Robert Francis Vasa (born May 7, 1951) is an American
prelate
A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. On Monday, January 24, 2011, Vasa was named the
coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...
to Bishop
Daniel F. Walsh
Daniel Francis Walsh (born October 2, 1937) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.
Walsh first served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in California from 1981 to 1987, then as bishop of the Diocese of ...
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
. Until then, he had been the fifth bishop of the
Diocese of Baker
The Diocese of Baker (Latin: ''Dioecesis Bakeriensis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Eastern Oregon, United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolis (reli ...
in Oregon. On June 30, 2011, Walsh's resignation was accepted by Benedict XVI and Vasa succeeded him as bishop.
Biography
Early life
Robert Vasa was born on May 7, 1951, in
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
, to Joe and Leona Vasa. From 1972 to 1976, he studied at
Holy Trinity Seminary
Holy Trinity Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary residence in Irving, Texas, United States, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas, Diocese of Dallas, Texas that is located within the University of Dallas campus, founded in 1964. It is headed ...
in Dallas, Texas, where he obtained a
Master of Divinity
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...
degree.
Priesthood
Vasa was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
Diocese of Lincoln
The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire.
History
The diocese traces its roots in an unbroken line to the Pre-Reformation Diocese of Leices ...
by Bishop Glennon Flavin on May 22, 1976. After his ordination, Vasa served as a
curate
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ Parish. He also taught at Pius X High School in Lincoln until 1977, when he became an
advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...
on the diocesan Marriage Tribunal. In 1979, Vasa entered the
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as ...
in Rome, earning a
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law ( la, Juris Canonici Licentiatus; JCL) is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law. Licentiate ...
in 1981.
Following his return to Nebraska, Vasa was named assistant
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the diocese and afterwards father prior of the local
Columbian Squires
The Columbian Squires is an international youth fraternity run by the Knights of Columbus for Catholic boys between the ages of 10 and 18. Its stated mission is "to develop young men as leaders who understand their Catholic religion, who have a st ...
chapter. He was appointed
judicial vicar
In the Roman Catholic Church, a judicial vicar or episcopal official ( la, links=no, officialis) is an officer of the diocese who has ordinary power to judge cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court. Although the diocesan bishop can reserv ...
of the diocesan tribunal and
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
of St. James Parish in
Cortland, Nebraska
Cortland is a village in Gage County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 482 at the 2010 census.
History
Cortland was platted in 1884 when the railroad was extended to that point. An early variant name was "Galesburg". The present name ...
, in 1985. He directed the remodeling and fund drive for St. Stephen Parish in Exter, Nebraska.
In addition to his duties as judicial vicar, Vasa was appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish in Lincoln in 1990. He was raised by the Vatican to the rank of
honorary prelate
A Prelate of Honour of His Holiness is a Catholic prelate to whom the Pope has granted this title of honour.
They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards clerical clothing. In 1996 Vasa was named
vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the diocese and
moderator of the curia
Moderator of the curia is a top administrative position held by a Catholic priest in a diocese under the supervision of the bishop. The moderator coordinates the exercise of the administrative duties and oversees the office holders, or curia, in ...
. He became chair of the Diocesan Building Commission in 1996 and served as pastor of St. Michael Parish in
Cheney, Nebraska
Cheney is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States.
History
In 1867, the Midland Pacific Railroad was established in Nebraska City. Midland Pacific began to build a line to Lincoln the following year, passing t ...
, from 1997 to 1999.
Bishop of Baker
On November 19, 1999, Vasa was named the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Baker by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
. He received his
episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
Fabian Bruskewitz
Fabian Wendelin Bruskewitz (born September 6, 1935) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln in Nebraska, from 1992 to 2012. He is known for often taking conservative stands on social i ...
serving as
co-consecrators
A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop.
The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...
.
In a 2006 column, Vasa implied that Catholics who support
abortion rights
Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...
for women are guilty of a so-called heresy of murder.According to a ''
Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service (CNS) is an American news agency owned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that reports on the Catholic Church.
The agency's domestic service is set to shut down at the end of 2022, but its Rome bur ...
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, with a population of 99,178 at the time of the 2020 U.S ...
, located within the diocese, had "gradually moved away" from the church's ethical directives and could no longer be called Catholic. As a result, mass is no longer celebrated in the hospital chapel and the hospital returned all Catholic religious items to the diocese. However, the hospital retained the St. Charles name and the cross on his facility.
Bishop of Santa Rosa
On January 24, 2011,
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
appointed Vasa as coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Vasa was installed on March 6, 2011. On June 30, 2011, he succeeded Bishop Walsh.
Vasa served as the episcopal advisor to the
Catholic Medical Association
The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) is an organization of Catholic physicians, dentists, and health care professionals in the United States and Canada. it had about 900 members. Until 1997, it was known as the National Federation of Catholic ...
until 2014. He currently serves that role for the online religious education provider, CatechismClass.
On July 22, 2019, Vasa suspended from ministry Oscar Diaz, the pastor of St. Eugene Parish in
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area ...
, after Diaz admitted to stealing $95, 000 from the parish. While local prosecutors said they did not have a strong enough case for criminal charges, Vasa said that Diaz would never be allow to work as a priest again. In December 2022, Vasa announced that the diocese would seek
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, whe ...
protection in order to deal with a large volume of sexual abuse lawsuits against the clergy. On March 13, 2023, the Santa Rosa Diocese filed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, Santa Rosa Division. The case is The Roman Catholic Bishop of Santa Rosa, Bankr. N.D. Cal., Case No. 23-10113.
See also
*
Catholic Church hierarchy
The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the Church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gif ...
*
Catholic Church in the United States
With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the country's second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism, and the country's largest single church or Christian denomination where Protestantism is divided i ...
*
Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
This is a historical list of all bishops of the Catholic Church whose sees were within the present-day boundaries of the United States, with links to the bishops who consecrated them. It includes only members of the United States Conference of Cat ...
*
List of Catholic bishops of the United States
The following is a list of bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States, including its five inhabited territories.
The U.S. Catholic Church comprises:
* 176 Latin Church dioceses led by bishops
* 18 Eastern Catholic eparchies led by e ...
*
Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
This is a directory of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops across various Christian denominations. To find an individual who was a bishop, see the most relevant article linked below or :Bishops.
Lists
Catholic
* Bishop in the Catholic Chur ...