William Murphy (Bishop)
Encyclopedia
The Most Reverend William Francis Murphy, D.D., S.T.D. (born May 14, 1940) is the fourth and current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre
, Long Island
, New York
, serving in this capacity since 2001. He was appointed bishop July 26, 2001, and installed September 5, 2001.
Murphy is also a member of the Board of Trustees
at The Catholic University of America
. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
, December 16, 1964.http://www.drvc.org/bishop-murphy/most-reverend-william-francis-murphy-d.d.-s.t.d.html
He was a signer of the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together
.
receiving S.T.L. degree in 1965 and an S.T.D., in 1974. He was called to the Roman Curia
to serve as Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
from 1980-1987, having worked as an official in Justice and Peace from 1974. At the same time he served as lecturer in Theology, Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas from 1976 until 1980, while also serving as a lecturer in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University from 1972 to 1974.
He returned to the archdiocese Boston where he served as Secretary of Community Relations for the Archdiocese of Boston and concurrently director of the Office of Social Justice and director of the Pope John XXIII
Seminary, Weston, MA all from 1987 to 1993. At the same time he served as a lecturer in Social Ethics at St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, MA.
He was named Chaplain of His Holiness
in 1979. He served as Vicar General
and Moderator of the Curia
for the Archdiocese of Boston from 1993-2001. In 1987 he was named a Prelate of Honuor.
, the epicenter of the crisis, before coming to Long Island
in 2001. Murphy's denials contradict a report by the Massachusetts attorney general in July 2010 that said Bishop Murphy and other top church officials "placed a higher priority on preventing scandal and providing support to alleged abusers than on protecting children from sexual abuse."
The same report stated: "There is overwhelming evidence that for many years Cardinal Law and his senior managers (Bishop Murphy is identified in the report as a senior manager and a top archdiocese official) had direct, actual knowledge that substantial numbers of children in the Archdiocese had been sexually abused by substantial numbers of priests. Any claim by the Cardinal or the Archdiocese’s senior managers that they did not know about the abuse suffered by, or the continuing threat to, children in the Archdiocese is simply not credible.”
The Catholic League
defended Murphy point-by-point contending, amomgst other things, that the allegations were unfounded and that Massachusetts did not require clergy at the time to report abuse; and the internal pastoral response was at the time the norm in all religions. The League also praised Murphy’s leadership and actions on issues involving sexual abuse since his appointment to the Diocese of Rockville Centre in September, 2001.
Bishop Accountability.Org alleges that Murphy is "is a key figure in the sexual abuse crisis, both because of his earlier role in the Boston archdiocese and because of conditions in Rockville Centre."
that included a palatial residence for himself. Murphy took over the third floor of an old convent that was being renovated to accommodate six nuns and forced them to relocate. The convent has room for 37 apartments. “The sisters, I think, were disappointed,” Murphy said, “but a disappointment they expressed with great generosity. They understood my dilemma.”
Murphy was not satisfied living in the cathedral rectory because it lacked privacy and that a separate donated house was not large enough to entertain visiting prelates. The original estimate of $500,000 for construction and furnishings for his new residence ballooned to $800,000.
Murphy invited a Newsday
reporter to review the accommodations who indicated that the suite consisted of a lavishly decorated living room, a new fireplace with an oak mantel and a kitchen that features top-of-the-line appliances, a bishop’s bedroom and marble bath, a bedroom and study for his secretary, and a separate suite called “the cardinal’s suite.” A public wing has a fourth bedroom for visiting laity. The ceiling in the dining room has been lowered at additional expense so that a chandelier could be installed. An extra $120,000 was spent on three Oriental rugs and a new table was bought for the dining area along with 12 specially upholstered chairs. The Murphys’ personal art collection adds to the design.
The kitchen has a double Sub-Zero refrigerator with an adjoining pantry that has an under-counter temperature-controlled wine storage cabinet for 50 bottles of wine. The top shelf in the cabinet is set at 45 degrees for champagne and white wine while the lower shelf is set at 55 degrees for red wine. There is a six-burner Viking professional range.
A few days after the story about his new residence appeared, it was reported that Catholic Charities
in the Rockville Centre diocese was terminating a $1.1 million home care program that will no longer serve 500 indigent, mentally ill people on Long Island. Catholic Charities attributed its decision to “mounting expenses.” Kate Bishop, the program’s coordinator fumed to the press: “It’s interesting that our deficit [$140,000] is about the same amount as what the church is spending on the kitchen appliances and Oriental rugs in the [bishop’s] residence.” “Our mission is to serve people who are marginalized and disenfranchised. For them to turn around, with no notice, and end the program, is horrible.”
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre comprises the territory of Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York state, USA. Founded in 1957, this diocese was created from territory that once belonged to the Diocese of Brooklyn...
, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, 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...
, serving in this capacity since 2001. He was appointed bishop July 26, 2001, and installed September 5, 2001.
Murphy is also a member of the Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America
As of May 2010, the Board of Trustees at The Catholic University of America was composed of:*Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus*Richard D. Banziger, B.A. 1981, Managing Director, Salomon Smith Barney...
at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, December 16, 1964.http://www.drvc.org/bishop-murphy/most-reverend-william-francis-murphy-d.d.-s.t.d.html
He was a signer of the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together
Evangelicals and Catholics Together
Evangelicals and Catholics Together is a 1994 ecumenical document signed by leading Evangelical and Roman Catholic scholars in the United States. The co-signers of the document were Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus, representing each side of the discussions...
.
Early life
Prepared at Boston Latin School for Harvard College, 1961, he attended Saint John’s Seminary receiving his BA in 1961. Murphy was ordained a Priest of the Archdiocese of Boston at Saint Peter’s Vatican City on December 16, 1964. He was sent to Rome to study at the Pontifical Gregorian UniversityPontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
receiving S.T.L. degree in 1965 and an S.T.D., in 1974. He was called to the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
to serve as Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is a part of the Roman Curia dedicated to "action-oriented studies" for the international promotion of justice, peace, and human rights from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church...
from 1980-1987, having worked as an official in Justice and Peace from 1974. At the same time he served as lecturer in Theology, Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas from 1976 until 1980, while also serving as a lecturer in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University from 1972 to 1974.
He returned to the archdiocese Boston where he served as Secretary of Community Relations for the Archdiocese of Boston and concurrently director of the Office of Social Justice and director of the Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
Seminary, Weston, MA all from 1987 to 1993. At the same time he served as a lecturer in Social Ethics at St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, MA.
He was named Chaplain of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1979. He served as Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
and Moderator of the Curia
Moderator of the Curia
A moderator of the curia, under the authority of the bishop of a diocese in the Catholic Church, coordinates the exercise of the administrative duties and oversees those who hold offices and minister in diocesan administration. He must be a priest. The office has been variously described as...
for the Archdiocese of Boston from 1993-2001. In 1987 he was named a Prelate of Honuor.
Allegations of Protecting Abusive Priests
Bishop Murphy has denied that he took part in protecting abusive priests while he was second in command in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of BostonRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
, the epicenter of the crisis, before coming to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in 2001. Murphy's denials contradict a report by the Massachusetts attorney general in July 2010 that said Bishop Murphy and other top church officials "placed a higher priority on preventing scandal and providing support to alleged abusers than on protecting children from sexual abuse."
The same report stated: "There is overwhelming evidence that for many years Cardinal Law and his senior managers (Bishop Murphy is identified in the report as a senior manager and a top archdiocese official) had direct, actual knowledge that substantial numbers of children in the Archdiocese had been sexually abused by substantial numbers of priests. Any claim by the Cardinal or the Archdiocese’s senior managers that they did not know about the abuse suffered by, or the continuing threat to, children in the Archdiocese is simply not credible.”
The Catholic League
Catholic League
Catholic League may refer to:*Catholic League , created by Henry of Guise, in 1576 during the French Wars of Religion*Catholic League , a confederation of Catholic German states formed to counteract the Protestant Union...
defended Murphy point-by-point contending, amomgst other things, that the allegations were unfounded and that Massachusetts did not require clergy at the time to report abuse; and the internal pastoral response was at the time the norm in all religions. The League also praised Murphy’s leadership and actions on issues involving sexual abuse since his appointment to the Diocese of Rockville Centre in September, 2001.
Bishop Accountability.Org alleges that Murphy is "is a key figure in the sexual abuse crisis, both because of his earlier role in the Boston archdiocese and because of conditions in Rockville Centre."
Renovation of New Bishop Quarters Controversy
Murphy was heavily criticized for spending more than $5 million on renovations for St. Agnes CathedralSt. Agnes Cathedral
St. Agnes Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Rockville Centre, New York, on Long Island. It is the seat of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The Most Reverend William Murphy is the ordinary bishop of the Diocese and pastor of the Cathedral parish....
that included a palatial residence for himself. Murphy took over the third floor of an old convent that was being renovated to accommodate six nuns and forced them to relocate. The convent has room for 37 apartments. “The sisters, I think, were disappointed,” Murphy said, “but a disappointment they expressed with great generosity. They understood my dilemma.”
Murphy was not satisfied living in the cathedral rectory because it lacked privacy and that a separate donated house was not large enough to entertain visiting prelates. The original estimate of $500,000 for construction and furnishings for his new residence ballooned to $800,000.
Murphy invited a Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
reporter to review the accommodations who indicated that the suite consisted of a lavishly decorated living room, a new fireplace with an oak mantel and a kitchen that features top-of-the-line appliances, a bishop’s bedroom and marble bath, a bedroom and study for his secretary, and a separate suite called “the cardinal’s suite.” A public wing has a fourth bedroom for visiting laity. The ceiling in the dining room has been lowered at additional expense so that a chandelier could be installed. An extra $120,000 was spent on three Oriental rugs and a new table was bought for the dining area along with 12 specially upholstered chairs. The Murphys’ personal art collection adds to the design.
The kitchen has a double Sub-Zero refrigerator with an adjoining pantry that has an under-counter temperature-controlled wine storage cabinet for 50 bottles of wine. The top shelf in the cabinet is set at 45 degrees for champagne and white wine while the lower shelf is set at 55 degrees for red wine. There is a six-burner Viking professional range.
A few days after the story about his new residence appeared, it was reported that Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
in the Rockville Centre diocese was terminating a $1.1 million home care program that will no longer serve 500 indigent, mentally ill people on Long Island. Catholic Charities attributed its decision to “mounting expenses.” Kate Bishop, the program’s coordinator fumed to the press: “It’s interesting that our deficit [$140,000] is about the same amount as what the church is spending on the kitchen appliances and Oriental rugs in the [bishop’s] residence.” “Our mission is to serve people who are marginalized and disenfranchised. For them to turn around, with no notice, and end the program, is horrible.”
Discontent amongst Diocese Priests
In October 2003, 52 priests requested a meeting with Murphy, sending a letter that spoke of a "general malaise and even an abiding anger" within the diocese, a perception of "a fairly widespread dissatisfaction with the way you have related to some clergy and the laity" and "a certain lack of confidence in your pastoral leadership." Issues raised included Bishop Murphy's management style, his $1.1 million renovation of a diocesan building in Rockville Centre to serve as a personal residence, sexual abuse by priests, and his ban preventing the Long Island Voice of the Faithful, a lay group with more than 1,000 members seeking reforms, from meeting on church property.External links
- Biography of Bishop Murphy (Official Diocesan Homepage)