New bishop appointed to succeed Bishop Tobin at helm of Diocese of Providence

A successor has been chosen to replace Bishop Thomas Tobin, the controversial figure whose inflammatory Twitter posts have brought national attention to the Diocese of Providence.

Pope Francis has appointed the Most Rev. Richard G. Henning as the coadjutor bishop of Providence, the Diocese announced on Wednesday. Henning "will assist Bishop Thomas J. Tobin much like an auxiliary bishop but will automatically succeed Bishop Tobin as the next bishop of Providence whenever the latter’s resignation is accepted by the Holy Father."

Tobin, a hard-line conservative, has been at odds with some of Pope Francis' more liberal stances, such as his support for same-sex civil unions. He is still at least several months away from retirement: The Catholic Church requires bishops to submit a letter of resignation upon reaching the age of 75, and Tobin will hit that milestone on April 1, 2023.

Although 75 is the church's retirement age, the Pope does not have to accept the letter of resignation right away. In some cases, bishops have continued to remain in their post for several more years, or longer. In any case, Tobin indicated at a news conference on Wednesday that he doesn't expect to linger.

"The transition, I think, will happen fairly quickly," he said.

While it was no secret that Tobin was approaching retirement age, the news that a successor was already being put into place to smooth the transition came as a surprise.

The Diocese made its announcement Wednesday morning — the day before Thanksgiving, which is typically a news vacuum.

Asked about the timing, Tobin noted that plenty of reporters had nonetheless turned out for the news conference, which had been announced late the night before.

"A lot of it has to be coordinated with the Holy See, with the Vatican," he said. "Keep in mind, it's not Thanksgiving in Rome ... This seemed to be a good time so we would have it done, in fact, before Thanksgiving, before we get into Advent, too close to Christmas. I guess there’s never a perfect time, but we thought this would be a pretty good time."

The Diocese also announced on Wednesday that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Rev. Robert C. Evans as Auxiliary Bishop of Providence. Evans turned 75 on Sept. 2.

Tobin prepares to step down; new bishop to automatically succeed him

Tobin said on Wednesday that he was "delighted" by Henning's appointment, and noted that bishops who stay on past the age of 75 often do so because they aren't fortunate enough to have a coadjutor who is prepared to take over.

Asked when he expects to step down, he said it would be "purely at the Holy Father's discretion," but that he was guessing it would be "sometime in the spring."

"I don't want to be a lame duck forever," he joked. "I'd rather be a dead duck, I guess."

Henning, who is 58, will receive his official letter of appointment from Pope Francis at a special Mass scheduled for Jan. 26.

He will serve as coadjutor bishop, a role that is intended to give him an opportunity to familiarize himself with the diocese, until the Pope accepts Tobin's resignation. At that point, Henning will automatically become the ninth Bishop of Providence.

Tobin has been outspoken hard-line voice on abortion, gay rights

Tobin has been in his current role since 2005. He came to Providence after serving as the bishop for the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio. Before that, he was an auxiliary bishop in his native Pittsburgh.

Tobin is known for being staunchly anti-abortion. He has criticized Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, such as President Joe Biden, and previously barred former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving communion because of his stance on abortion.

He opposed efforts to legalize gay marriage in Rhode Island. In 2020, after Pope Francis expressed support for same-sex civil unions, Tobin denounced that view and said the Catholic Church "cannot support the acceptance of objectively immoral relationships."

Tobin's outspoken commentary on Twitter has repeatedly generated headlines – and backlash.

Earlier this year, upon learning that Allie's Donuts was collecting donations for Planned Parenthood, Tobin suggested that "Catholics, and others concerned about protecting human life, might want to buy their donuts elsewhere."

In 2019, he drew national outrage when he tweeted that Catholics should not attend LGBTQ Pride Month events.

"They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals," Tobin wrote. "They are especially harmful for children.”

Tobin abruptly quit Twitter in 2018, saying that it had become "an occasion of sin," but rejoined the platform a year later.

Asked on Wednesday about what advice he would give to his successor, Tobin joked, "My advice probably can’t be public."

"Every place is unique," he added, noting that it will take some time for Bishop Henning to become accustomed to his new diocese, but that he expects he'll be a "very quick study."

Earlier this year: Bishop Tobin suggests boycotting Allie's Donuts for its Planned Parenthood donations

Is Bishop Henning as conservative as Bishop Tobin?

Bishop Tobin is known for his outspoken opposition to abortion and gay marriage. At times, he has been critical of Pope Francis, who has brought a more liberal outlook to the Catholic Church.

Henning did not give any indication that he shares Tobin's stances at Wednesday's news conference and did not express any disagreement with Pope Francis' beliefs.

"Do I in any way dissent from him? The answer is when it comes to Catholic teaching, no, I do not," he said.

"But the Holy Father doesn’t expect us to be automatons, right?" he added, saying that he sees it as his duty "to pray and to exercise leadership, and to do so according to my conscience."

"I would never see that as putting me at odds with the Holy Father,” he said.

What is the Diocese of Providence?

The Diocese of Providence encompasses the state of Rhode Island, which has a total population of 1,097,379, including 603,558 Catholics, according to the U.S. Conference of Bishops.

Who is the Most Rev. Robert C. Evans?

Bishop Evans has been auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Providence since 2009, when he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI after serving at St. Philip Parish in the Smithfield village of Greenville.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bishops Henning and Tobin to be leaders of Diocese of Providence