Steven J. Lopes
| His Excellency The Most Reverend Steven J. Lopes | |
|---|---|
| Bishop | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter |
| In office | February 2, 2016 to present |
| Predecessor | Jeffrey N. Steenson |
| Orders | |
| Ordination |
October 5, 2000 (deacon) June 23, 2001 (priest) by William Levada |
| Consecration |
February 2, 2016 by Cardinal Gerhard Muller |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 22, 1975 Fremont, California, United States |
| Alma mater |
University of San Francisco Saint Patrick's Seminary and University Pontifical Gregorian University |
| Motto |
Magna Opera Domini (Great are the works of the Lord) |
| Coat of arms |
 |
Steven Joseph Lopes (born April 22, 1975) is an American Roman Catholic prelate. He is the Bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, a community for former Anglican clergy and laymen within the Catholic Church.
Early life and education
A native of Fremont, California, was born on April 22, 1975, the only child of José de Oliveira Lopes and Barbara Jane Lopes.[1][2] He was educated at Catholic schools in California: St. Pius School in Redwood City, St Edward's School in Newark, and Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward.[3]
Lopes studied at the St. Ignatius Institute at the University of San Francisco, and also pursued studies at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.[4] His philosophical studies and preparation for the priesthood took place at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California, before he was assigned to study theology in Rome. There he obtained a licentiate at the Pontifical Gregorian University while living at the Pontifical North American College.[4]
Ordained ministry
Lopes was ordained to the diaconate on October 5, 2000 during a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.[5] He was ordained a priest on June 23, 2001, for the Archdiocese of San Francisco by William Levada.[2][4][6] He served in two parishes in California as an associate pastor; St. Patrick's Catholic Church, San Francisco, and St. Anselm Catholic Church in Ross, California.[1]
Lopes then returned to Rome to obtain a doctorate in sacred theology from the Gregorian University.[1][4][7] Since 2005, he has served as an official of the Holy See's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, while also serving as a professor of theology at the Gregorian. During that time, Lopes served as a personal aide to Cardinal William Levada, who was prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith from 2005 to 2012.[8] On July 10, 2010, he was appointed a Chaplain of His Holiness and therefore made a monsignor.[5] Starting in 2012, Lopes served as the secretary of the Vatican commission Anglicanae Traditiones, which was formed with the goal of developing a missal that would hybridize Anglican and Roman Rite liturgical elements for the use of the personal ordinariates.[2][8]
Episcopal ministry
On November 24, 2015, the Holy See announced that Lopes would be the first bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter for the Anglican Use.[2][4][7] In assuming that responsibility, he succeeded Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson, a former Episcopal bishop appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to the position of "ordinary" in 2012.[4] (Because he is married, Steenson was ineligible for episcopal consecration in the Catholic Church.[2][9]) Lopes's appointment therefore marks the first time a Roman Catholic bishop has been appointed to any of the world's three ordinariates erected for former Anglicans.[4] On February 2, 2016, he was consecrated a bishop in Houston and took up his appointment as prelate of the Ordinariate.[10]
References
- 1 2 3 "Pope Francis Names First Bishop to Lead Catholics Nurtured in the Anglican Tradition" (Press release). Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "American Ordinariate given its first bishop". The Catholic Herald. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ↑ "Biographical Summary". The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Harris, Elise (24 November 2015). "Pope names first Catholic bishop to oversee Anglican ordinariate". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- 1 2 "Monsignor Steven J. Lopes - Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. November 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ↑ "Fast Facts: Bishop-elect Lopes". Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- 1 2 Barned-Smith, St. John; Turner, Allan (24 November 2015). "From Houston, new bishop will reach out across the nation". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- 1 2 Allen, John L. (25 November 2015). "Anglican appointment reveals continuity between Pope Francis and Benedict". Crux. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ↑ Wooden, Cindy (24 November 2015). "Pope names Vatican official head of North American Anglican ordinariate". The Catholic Register. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ↑ "Mass of Ordination for Bishop-elect Steven J. Lopes" (pdf). Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
External links
|