Francis Xavier DiLorenzo was the fourth Bishop of Honolulu and is now the twelfth Bishop of Richmond.

Francis Xavier DiLorenzo (born April 15, 1942) is a priest of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu in Hawaii and the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, DiLorenzo was ordained to the priesthood in his hometown on May 18, 1968 at the age of 26. On January 26, 1988, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania. DiLorenzo was officially ordained as bishop on March 8 of that year accepting the title of the titular see of Tigia.

Bishop of Honolulu

The Bishop of Honolulu, Msgr. Joseph Anthony Ferrario fell ill and requested that the Vatican consider his resignation for health reasons. The Vatican's Congregation for Bishops accepted Msgr. Ferrario's resignation and appointed an apostolic administrator to fulfill Msgr. Ferrario's episcopal duties. Msgr. DiLorenzo was uprooted from Pennsylvania and assumed his place in the Hawaii Catholic Church as the Apostolic Administrator of Honolulu. After about a year in service to the See of Honolulu as Apostolic Administrator, Msgr. DiLorenzo was permanently appointed bishop on November 29, 1994. In ceremonies at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace (Solemn Vespers on November 28, 1994, during which he took canonical possession of the diocese) and the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus (at a Pontifical Mass and installation as Ordinary of the See of Honolulu in the presence of the Honolulu presbyterium, the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, the Cardinal Bishop of Samoa Tokelau, Pio Cardinal Taofinu`u, and the Metropolitan of San Francisco, Archbishop John R. Quinn, many religious and the laity), Msgr. DiLorenzo was officially installed in festive liturgies, replete with native Hawaiian and multi-ethnic representation.

Reform

Msgr. DiLorenzo steered the Hawai`i Catholic Church through various and often controversial issues. His predecessor was considered by many to have governed liberally, bringing the diocese closer to youth and offered welcoming ministry to gays and lesbians. A few critics attacked Ferrario for creating a haven for gay clergy. Msgr. DiLorenzo shifted the church back to its conservative roots in keeping with church policy against the acceptance of gay and lesbian lifestyles, of both its lay community as well as its clergy. Msgr. DiLorenzo is often credited for creating the first zero tolerance policy on allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of priests — a policy that came about well before the Catholic sex abuse scandals that plagued the rest of the nation in the early 2000s.

Criticism

Msgr. DiLorenzo's reforms created a great deal of frustration among diocesan priests who believed that the bishop's tactics were disruptive to the larger Catholic community in Hawai`i. His most outspoken critic was the Rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Father Nathan Mamo. In a published letter dated July 7, 1999, Father Mamo wrote, "I was quite upset over a whole host of problems in church governance, management and internal politics, problems which are real and grave." [1] (http://pages.ivillage.com/imhabba63/marriedcatholicpriest/id100.html) Msgr. DiLorenzo transferred Father Mamo from the Cathedral parish to a suburban church, Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, in Mililani Town. Msgr. DiLorenzo and Father Mamo continued to argue vehemently even after the transfer and Father Mamo decided to leave the Hawai`i. He wrote, "I have become over the most recent 5 years.... completely unable to keep that solemn promise with the current bishop. It's not simply a matter of differing opinions; it's a matter of integrity. I am unable to respect and obey him because my conscience doesn't allow me to cooperate in his methods." [2] (http://pages.ivillage.com/imhabba63/marriedcatholicpriest/id100.html) While remaining incardinated in the Honolulu see, Father Mamo applied and was accepted for service in the Diocese of San Jose,California where he ministers as a parochial vicar at Saint Joseph of Cupertino Parish with the hope of eventually returning to Hawai`i to serve under a new bishop.

Bishop of Richmond

On March 31, 2004, the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin headlines shocked Hawaii residents with the announced transfer of Msgr. DiLorenzo as Bishop of Honolulu to become the Bishop of Richmond. Richmond Bishop Msgr. Walter Francis Sullivan had requested a replacement to fulfill his wish to retire from active ministry. Pope John Paul II granted the request and transferred Msgr. DiLorenzo specifically for what the Vatican opined as a successful reorganization of the Hawai`i Catholic Church during the sex abuse crisis. Msgr. DiLorenzo was officially installed at his new cathedral on May 24, 2004.