Rembert Weakland
Encyclopedia
Rembert George Weakland (born April 2, 1927) was an American
prelate
of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Milwaukee
from 1977 to 2002. He is the author of A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop, which explores Church reform issues, his homosexuality, and the child abuse crisis. In May 2009, Weakland came out as gay
. In 2002, shortly before his retirement, Weakland paid $450,000 of diocesan funds to a former lover to prevent a lawsuit.
, Pennsylvania
, to Basil (1897–1932) and Mary (née Kane, 1898–1978) Weakland. One of six children, he has four sisters, Leora, Elizabeth, Barbara, and Marian; and one brother, William. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Patton, and then studied at St. Vincent College
and St. Vincent Seminary
in Latrobe
.
of the Order of St. Benedict
, more commonly known as the Benedictines, at St. Vincent Archabbey
. Taking the name Rembert, he made his solemn profession
as a Benedictine monk
on September 29, 1949, at Solesmes Abbey in France
. He studied theology
at the International Benedictine College
in Rome
.
On June 24, 1951, he was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Simone Salvi, O.S.B., in Subiaco
, Italy
. He furthered his studies in music
in Italy, France, and Germany
, as well as at both the Juilliard School
and Columbia University
in New York
. From 1957 to 1963, he taught music at his alma mater
of St. Vincent College.
Weakland was elected Coadjutor Archabbot of St. Vincent Archabbey on June 26, 1963, and received the Solemn Blessing of an Archabbot from Bishop William G. Connare
of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 1963. Following this, he became the Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Vincent College. On May 8, 1964, he received a papal appointment as Consultor to the Commission for Implementing the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council and was appointed a Member of that Commission in 1968.
He was elevated to abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation
on September 29, 1967, a position he held until 1977. At this time he became Chancellor of the International Benedictine College of Sant'Anselmo, Rome, Italy. He was reelected to a second term as Abbot Primate in September, 1973. He served as a member of the Council of Superiors General from 1968 until 1977. In 1968, Weakland administered Last Rites to the body of Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton
in Thailand, whose body was flown back to Gethsemani monastery in Kentucky, where Merton is buried.
appointed Weakland Archbishop of Milwaukee. He was consecrated bishop on November 8, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
by Archbishop Jean Jadot
.
On December 21, 1999, he defended and received a Ph.D. in Musicology – "with distinction" – from Columbia University, New York, for his research and thesis on "The Office Antiphons of the Ambrosian Chant".
Weakland retired as Archbishop in 2002. In July 2009, he published his memoirs under the title of A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop dealing with the issues of ongoing Church reform, his own sexuality, and the child abuse crisis. In May 2009, Weakland came out as gay
– one of the most senior Catholic clergymen to do so.
by local priests by stating "any libellous material found in your letter will be scrutinized carefully by our lawyers." The Wisconsin Court of Appeals
rebuked him for this, calling his remarks "abrupt" and "insensitive." In 1994, Weakland said those reporting sexual abuse were "squealing." He later apologized for the remarks.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
, a deposition released in 2009 reveals that Weakland shredded reports about sexual abuse by priests.
. According to an account by Richard Schuler, a split emerged very quickly, with Weakland taking sharp exception to the "reactionary attitudes in liturgical thinking" that he said were present at the Consociato meeting. He gave interviews to the press in which he regretted the failure of the meetings to include modern music and dancing in its liturgical agenda. His views did not prevail within the CMAA, and so his presidency did not last.
's document Dominus Iesus
on religious relativism.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Milwaukee
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Roman Catholic archdiocese headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, as well as the counties of Dodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha, all...
from 1977 to 2002. He is the author of A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop, which explores Church reform issues, his homosexuality, and the child abuse crisis. In May 2009, Weakland came out as gay
Gay bishops
The existence of homosexual bishops in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other traditions is a matter of historical record, though never, until recently, considered licit by any of the main Christian denominations. Homosexual activity was engaged in secretly. When it was made public, official...
. In 2002, shortly before his retirement, Weakland paid $450,000 of diocesan funds to a former lover to prevent a lawsuit.
Life
Weakland was born in PattonPatton, Pennsylvania
Patton is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, northwest of Altoona, in an agricultural region. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1900, 2,651 people lived here, and in 1910, 3,907 people inhabited Patton. The population was 2,023 at the 2000...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to Basil (1897–1932) and Mary (née Kane, 1898–1978) Weakland. One of six children, he has four sisters, Leora, Elizabeth, Barbara, and Marian; and one brother, William. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Patton, and then studied at St. Vincent College
Saint Vincent College
Saint Vincent College is a four-year, coeducational, Roman Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, located about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. It was founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria, Germany. It was the first Benedictine monastery in the...
and St. Vincent Seminary
Saint Vincent Seminary
Saint Vincent Seminary is the fourth oldest Roman Catholic seminary in the United States and is located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, forty miles southeast of Pittsburgh....
in Latrobe
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States, approximately southeast of Pittsburgh.The city population was 7,634 as of the 2000 census . It is located near the Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999...
.
Priesthood
In 1945, he entered the novitiateNovitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
of the Order of St. Benedict
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
, more commonly known as the Benedictines, at St. Vincent Archabbey
Saint Vincent Archabbey
Saint Vincent Archabbey, was founded in 1846 by Father Boniface Wimmer, OSB, and is the oldest Benedictine monastery in the United States.The Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey operate and teach at Saint Vincent College and Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, located ...
. Taking the name Rembert, he made his solemn profession
Profession (religious)
The term religious profession is defined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church in relation to members of religious institutes as follows:By religious profession members make a public vow to observe the three evangelical counsels...
as a Benedictine monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
on September 29, 1949, at Solesmes Abbey in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at the International Benedictine College
Sant'Anselmo
Sant'Anselmo, named after the Italian saint and theologian, Anselm of Canterbury, is the home of the Abbot Primate of the Benedictines, seat of the Benedictine Confederation, and also hosts an Athenaeum, including the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, and the Philosophy and Theology faculties...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
On June 24, 1951, he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include 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 Bishop Simone Salvi, O.S.B., in Subiaco
Subiaco, Italy
Subiaco is a town and comune in the Province of Rome, in Lazio, Italy, from Tivoli alongside the river Aniene. It is mainly renowned as a tourist and religious resort for its sacred grotto , in the St. Benedict's Abbey, and the other Abbey of St. Scholastica...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He furthered his studies in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
in Italy, France, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, as well as at both the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. From 1957 to 1963, he taught music at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of St. Vincent College.
Weakland was elected Coadjutor Archabbot of St. Vincent Archabbey on June 26, 1963, and received the Solemn Blessing of an Archabbot from Bishop William G. Connare
William G. Connare
William Graham Connare was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Greensburg from 1960 to 1987.-Early life and education:...
of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 1963. Following this, he became the Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Vincent College. On May 8, 1964, he received a papal appointment as Consultor to the Commission for Implementing the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council and was appointed a Member of that Commission in 1968.
He was elevated to abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation
Benedictine Confederation
The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict.-Origin:...
on September 29, 1967, a position he held until 1977. At this time he became Chancellor of the International Benedictine College of Sant'Anselmo, Rome, Italy. He was reelected to a second term as Abbot Primate in September, 1973. He served as a member of the Council of Superiors General from 1968 until 1977. In 1968, Weakland administered Last Rites to the body of Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
in Thailand, whose body was flown back to Gethsemani monastery in Kentucky, where Merton is buried.
Archbishop of Milwaukee
On September 20, 1977, Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
appointed Weakland Archbishop of Milwaukee. He was consecrated bishop on November 8, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is the episcopal see of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Milwaukee Landmark. It is located just east of Cathedral Square Park.- Description :Archbishop...
by Archbishop Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot was a Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as apostolic delegate to the United States from 1973 to 1980, and President of the Secretariat of Non-Christians from 1980 to 1984.-Biography:...
.
On December 21, 1999, he defended and received a Ph.D. in Musicology – "with distinction" – from Columbia University, New York, for his research and thesis on "The Office Antiphons of the Ambrosian Chant".
Weakland retired as Archbishop in 2002. In July 2009, he published his memoirs under the title of A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop dealing with the issues of ongoing Church reform, his own sexuality, and the child abuse crisis. In May 2009, Weakland came out as gay
Gay bishops
The existence of homosexual bishops in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other traditions is a matter of historical record, though never, until recently, considered licit by any of the main Christian denominations. Homosexual activity was engaged in secretly. When it was made public, official...
– one of the most senior Catholic clergymen to do so.
Handling of priest abuse scandal
In 1984, Weakland responded to teachers in a Catholic school who were reporting sexual abuseSexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
by local priests by stating "any libellous material found in your letter will be scrutinized carefully by our lawyers." The Wisconsin Court of Appeals
Wisconsin Court of Appeals
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the state of Wisconsin, above the Wisconsin Circuit Courts but below the Wisconsin Supreme Court...
rebuked him for this, calling his remarks "abrupt" and "insensitive." In 1994, Weakland said those reporting sexual abuse were "squealing." He later apologized for the remarks.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
, a deposition released in 2009 reveals that Weakland shredded reports about sexual abuse by priests.
Liturgical agenda
Weakland served as President of the Church Music Association of AmericaChurch Music Association of America
The Church Music Association of America is a non-profit 501 association of Catholic church musicians and others who have a special interest in music and liturgy, active in advancing Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, and other forms of sacred music for liturgical use...
. According to an account by Richard Schuler, a split emerged very quickly, with Weakland taking sharp exception to the "reactionary attitudes in liturgical thinking" that he said were present at the Consociato meeting. He gave interviews to the press in which he regretted the failure of the meetings to include modern music and dancing in its liturgical agenda. His views did not prevail within the CMAA, and so his presidency did not last.
Theological dissent
In 2000, Weakland was a critic of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the FaithCongregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
's document Dominus Iesus
Dominus Iesus
Dominus Iesus is a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was approved in a Plenary meeting of the Congregation, and bears the signature of its then Prefect, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, and of its then Secretary, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, now...
on religious relativism.