| His Excellency, The Most Reverend Charles Coleman Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Indianapolis | |
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| See | Archdiocese of Indianapolis |
| Appointed | June 13, 2017 |
| Installed | July 28, 2017 |
| Predecessor | Joseph W. Tobin |
| Previous post(s) | Diocese of Evansville 2011 - 2017 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 30, 1987 by Thomas C. Kelly |
| Consecration | June 29, 2011 by Joseph Edward Kurtz, Daniel M. Buechlein, Thomas C. Kelly, and Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1961-04-11) April 11, 1961 (age 63) Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Education | Bellarmine University Saint Meinrad School of Theology St. Paul University |
| Motto | Christ the cornerstone |
| Styles of Charles Coleman Thompson | |
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
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Ordination history of Charles C. Thompson | |||||||||
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Charles Coleman Thompson (born April 11, 1961) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Indianapolis in Indiana since 2017. He previously served as Bishop of Evansville in Indiana from 2011 to 2017.
Career
Early life
Charles Thompson was born on April 11, 1961, in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Bellarmine College in Louisville, graduating with a Bachelor of Accounting degree. Thompson earned a Master of Divinity degree at Saint Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana and a Licentiate of Canon Law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario.
Priesthood
On May 30, 1987, Thompson was ordained into the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Louisville by Archbishop Thomas Kelly. After his ordination, Thompson served until 1990 as associate pastor at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral Parish and as chaplain at Bethlehem High School, both in Bardstown, Kentucky. In 1992, he resumed work part-time as an associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Louisville. In 1993, Thompson was named metropolitan vicar and director of tribunals for the diocese. He administered St. Peter Claver Parish in Louisville from 1994 to 1996 and also served as a chaplain for the Presentation Academy in Louisville from 1995 to 1997.
In 1996, Thompson was assigned as pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Lebanon, Kentucky. He was named defender of the bond and judge of the Diocesan Tribunal in 1998. Thompson was appointed pastor in 2002 of Holy Trinity Parish and chaplain of Sacred Heart Academy, both in Louisville. In addition to his pastoral work at Holy Trinity, Thompson was appointed vicar general in 2008.
Bishop of Evansville
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Thompson as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Evansville on April 26, 2011. He was consecrated by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz on June 29, 2011, at Roberts Municipal Stadium in Evansville. The co-consecrators were Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, and Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger.
Archbishop of Indianapolis
Pope Francis appointed Thompson as archbishop of Indianapolis on June 13, 2017. He was installed on July 28, 2017. Thompson was the youngest American archbishop at the time of his installation.
Soon after his installation, Thompson ordered three Catholic high schools in Indianapolis to terminate three employees who had entered into same-sex marriages.
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in early 2019 refused to fire Layton Payne-Elliot, a male teacher who married Joshua Payne-Elliot in 2017. After negotiating attempts with Brebeuf failed, Thompson suspended the Catholic status of the school in June 2019. Brebeuf appealed his decision to the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome, which in April 2020 temporarily rescinded Thompson's order. The Vatican then assigned Cardinal Joseph Tobin to mediate the dispute. The Indiana Supreme Court in August 2022 upheld the right of the archdiocese to fire Layton Payne-Elliot.
Roncalli High School fired two guidance counselors, Shelly Fitzgerald and Lynn Starkey, both of whom had married other women. Fitzgerald and Starkey sued the archdiocese and Thompson in separate cases, alleging discrimination and retaliation. In August 2021, the US Southern District of Indiana dismissed the Starkey lawsuit.
Cathedral High School fired Joshua Payne-Elliot, a teacher who married Layton Payne-Elliot in 2017. In a statement, Cathedral said that defying the archbishop could have meant losing its non-profit tax status. Joshua Payne-Elliot sued the archdiocese, but the case was dismissed in Marion County Superior Court in May 2021.
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
- ^ "Archbishop Charles Coleman Thompson [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ "Pope names Louisville, Kentucky vicar general to succeed Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger of Evansville, Indiana". The Message Online. April 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
- Corrigan, Sara Anne. "Catholic Church turns to tradition in installation of new bishop". Evansville Courier & Press (June 28, 2011). Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- "Pope names Thompson Indianapolis archbishop". Star Tribune. Associated Press. June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
- "Archbishop of Indianapolis Charles C. Thompson is installed". IndyStar. July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- King, Robert; Ryckaert, Vic (June 13, 2017). "Evansville bishop ready for 'daunting task' of following Tobin as Indy's archbishop". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ Herron, Arika. "Vatican temporarily suspends Indianapolis archbishop's decision on Brebeuf Jesuit". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- "Indiana Supreme Court backs archdiocese over same-sex marriage firing, Vatican case lingers". The Pillar. August 31, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
- Herron, Arika. "Shelly Fitzgerald, first gay guidance counselor suspended by Roncalli, files federal suit". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- CNA. "Federal court dismisses lawsuit against archdiocese". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- "Cathedral High School terminates gay teacher to stay in Indianapolis Archdiocese".
- "To save its 'Catholic identity,' Indianapolis' Cathedral High School is firing a gay teacher". USA Today.
- Weddle, Eric (May 20, 2021). "Former Cathedral High School Teacher Appeals Dismissed Lawsuit Against Indianapolis Archdiocese". WFYI Public Media. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
External links
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byJoseph W. Tobin | Archbishop of Indianapolis 2017–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded byGerald Andrew Gettelfinger | Bishop of Evansville 2011–2017 |
Succeeded byJoseph M. Siegel |
| Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville | ||
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| Bishops |  | |
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| Education | ||