Statement of Bishop Joseph F. Martino

9/1/2009
Diocese of Scranton (www.dioceseofscranton.org/)

'This development has caused me great sorrow, resulting in bouts of insomnia and at times a crippling physical fatigue.'

The Diocese of Scranton needs to continue to respond to the call of our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, and of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, to engage in the New Evangelization. To do so, however, the Diocese of Scranton requires a Bishop who is at least physically vigorous. I am not that Bishop.

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SCRANTON, Pa. (Diocese of Scranton) - August 31, 2009
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Good Morning!

As you know, just over six years ago, on July 25, 2003, I was named the ninth Bishop of Scranton. My heart was filled with gratitude to Almighty God and Pope John Paul II for entrusting me with a flock to lead and accompany into greater holiness and mission. At the time of my installation as Bishop of Scranton on October 1, 2003, I cited the example of the late John Cardinal O�Hara, C.S.C., Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1952 until 1960. At Cardinal O�Hara�s installation Mass, he stated that he had no program to announce. He simply asked people to tell him their needs and to rely on him to do his best to meet those needs. In this way, the Cardinal said, �Together, we will save our souls.�

As I became more informed about the needs of the Diocese of Scranton throughout 2004, it became clear to me that, at the very least, something had to be done to halt the rapid financial deterioration of our Diocese. This situation had been caused by very high institutional expenses due to an excessive number of schools and parishes competing with one another and diluting Diocesan and parish resources. Even greater than the financial challenge of the Diocese was the fact that with so many schools and parishes, the clergy of the Diocese was not assigned in a strategic manner, with a view to leading a vigorous and successful New Evangelization of the Diocese, so dear to us all.

For some time now, there has not been a clear consensus among the clergy and people of the Diocese of Scranton regarding my pastoral initiatives or my way of governance. This development has caused me great sorrow, resulting in bouts of insomnia and at times a crippling physical fatigue.

The Diocese of Scranton needs to continue to respond to the call of our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, and of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, to engage in the New Evangelization. To do so, however, the Diocese of Scranton requires a Bishop who is at least physically vigorous. I am not that Bishop.

Therefore, I have asked our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, to accept my resignation as Bishop of Scranton. Today, it is being announced that the Holy Father has accepted my resignation and that he has named me the Retired Bishop of Scranton. I am deeply grateful to our Holy Father for his paternal compassion for me and, more importantly, for his pastoral zeal for the clergy and people of the Diocese of Scranton. While I have no immediate plans, I hope to be helpful and I will be residing for the most part in the Diocese of Scranton, specifically at the Fatima Center in Dalton, PA, when I am not visiting relatives and friends in Philadelphia.

At this time, I can also announce that the Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the office of Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton presented by Bishop John M. Dougherty, my right hand for the last six years. I am grateful that Pope Benedict XVI permitted Bishop Dougherty to stay on as Auxiliary Bishop, even though he had passed the age limit over two years ago, in order to assist me in the challenging task of governing pastorally the Diocese of Scranton. I have no words to describe the depth of my gratitude to Bishop Dougherty.

I also announce now that until a new Bishop of Scranton is chosen, Pope Benedict XVI has named His Eminence, Justin Cardinal Rigali, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Scranton. I wish to express to His Eminence my prayerful wishes that he have a fruitful apostolate among us all as our temporary Shepherd. The Cardinal will add responsibility for the almost 350,000 Catholics of the Diocese of Scranton to his current care for the almost million and a half Catholics of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This will be a great challenge for him, and I call on everyone in our Diocese to rally around the Cardinal and give him not only our cooperation but our hearts.

Finally, I thank everyone in the Diocese of Scranton who has collaborated with me, and as is customary on an occasion like this one, I seek forgiveness from anyone whom I may not have served adequately as Bishop, due to my human limitations. I invoke the prayers of Mary and all the saints and I close with these words from St. Paul�s First Letter to the Thessalonians:

�Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen�

And may Jesus Christ always be praised!

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1 - 10 of 12 Comments

William J. Murphy
3 years ago
The resignation of Bishop Martino from the diocese of Scranton is truly distressing. On reading many of the articles that have appeared on Catholic.org in the past year I have come to the opinion that our Church needed more bishops like Bishop Martino. I have nothing but love for Bishop Martino and wish him well but I can't help but feel that his resignation is a loss for our Catholic Church.
Thomas J. Murphy
3 years ago
God bless Bp. Martino for exhibiting strong leadership on the HUMAN and civil rights of the unborn. Scranton and the Catholic Church has lost one of its few leaders who speaks passionately and clearly on vital moral issues of our time.
Barbara
3 years ago
Priests take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. It seems they need to retake these vows.
Perhaps the bishop did not have the best bed side manner BUT he is / was the boss.
If he was leading the church to follow Catholic dogma and the priests chose to do other wise then shame on them.
They are supposed to promote Catholic dogma. Vatican II has destroyed the Catholic Church. Pope John XXIII has taken the church away from what Christ wanted.
GERARD V. KANE
3 years ago
i belive that BISHOP MARTINO was persecuted for following the teachings of JESUS and his ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.He is a HOLY MAN of GOD.
John Grimes
3 years ago
The notion that the bishop is standing down for health reasons holds no water. Bishop Martino has upheld many important Catholic positions during his stay in Scranton. If he had been as good an administrator as he was a teacher, the pope would not have accepted his resignation.

The sad truth is, though, that he was not a good administrator and his personality got in the way of his mandate. Not everyone is necessarily qualified to run a diocese efficiently and wisely, a simple truth the Vatican must take into consideration. All the pious hand-wringing and anguish expressed above is out of place. Roma locuta est, and Rome is not stupid.
Gabriel
3 years ago
Devastating turn of events but not surprising. Our Lady fortold events of this nature at Akita.
Jo Ann Muetterties
3 years ago
Although born and raised on the East coast, and relocated to the West coast, I have recently considered moving back since half of my family are there. I was considering the Scranton area, being a TLM Catholic, and reading of Bishop Martino's actions there. I am deeply saddened with this news. I pray God blesses him but have now put any such move on hold.It is Sad indeed, that the Bishops who follow Church teachings are literally persecuted!
George Lightner
3 years ago
Father, I am upset at your retirement. I have followed your activities in the media and have been a supporter, although a (mostly) silent one. May God bless you and grant you peace.

gl
Janet Baker
3 years ago
He's depressed, all right! The cure is the return of the Church to full tradition. The brand is so much in play these days, with Obama being named the Spirit of Vatican II by America magazine. The faithful must step up to prayer, for sure. Please join SSPX and the poor, beseiged Holy Father in trying to do that. Demand the traditional mass in your parish, demand that places to kneel be given in the new mass, tell your eucharistic ministers to resign their commissions as the Holy Father asked in Redemptionis Sacramentum, and pray the rosary along with SSPX--and look for them on the internet and turn in the rosaries. Our Church is being taken over by the forces of modernity, just as all the others, and we'll fight, or die. Martino was pro-life, at least. The new church of Obama is most certainly not that, among the other heresies they endorse that ultimately spring from that deformed protestant mass.
Stephanie Z
3 years ago
God Bless you Bishop Joseph. It takes courage to make the decision you made. I am thankful to have learned about how you never compromised God's word nor the teachings of the Catholic Church. I agree with you. And most likely God is still going to use you and His calling will be revealed to you after you regain your strength. God Bless You.

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