Bishop Robert Vasa Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Santa Rosa, California

To these and to all the teaching of the Catholic Church I give my assent.

On January 24, 2011, the day of the March for Life in Washington, DC, Bishop Robert F. Vasa, DD, a champion of Life, was named Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa.  For many Catholics the announcement brought great joy. I met Bishop Vasa a few years ago at the Catholic Leadership Conference.Bishop Robert Vasa  is unapologetic in his defense of the fundamental Human Right to Life. He also insists that every Catholic serving in public life live in a manner which is morally coherent.

P>SANTA ROSA, CA. (Catholic Online) - On January 24, 2011, the day of the March for Life in Washington, DC, Bishop Robert F. Vasa, DD, a champion of Life, was named Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa.  For many Catholics the announcement brought great joy. I met Bishop Vasa a few years ago at the Catholic Leadership Conference.  Though I had pneumonia that year, I drove to the conference anyway. It is always a source of great encouragement in my work. However, I especially wanted to meet this Bishop who is a hero to all who are concerned about fidelity to the Catholic faith in the public square.

In appointing Bishop Vasa as Coadjutor Bishop of Santa Rosa, California, the Holy Father has signaled that the Bishop will automatically assume the office upon the retirement of the current Bishop Daniel F. Walsh. The Mass of Welcome for Bishop vasa will be held on 6 March. Sources indicate that the transition will take place within the year.

Bishop Vasa (pronounced Vasha) has served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, Oregon since 1999. He is beloved by the clergy and lay faithful of his Diocese and well known nationally and internationally for his orthodoxy of doctrine, which is accompanied by a compassionate and pastoral heart.  Born in 1951, he is only 59 years old and has many years of service to offer the Church. Now, he will turn his formidable gifts toward service in a Diocese which has had its share of struggles over the last ten years. 

Bishop Vasa received his theological training at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas and his License in Canon Law from the Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in Christ in 1976 for Lincoln, Nebraska where he was born. He spent almost two decades serving the Diocese of Lincoln, under the leadership of Bishop Glennon Flavin and then Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz.  He was consecrated Bishop of Baker, Oregon on January 26, 2000.In his service as a successor of the Apostles, the Bishop has been a champion of orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

In 2004 he issued a profound pastoral letter entitled "Giving Testimony to the Truth". It called all lay men and women in any form of service to the Church to make an affirmation of fidelity. In an introductory letter accompanying the pastoral and the affirmation of fidelity, he wrote, "I am grateful to you for your willingness to serve the Church in a variety of ministries. This willingness speaks of a love for the Church and a desire to have Her message spread and received even to the "ends of the earth".

"Your willingness to profess your Faith in liturgical and catechetical action is appreciated and significant. The Church needs the service of dedicated lay persons. As chief shepherd of the Church of Eastern Oregon I also need an assurance that those who serve in official capacities hold interior dispositions consistent with Church teachings. Unfortunately, in our present day, a presumption that this is so is not always valid. The only way I can verify this is to ask, and so I am asking.

"The summary statements which I have collected in the Affirmation of Personal Faith are all taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They represent the authentic and authoritative teaching of the Catholic Church and acceptance of these tenets is expected of every Catholic. While it is sufficient for me to 'presume' that Catholics who attend Mass and receive communion adhere to these teachings (unless the contrary is clearly evident) such a presumption is not sufficient for those whom I commission to teach and act in some official capacity. Your study of this Affirmation of Personal Faith and your willingness to attest to your acceptance of each of its parts will help your pastor and me fulfill our respective duties. If you have questions or concerns about this Affirmation please feel free to call me and discuss your concerns."

The "Affirmation of Personal faith" is still required of all lay men and women in service to the Diocese of Baker. It could serve as a great template for other Dioceses. It reads as follows:

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AFFIRMATION OF PERSONAL FAITH *

"I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church teaches, believes and proclaims to be revealed by God." In particular:

I affirm and believe the Church's teaching about the inviolability of human life. In accord with that teaching I affirm that human life is sacred and must be protected and respected from the moment of conception until natural death. I affirm that I reject direct, intentional abortion and I do not recognize the legitimacy of anyone's claim to a moral right to form their own conscience in this matter. I am not pro-choice. I further attest that I am not affiliated with, nor supportive of, any organization which supports, encourages, provides or otherwise endorses abortion or euthanasia. (cf. CCC 2270-2283)

I affirm and believe the Church's teaching about the sinfulness of contraception. I affirm, in accord with the teachings of the Church that "every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil. (CCC 2370)

I affirm and believe that every person is called to chastity in accord with their present state of life and that it is only in marriage between man and woman that the intimacy of spouses becomes a sign and pledge of spiritual communion. (CCC 2337-2365) I accept the Church's teaching that any extra-marital sexual relationships are gravely evil and that these include pre-marital relations, masturbation, fornication, the viewing of pornography and homosexual relations.

I affirm and believe the teaching of the Church about the evil of homosexual acts. I accept the formulation in the Catechism which states: "Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved." (CCC 2357)

I affirm and believe all that the Church teaches about the Reality and Presence of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. Specifically I believe that Jesus is present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under each of the forms of bread and wine and that receiving either one is Communion with the whole Christ. I recognize that worship and adoration are appropriate, not only during Mass but also outside of Mass and that the Most Holy Eucharist must always be handled with the utmost care and devotion. (CCC 1373-1381)

I affirm and believe the teachings of the Church regarding Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church. I accept with the Church that it is fitting and proper to honor the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. (CCC 963-975) I affirm and believe that it is possible for a person to choose to remain separated from God for all eternity and that "This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."" (CCC 1033) I affirm and believe that those who die in God's grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified undergo additional purification so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joys of heaven. I affirm that the Church's name for this final purification is Purgatory. (CCC 1030-1032)

I affirm and believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and embrace the teachings about that Church as enunciated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (cf. CCC 748-962) I affirm and believe that the Church teaches with God-given authority and that the promise of Christ to remain with His Church always, until the end of time is a reality. I further acknowledge that those teachings pronounced in a definitive manner, even though not as an infallible definition, are binding on the consciences of the faithful and are to be adhered to with religious assent. (CCC 892)

To these and to all the teaching of the Catholic Church I give my assent. I attest that I believe these things and, while I am aware of my own sinfulness and shortcomings, I strive in my beliefs and life style to conform to this Affirmation of Personal of Faith.

* The Church requires the making of a Profession of Faith by various persons when they undertake specific duties related to Church administration and teaching. (cf. Canon 833) In the Diocese of Baker this has been expanded to include those who take on the ecclesial duties of Catechist, Liturgical Reader, Cantor, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and other Church positions which entail a presumption of orthodoxy.

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Bishop Robert Vasa  is unapologetic in his defense of the fundamental Human Right to Life. He also insists that every Catholic serving in public life live in a manner which is morally coherent. This was evident in his outspoken words during the controversies concerning Catholics in public office who have not been morally coherent over the years. 

He also does not back down from exposing infidelity in Catholic institutions under his Episcopal oversight. Last year he removed sponsorship of St. Charles Medical Center-Bend when the hospital refused to follow Catholic teaching on sterilization. He wrote, "It is my responsibility to ensure the hospital is following Catholic principles both in name and in fact. It would be misleading for me to allow St. Charles Bend to be acknowledged as Catholic in name while I am certain that some important tenets of the Ethical and Religious Directives are no longer being observed."

We invite our readers to pray for this good Bishop. Some reports indicate he was not aware of the assignment. He told a Santa Rosa paper, "It was an absolute shock to me". However, as has been evident throughout his life of service, when the Lord calls, this man of God always says "Yes". We also ask for prayers for the faithful of Baker who will most certainly miss his leadership and the faithful of Santa Rosa who have received this wonderful news.

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