Joseph Edward Kurtz

Joseph Edward Kurtz (born August 18, 1946) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville in Kentucky from 2007 to 2022. He previously served as the bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville in Tennessee from 1999 to 2007. Kurtz was president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) from 2013 to 2016.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Joseph Edward Kurtz
Archbishop Emeritus of Louisville
Archbishop Kurtz in 2016
ArchdioceseLouisville
AppointedJune 12, 2007
InstalledAugust 15, 2007
RetiredFebruary 8, 2022
PredecessorThomas C. Kelly, O.P
SuccessorShelton Fabre
Orders
OrdinationMarch 18, 1972
by Joseph McShea
ConsecrationDecember 8, 1999
by Gabriel Montalvo Higuera, Thomas C. Kelly, and Edward Peter Cullen
Personal details
Born
Joseph Edward Kurtz

(1946-08-18) August 18, 1946
Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
DenominationRoman Catholic
ResidenceLouisville, Kentucky
ParentsGeorge and Stella (née Zmijewski) Kurtz
OccupationArchbishop
Previous post(s)
Alma materSt. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Marywood University
MottoHope In The Lord
Styles of
Joseph Edward Kurtz
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleArchbishop
Ordination history of
Joseph Edward Kurtz
History
Episcopal consecration
Consecrated byGabriel Montalvo Higuera
DateDecember 8, 1999
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by Joseph Edward Kurtz as principal consecrator
William MedleyFebruary 10, 2010
Charles C. ThompsonJune 29, 2011
John StoweMay 5, 2015
J. Mark SpaldingFebruary 2 (Candlemas), 2018

Biography

Early life

Joseph Kurtz was born on August 18, 1946, in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, to George and Stella (née Zmijewski) Kurtz. He is of Polish descent.[1] One of five children (Rose Marie, Theresa, George, and Patricia), he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia in 1964. He obtained a Bachelor of Philosophy degree and a Master of Divinity degree from that school.

Priesthood

Kurtz was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Allentown by Bishop Joseph McShea on March 18, 1972. Kurtz completed his post-graduate work at Marywood University in Scranton, earning a Master of Social Work degree.

During his priestly ministry, Kurtz served as high school teacher, college lecturer, administrator, and pastor in Catasauqua and Bethlehem, both in Pennsylvania. He was raised to the rank of Monsignor in 1986.

Bishop of Knoxville

On October 26, 1999, Kurtz was appointed as the second bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on December 8. 1999. from Archbishop Gabriel Higuera, with Archbishop Thomas Kelly and Bishop Edward Cullen serving as co-consecrators, before an audience of approximately 5,000 at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville.

Archbishop of Louisville

Kurtz was named archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville on June 12, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. His installation took place on August 15, 2007, at Louisville Gardens in Louisville.

In addition to his diocesan duties, Kurtz served as chair of the USCCB Committee on Marriage and Family Life. He was elected as the vice president of the USCCB in November 2010.[2] On November 11, 2013, Kurtz was elected USCCB president. On February 19, 2014, Kurtz was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.[3]On November 14, 2014, he was elected as a delegate to the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family, pending Vatican approval.[4]

On February 1, 2019, Kurtz released a report that named 22 priests from the archdiocese with credible accusations of sexual abuse. The report was prepared by an independent investigator who was not part of the church. None of the 22 men were active priests in 2019.[5]

In July 2019, Kurtz underwent treatment for urothelial cancer, which required a three-month medical leave of absence from the archdiocese.[6]

Retirement

On February 8, 2022, Pope Francis accepted Kurtz's letter of resignation as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville.[7]

Doctrinal positions

Kurtz is generally seen as a conservative and a firm follower of Vatican directives on doctrine and liturgy. The Rev. Thomas J. Reese indicates that Kurtz is a "smiling conservative" like Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, who is "very gracious but still holds the same positions" as a cleric like Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, who has openly criticized Catholic politicians who support abortion rights for women.[8]

Coat of arms of Joseph Edward Kurtz
Notes
The coat of arms was designed and adopted when Kurtz was installed as the Archbishop of Louisville
Adopted
2007
Escutcheon
The arms of his jurisdiction, the Archdiocese of Louisville, is seen in the dexter impalement (left side) of the design. On the right side of the shield is a gold cross, surrounded at the center by a white ring. A white lily on the top left of the cross and an anchor at the bottom left are also found.
Motto
Hope in the Lord
Symbolism
The gold cross on the right side of the shield symbolizes faith. The center white ring is a symbol of Kurtz's native Diocese of Allentown and of its patron saint, St. Catherine of Siena. The white lily is a symbol of St. Joseph, the archbishop's patron saint. The anchor is a traditional symbol of hope and fits with Kurtz's motto, "Hope in the Lord."

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Crisis Magazine: getting to know the new VP" November 10, 2010
  3. "Rinunce e Nomine". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  4. "US bishops elect delegates to synod: Kurtz, Chaput, DiNardo, Gomez". Catholic News Agency. November 14, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  5. Lentes, Morgan (February 8, 2019). "Archdiocese of Louisville releases report on sexual abuse by priests". WLKY. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  6. "Message from the Archbishop to the Catholic People". July 10, 2019.
  7. "Resignations and Appointments, 08.02.2022" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  8. Louisville Courier Journal: "Archbishop Joseph Kurtz's star is rising: Kurtz's growing prominence stirs speculation about higher posts" October 2, 2011
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