Edward James Slattery (born August 11, 1940) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelateA prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, literally, "carry before," or "to be set above, or over," or "to prefer," hence a prelate is one set over...
of the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
. He is the third and current
Bishop of TulsaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the eastern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of 31 counties in eastern Oklahoma, including the most populous county of the group: Tulsa County...
.
The second of seven children, Edward Slattery was born in Chicago,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, to William Edward and Winifred Margaret (née Brennan) Slattery; both his paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
. After attending Visitation of the BVM Grade School and
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory SeminaryArchbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was a United States high school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
, he studied at
St. Mary of the Lake SeminaryUniversity of Saint Mary of the Lake, also called Mundelein Seminary, is the principal seminary and school of theology for the formation of priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, governed from Chicago, Illinois in the United States. It is recognized as the first institution of higher...
, from where he obtained
Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
and
Master of DivinityIn the academic study of Christian theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degrees.
Slattery was
ordainedThe term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to a group of individuals who are set apart for a special role or ministry....
to the
priesthoodThe ministerial orders of the Catholic Church includes the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by John Cardinal Cody on April 26, 1966, and then served as
associate pastorFrom the Latin curatus , a curate is a person who is invested with the care, or cure , of souls of a parish. In this sense it correctly means a parish priest. In Anglican churches, however, the term is usually used for an assistant priest or deacon...
of St.
Edward James Slattery (born August 11, 1940) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelateA prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, literally, "carry before," or "to be set above, or over," or "to prefer," hence a prelate is one set over...
of the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
. He is the third and current
Bishop of TulsaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the eastern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of 31 counties in eastern Oklahoma, including the most populous county of the group: Tulsa County...
.
Early life
The second of seven children, Edward Slattery was born in Chicago,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, to William Edward and Winifred Margaret (née Brennan) Slattery; both his paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
. After attending Visitation of the BVM Grade School and
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory SeminaryArchbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was a United States high school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
, he studied at
St. Mary of the Lake SeminaryUniversity of Saint Mary of the Lake, also called Mundelein Seminary, is the principal seminary and school of theology for the formation of priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, governed from Chicago, Illinois in the United States. It is recognized as the first institution of higher...
, from where he obtained
Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
and
Master of DivinityIn the academic study of Christian theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degrees.
Priesthood
Slattery was
ordainedThe term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to a group of individuals who are set apart for a special role or ministry....
to the
priesthoodThe ministerial orders of the Catholic Church includes the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by John Cardinal Cody on April 26, 1966, and then served as
associate pastorFrom the Latin curatus , a curate is a person who is invested with the care, or cure , of souls of a parish. In this sense it correctly means a parish priest. In Anglican churches, however, the term is usually used for an assistant priest or deacon...
of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in
South HollandSouth Holland is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,147 at the 2000 census. South Holland also serves as the seat of Thornton Township. South Holland was first settled in 1846 by immigrants from South Holland, the Netherlands. When the town incorporated in...
until 1971. During this time, he also earned a
Master's degreeA master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from
Loyola UniversityLoyola University Chicago is a Jesuit private university located in Chicago, Illinois. The university was founded in 1870 as St. Ignatius College, and is the largest Jesuit, Catholic University in the United States....
. He was
Vice-PresidentA vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
(1971-76) and
PresidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
(1976-94) of the
Catholic Church Extension Society"The Catholic Church Extension Society strengthens the Church's presence and mission in under-resourced and isolated communities across the United States."-Early history, USA:...
, a Chicago-based funding agency for the American home missions. While working at Extension, he was named associate pastor at the inner-city
HispanicHispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of origins in Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain - "Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or "Cuban" - as well as those who indicate that they are "other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino." Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or...
parish of St. Rose of Lima on the
south side of ChicagoThe South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
in 1973. He later served as
pastorThe term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The...
of St. Rose of Lima from 1976 to 1989.
Episcopal career
On November 11, 1993, Slattery was appointed the third
Bishop of TulsaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the eastern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of 31 counties in eastern Oklahoma, including the most populous county of the group: Tulsa County...
,
OklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,617,316 residents in 2007 and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, by
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
. He received his
episcopal consecrationIn the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on January 6, 1994 from John Paul II himself, with Archbishops Giovanni Re and Josip Uhac serving as
co-consecratorsConsecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at
St. Peter's BasilicaThe Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as the ' and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is the symbolic "Mother church" of...
in
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
. He selected as his episcopal
mottoA motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used...
:
"Tu Solus Sanctus"Gloria in excelsis Deo" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology and the Angelic Hymn....
", meaning,
"You alone are the Holy One." As bishop, Slattery serves as the spiritual leader of over 56,000 Catholics in
Eastern OklahomaSee Also: Green CountryEastern Oklahoma is usually defined as east of Oklahoma City and east of Interstate 35 in Oklahoma. The region includes Tulsa.The region is usually divided into two main areas: Northeast Oklahoma, and Southeast Oklahoma....
.
Illegal immigrants
In 2006, Slattery said that if a law was passed criminalizing the act of aiding
illegal immigrantsIllegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of foreign nationals violating U.S. immigration policies and national laws by immigrating to the United States without proper consent from the United States government....
"then [he] will become a criminal," adding, "When it becomes a crime to love the poor and serve their needs, then I will be the first to go to jail for this crime, and I pray that every priest and every deacon in this diocese will have the courage to walk with me into that prison." In 2007, he issued a 21-page
pastoral letter in which he condemned
Oklahoma House Bill 1804Oklahoma House Bill 1804, also known as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act 2007, is a strict anti-illegal immigration law introduced by state Rep. Randy Terrill , chairman of the Revenue and Taxation Committee. The law makes it a felony even to give a person a ride if they know or...
, a strict anti-illegal immigration law which Slattery claimed creates "an atmosphere of repression and terror."
Pro-choice politicians
During the
2008 presidential electionThe 56th quadrennial United States presidential election was held on November 4, 2008. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies and actions and the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign, and during the general election campaign, both major party...
, Slattery criticized
House SpeakerThe Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The current Speaker is Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat representing California's 8th congressional district....
Nancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
and
U.S. SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
Joe BidenJoseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. , is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States under the administration of President Barack Obama. He was a United States Senator from Delaware from January 3, 1973 until his resignation on January 15, 2009, following his election to the Vice...
for their remarks on
abortionAn abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced, in humans and other species...
on
Meet the PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television show in worldwide broadcasting history, having made its television debut on November 6, 1947...
, describing their positions as "clearly inconsistent with Catholic teaching" and "plainly false."
Ad orientem liturgy
Bishop Slattery has returned to the practice of celebrating the Eucharistic liturgy
ad orientemIn the Catholic liturgy the expression ad orientem is the eastward orientation of a priest celebrating Mass. This orientation has been described as the "cosmic sign of the rising sun which symbolizes the universality of God."...
in his cathedral. He explained in his diocesan newspaper that this liturgical orientation had a number of significant advantages over the
versus populumVersus populum is the liturgical orientation in which the priest celebrates Mass facing the people. The opposite orientation, whereby the priest faces in the same direction as the people, is often called ad orientem , even if the priest is not in fact facing the east.From the middle of the...
form of celebrating the Mass.