Allen Vigneron

Allen Henry Vigneron (born October 21, 1948) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Archbishop of Detroit and Ecclesiastical Superior of the Cayman Islands, having previously served as Bishop of Oakland from 2003 to 2009.[1]

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Allen Henry Vigneron
Archbishop of Detroit Ecclesiastical Superior of the Cayman Islands
Archdiocese	Detroit
Appointed	January 5, 2009
Installed	January 28, 2009
Predecessor	Adam Maida
Other posts	Ecclesiastical Superior of the Cayman Islands Chairman, USCCB Committee on Doctrine Chairman, Michigan Catholic Conference Board President, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan
Orders
Ordination	July 26, 1975 by John Francis Dearden
Consecration	July 9, 1996 by Adam Maida, James Aloysius Hickey, and Edmund Szoka
Personal details
Born	(1948-10-21) October 21, 1948 Mount Clemens, Michigan
Nationality	American
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Previous post	Bishop of Oakland (2003–2009) Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit Titular Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan (1996–2003)
Motto	ASPICIENTES IN IESUM (Eyes fixed on Jesus)
Coat of arms

Styles of Allen Henry Vigneron
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Ordination history of Allen Vigneron
History Episcopal consecration Consecrated by Adam Maida Date July 9, 1996
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by Allen Vigneron as principal consecrator Bernard Hebda December 1, 2009 Michael J. Byrnes May 5, 2011 Jose Arturo Cepeda Escobedo May 5, 2011 Donald F. Hanchon May 5, 2011 Paul J. Bradley May 5, 2011 David Walkowiak June 18, 2013 John Francis Doerfler February 11, 2014 Steven J. Raica August 28, 2014 Gerard William Battersby January 25, 2017 Robert Joseph Fisher January 25, 2017

Biography

Early life

The eldest of six children, Allen Vigneron was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, to Elwin and Bernardine (née Kott) Vigneron.[1] He is of French descent on his father's side and German on his mother's.[2] He graduated from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 1970, receiving degrees in both Philosophy and Classical Languages. He then furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Sacred Theology in 1973.

Priesthood

Upon his return to the United States, Vigneron was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal John Francis Dearden on July 26, 1975 at St. Clement of Rome Church in Romeo, Michigan.[1] He then served as associate pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Harper Woods. He earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian in 1977, and later resumed his pastoral work in suburban Detroit.

Vigneron completed his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning his doctorate in philosophy in 1987 with a dissertation on Edmund Husserl. He was also made a professor (in 1985) and the dean (in 1988) of Sacred Heart Seminary. From 1991 to 1994, Vigneron served as an official in the Vatican Secretariat of State and adjunct instructor at the Gregorian. He then returned to Sacred Heart Seminary as its Rector. Vigneron, who was raised by Pope John Paul II to the rank of Monsignor in 1994,[1] removed several teachers from the seminary for having strayed from official church doctrine.[3]

Episcopate

Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit

On June 12, 1996, Vigneron was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit and Titular Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie in Michigan. He received his episcopal consecration on the following July 9 from Cardinal Adam Maida, with Cardinals James Hickey and Edmund Szoka serving as co-consecrators.

Bishop of Oakland

Vigneron was later named Coadjutor Bishop of Oakland, California, on January 10, 2003, succeeding John Stephen Cummins as the third Bishop of Oakland on October 1 of that same year.[1] In California, he helped lead protests against same-sex marriage.[4] He compared abortion and stem-cell research to slavery and racism.[3]

Archbishop of Detroit

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Vigneron Archbishop of Detroit on January 5, 2009, replacing longtime incumbent Cardinal Maida.[1] Installed on January 28, 2009, Vigneron is the first metropolitan Detroit native named Archbishop of Detroit.[1] He was elected chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America on June 9, 2009. He received the pallium from Benedict XVI on June 29, 2009, in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica. On April 21, 2011, as Archbishop of Detroit, he participated in an interfaith vigil held at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan.[5]

In December 2015, following remarks from presidential candidate Donald Trump regarding restricting Muslim immigration into the United States, Vigneron wrote a letter to priests in the Archdiocese of Detroit, with a copy sent to the Imams Council of Michigan, condemning proposals to ban Muslims from entering the United States:

While the Catholic Church refrains from weighing in for or against individual candidates for a particular political office, the Church does and should speak to the morality of this important and far-reaching issue of religious liberty. Especially as our political discourse addresses the very real concerns about the security of our country, our families, and our values, we need to remember that religious rights are a cornerstone of these values. Restricting or sacrificing these religious rights and liberties out of fear – instead of defending them and protecting them in the name of mutual respect and justice – is a rationalization which fractures the very foundation of morality on which we stand. This also threatens the foundation of religious liberty that makes it possible for us to freely practice our faith. These are not only Catholic sentiments on these issues; these, I believe, are the sentiments of all Americans."[6]

On 15 May 2019, the pastoral note "The Day of the Lord" decreed the ban of Sunday sports practices and games in the Archdiocese of Detroit, in an effort to make the day of the Resurrection refocused on prayer, family and rest.[7][8] On November 12, 2019, Archbishop Vigneron was elected Vice President of the USCCB.[9]

References

1. Yonke, David (January 6, 2009). "Archbishop appointed to Detroit diocese". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
2. "Vigneron definition". Le Figaro French Dictionary.
3. "Archbishop-designate Vigneron aims to defend teachings, build harmony". Detroit Free Press. 2009-01-27. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
4. Lattin, Don (January 18, 2003). "New Oakland bishop called conservative". San Francisco Chronicle.
5. Burdziak, Alan (April 21, 2011). "Interfaith Vigil held at Islamic Center of America". Dearborn Press & Guide. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
6. "Archbishop Vigneron on Muslim Immigration, Religious Liberty" (Press release). Archdiocese of Detroit. December 15, 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
7. "Archdiocese of Detroit to 'reclaim' holy day with shift away from youth sports on Sundays, seeking renewed focus on rest and family worship". May 15, 2019. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
8. "Detroit Archdiocese Cancels Sporting Events on Sundays". Ncregister.com. May 16, 2019. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019.
9. https://twitter.com/USCCB/status/1194264801658183681

External links

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit Official Site

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Adam Maida	Archbishop of Detroit 2009 – present	Incumbent
	Ecclesiastical Superior of the Cayman Islands 2009 – present
Preceded by John Stephen Cummins	Bishop of Oakland 2003–2009	Succeeded by Salvatore Cordileone
Preceded by -	Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit 1996-2003	Succeeded by -