John R. Quinn (bishop)
John Raphael Quinn was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as archbishop of San Francisco in California from 1977 to 1995.
Quinn previously served as archbishop of Oklahoma City in Oklahoma from 1971 to 1977 and as an auxiliary bishop of San Diego in California from 1967 to 1971. He also served as the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1977 to 1980.
Early life and ordination
Quinn was born on March 28, 1929, in Riverside, California. Quinn was ordained to the priesthood in Rome for the Diocese of San Diego on July 19, 1953, by Archbishop Ettore Cunial.Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego
Pope Paul VI named Quinn as an auxiliary bishop of San Diego with the titular see of Thisiduo on October 21, 1967. He was consecrated on December 12, 1967, by Cardinal Luigi Raimondi.While a social progressive, Quinn was identified with a conservative camp in the questions of dogma.Archbishop of Oklahoma City
On November 17, 1971, Quinn was appointed bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa by Paul VI. When the Vatican split the diocese to form the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa on December 13, 1972, Quinn became the first archbishop of Oklahoma City.The website of that Archdiocese reports that "he revealed his priorities by his actions: emphasis on priestly vocations, desire for better pastoral care of Spanish-speaking Catholics, re-establishment of a Catholic newspaper, appointment of a full-time youth director, and a reorganization of Catholic charities." As leader of the new archdiocese, Quinn "fought against the death penalty, championed land reform and complained about extremism in the right-to-life movement."Paul VI named Quinn to participate in the 1974 World Synod of Bishops.
Archbishop of San Francisco
Quinn was appointed by Paul VI in 1977 as archbishop of San Francisco. In his early years in the Bay Area he was simultaneously president of the USCC NCCB, which often kept him away from the archdiocese. He was the first bishop of a diocese west of the Mississippi to become president of the USCC. He succeeded Bishop Joseph Bernardin. Kenneth Briggs, writing for The New York Times, deemed Quinn to be "much more at ease with the press than his predecessor". The same article described Quinn as "a polished, courtly gentleman, self-assured with a substantial element of modesty and self-effacement."Quinn recognized that the archdiocese was too large for effective pastoral governance. He helped plan the Diocese of San Jose, which was erected by Pope John Paul II on January 27, 1981. In 1987, Quinn took a medical leave to deal with depression.
After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Quinn closed a dozen parishes whose churches had been severely damaged in the earthquake. This plan drew the wrath of many priests, 41 of whom signed a dissenting petition. Quinn sold the former archiepiscopal residence and in 1992 moved into the cathedral rectory, where he lived with fellow clergy until his retirement.
Retirement and Legacy
Quinn retired as archbishop of San Francisco on December 27, 1995 at age 66.There followed "a series of scandals during the past two years involving child abuse and embezzlement by several San Francisco priests." The archbishop received particularly harsh criticism for his lenient treatment of Monsignor Patrick J. O'Shea, who was later removed from ministry and laicized due to sexual abuse crimes. O'Shea was a prominent figure in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, often promoted by Quinn. From 1972 to 1982, for instance, O'Shea was assistant director for Vocations, tasked with recruiting young priests, and also director of the archdiocesan Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Viewpoints
HIV/AIDS
In 1985, Quinn initiated the Catholic Church's first institutional response to the AIDS epidemic. When John Paul II visited San Francisco in 1987, Quinn arranged for him to meet with several AIDS patients, including a young boy.LGBTQ
Quinn reached out to LGBTQ Catholics as early as 1983. He issued a document asking priests to take concerns of gay people seriously. In it, he said he wanted gay Catholics to find "a church where he or she will find acceptance, understanding, and love." He reminded priests that many gay Catholics saw their orientation as a positive.During the 1980s, Quinn supported the efforts of Most Holy Redeemer Church in the Castro district of San Francisco in their efforts to reach out to the LGBTQ population of the neighborhood. Quinn regularly visited this parish, especially during the annual 40 Hours Vigil held in support of people who were HIV-positive and their caregivers.
Morality
In a 1971 interview, Quinn criticized American "pansexuality and materialism". He claimed that as a result, many parts of Western society did no believe in the supernatural explanation of priestly celibacy.Óscar Romero
After the assassination of Archbishop Óscar Romero in El Salvador in March 1980, Quinn issued a statement lauding the murdered prelate as "a voice for the poor and the oppressed." Quinn attended Romero's funeral.Publications
Quinn became a regular contributor to the Jesuit magazine AmericaThroughout his episcopate, Quinn maintained strong links with the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom, visiting there regularly. After his retirement as archbishop, he spent time at Campion Hall at the University of Oxford, lecturing in 1996 on "The Claims of the Primacy and the Costly Call to Unity". This lecture served as the first draft of his 1999 book, The Reform of the Papacy.His call for the reform of the Roman Curia and a reduction of its powers was interpreted by some as an attack on the papacy. Quinn repeatedly made it clear that he was not opposing the Vatican. In many ways, his writings prefigured the views of Pope Francis.The Reform of the Papacy. Revered and Reviled: A Re-Examination of Vatican Council I.Ever Ancient, Ever New: Structures of Communion in the Church.