution to make to societal issues."
In 2009, Rigali endorsed passage of the Pregnant Women Support Act in Congress. He praised the bill for offering "an authentic common ground" that will provide many kinds of life-affirming support for pregnant women and their unborn children.[27] The bill did not pass congress.
Conscience rights
In November 2009, Rigali, along with other Catholic prelates and religious leaders from other denominations, signed the Manhattan Declaration. The document reiterated conservative viewpoints on marriage and religious freedom .[28]
In April 2009, Rigali denounced the ordination ceremony of two Catholic women in Philadelphia, calling it a "pseudo-ordination" that "denigrates the truth entrusted to the Church by Christ himself." He excommunicated the two participants[30][31]
Communications
Rigali has run a weekly series of Lenten discourses on YouTube. In 2010, he established an official Facebook page.
Charity work
Rigali is an honorary council member of the St. Louis, Missouri–based humanitarian organization Wings of Hope.[32]
