| Most Rev. Charles Joseph Chaput, OFM Cap | |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Senior posting | |
| See | Denver |
| Title | Archbishop of Denver |
| Period in office | March 18, 1997—present |
| Predecessor | James Francis Stafford |
| Successor | incumbent |
| Personal | |
| Date of birth | September 26, 1944 |
| Place of birth | Concordia, Kansas |
Charles Joseph Chaput, OFM Cap (born September 26, 1944) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Archbishop of Denver, having previously served as Bishop of Rapid City from 1988 to 1997.
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Charles Chaput was born in Concordia, Kansas, to Joseph and Marian Helen (née DeMarais) Chaput. His father was a French Canadian directly descended from King Louis IX, and his mother was a Native American of the Potawatomi tribe; his maternal grandmother was the last member of the family to live on a reservation and Chaput himself was enrolled in the tribe at a young age. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grade School in Concordia and St. Francis Seminary High School in Victoria.
Chaput originally sought to become a diocesan priest, but decided to enter the religious life after reading a biography of St. Francis of Assisi. He entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, a branch of the Franciscans, in 1965 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He then studied at St. Fidelis College, from where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy in 1967. On July 14, 1968, he made his solemn profession as a Capuchin friar. Chaput finished his studies in psychology at the Catholic University of America in 1969, and earned a Master's degree in Religious Education from Capuchin College in 1970.
His mother died on May 9, 2007, at age 96, and Chaput presided over her funeral Mass.
Chaput was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Cyril Vogel on August 29, 1970. He received a Master's degree in Theology from the University of San Francisco in 1971. From 1971 to 1974, he was an instructor in theology and spiritual director at his alma mater of St. Fidelis College. He then served as executive secretary and director of communications for the Capuchin province in Pittsburgh until 1977, whence he became pastor of Holy Cross Church in Thornton, Colorado.
Chaput was elected vicar provincial for the Capuchin Province of Mid-America in 1977, later becoming secretary and treasurer for the province in 1980 and chief executive and provincial minister in 1983. He was among a group of Native Americans who greeted Pope John Paul II when the latter visited Phoenix, Arizona, during his 1987 trip to the United States.
On April 11, 1988, Chaput was appointed Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, by John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following July 26 from Archbishop Pio Laghi, with Archbishop John Roach and then Archbishop (later Cardinal) James Stafford serving as co-consecrators. He thus became the second priest of Native American ancestry to be ordained a bishop in the United States, along with Donald Pelotte. He was the first Native American to be ordained as an Ordinary, rather than an auxiliary (or titular) bishop. He chose as his episcopal motto: "As Christ Loved the Church" (Ephesians 5:25).
On March 18, 1997, Archbishop Chaput was appointed Archbishop of Denver, Colorado, after the Most Rev. James Francis Stafford was appointed President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in the Roman Curia.
Chaput speaks out regularly on controversial issues, and occasionally differs publicly from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
For example, he criticized the USCCB's positive review of the film The Golden Compass.[1].
Archbishop Chaput has taken a middle-of-the road stance on the issue of whether Catholic politicians who adopt positions in opposition to Church teaching should be denied Communion. Chaput has written that while denying anyone the Eucharist is a "very grave matter" that should be used only in "extraordinary cases of public scandal," those who are "living in serious sin or who deny the teachings of the church" should voluntarily refrain from taking Communion.[1]
In an interview with The New York Times in 2004, Chaput took the position that it was sinful for Catholics to vote for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, citing Kerry's pro-choice views, amongst others, and remarking that those who intended to vote for him were "cooperating in evil" and needed "to go to confession." He was seen by some as "part of a group of bishops intent on throwing the weight of the Church into the elections"[2]. In public comments, his linkage of the Eucharist to the policy stances of political candidates and those who support them were seen by some as a politicization of moral theology.[3]
As reported by EWTN, Chaput has criticized what he views as a "spirit of adulation bordering on servility" that exists towards Barack Obama, remarking, "in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs." The Archbishop states that Obama tries to mask his record on abortion and other issues with "rosy marketing about unity, hope, and change." Chaput also dismissed the notion that Obama was given a broad mandate, reasoning he was elected to "fix an economic crisis" and not to "retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life, and abortion."[2]
In his book Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life, Chaput exhorts Catholics to take a "more active, vocal, and morally consistent role" in the political process, arguing that private convictions cannot be separated from public actions without diminishing both. Rather than asking citizens to put aside their religious and moral beliefs for the sake of public policy, Chaput believes American democracy depends upon a fully engaged citizenry, including religious believers, to function properly.[3]
| Episcopal Lineage | |
| Consecrated by: | Pío Laghi |
| Date of consecration: | July 26, 1988 |
| Consecrator of | |
|---|---|
| Bishop | Date of consecration |
| José Horacio Gómez | January 23, 2001 |
| James Conley | May 30, 2008 |
| Fernando Isern | December 10, 2009 |
| Preceded by Harold Joseph Dimmerling |
Bishop of Rapid City 1988–1997 |
Succeeded by Blase Cupich |
| Preceded by James Francis Stafford |
Archbishop of Denver 1997–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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