Bishop Thomas Tobin: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Bishop Thomas Tobin of Rhode Island ignited controversy with his tweet urging Catholics not to support or participate in Pride events.

On June 1, Bishop Tobin tweeted, “A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ ‘Pride Month’ events held in June.”

“They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children,” He continued.

The tweet prompted a backlash from LGBT groups, including Rhode Island Pride. The group tweeted in response to Bishop Tobin, “This Bishop doesn’t represent a majority of RI Catholics who overwhelmingly supported marriage equality 6 years ago. Love is love. You sir are filled with hate.”

Joe Lazzerini of Rhode Island Pride issued a statement on June 1 with a more in-depth response to Bishop Tobin’s remarks. “Rhode Island Pride respectfully calls on Bishop Tobin to do some self-reflection as the majority of Catholic Rhode Islanders in this state reject the idea that to be Catholic is to be complicit to intolerance, bigotry, and fear.” He wrote.

Lazzerini continued, “Many Catholics are LGBTQIA+ and allies to our community, who participate in the love and diversity that is Rhode Island Pride. All are welcome to enjoy a safe, fun, and prideful celebration on Saturday, June 15th.”

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza added his voice to the discussion in favor of Pride celebrations. “We stand with and support our LGBTQIA+ community here this June and every day in our capital city.” He wrote.

Bishop Tobin’s tweet caught the attention of many outside of Rhode Island, including actresses Patricia Arquette and Mia Farrow.

Rhode Island Pride took their response to Bishop Tobin’s tweet one step further and organized a rally in Cathedral Square on June 2, calling it, “a Pride Rally to celebrate love, diversity, and inclusion.”

According to NBC 10, the rally was held at the same time as a mass at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul. Hundreds of Rhode Island LGBT people and allies marched in support of Pride.

Inside the Church, responses to Bishop Tobin’s tweet have been mixed. One parishioner told NBC 10, “He spoke the truth of the Church, how the church feels about things. I don’t think he was condemning anybody.”

Another disagreed, saying, “A church, especially the Catholic Church should be preaching love and inclusion and any church really shouldn’t be putting down an entire group of people like that. It’s just bad to see from a leader.”

Bishop Tobin issued a statement on June 2 in response to the firestorm his tweet ignited, saying he regretted the controversy that arose from his remarks. However, he remained steadfast in his views on Pride celebrations. He wrote, “As a Catholic Bishop, however, my obligation before God is to lead the faithful entrusted to my care and to teach the faith, clearly and compassionately, even on very difficult and sensitive issues.”

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Bishop Tobin Has Been Serving as Bishop of Providence Since 2005

According to his biography on Diocese of Providence, Bishop Tobin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1948. He was ordained in 1973 and served as an assistant pastor in Pittsburgh. Pope John Paul II named him Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh in 1992.

In 1996, Tobin was named Bishop of Youngstown, Ohio. Finally, in 2005 he was made Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island.

2. He Has Said that Addressing Issues of Sexual Misconduct in the Church Is Not His Responsibility

According to 2018 reports in The Providence Journal, allegations of sexual abuse in the Church were known to Bishop Tobin while he was Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh.

He confirmed to the Journal that he was aware of the abuse while it was occurring, but said, “My responsibilities as Vicar General and General Secretary of the diocese did not include clergy assignments or clergy misconduct, but rather other administrative duties such as budgets, property, diocesan staff, working with consultative groups, etc.”

A grand jury report found that over 1,000 credible victims of sexual abuse by priests had come forward, but that the Catholic Church had covered up their allegations over a period of 70 years.

Lazzerini of Rhode Island Pride pointed out the irony that Bishop Tobin would call Pride harmful to children in light of the coverup of abuse within the Church. He told Buzzfeed News, “He said LGBTQIA+ people are harmful to children and frankly, hearing that from a leader [of] the Catholic church is frankly flabbergasting.”

3. Bishop Tobin Is Staunchly Pro-Life and Conservative

This is not the first time Bishop Tobin has made headlines for a controversial tweet. He is also well known for his pro-life stance and other conservative views. In June 2018, Bishop Tobin tweeted that Catholic politicians who support abortion “should be ashamed of themselves.” He has since deleted that tweet, but Breitbart reports the full tweet read, “The sight of so many politicians scurrying around to protect abortion is truly sad. Self-professed Catholic pols who do so should be ashamed of themselves.”

He added, “Note well: Support of abortion is contrary to God’s will, a betrayal of the faith, and a cause of scandal.”

As far back as 2007, CNN reports that Bishop Tobin denied Communion to Rep. Patrick Kennedy over his support for abortion rights. Tobin issued a statement confirming that he had told Kennedy that it would be “inappropriate” for him to take Communion in light of his political stance.

In 2013, Bishop Tobin announced that he had officially switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican. He told National Catholic Register, “Abortion and same-sex “marriage” and the involvement of Planned Parenthood were not only accepted — they were promoted. The party has become more aggressive in promoting activities and commitments that are foreign to me. Finally, I decided that I could not in conscience maintain my party affiliation.”

Bishop Tobin also publicly expressed disappointment when Rhode Island legalized same-sex marriage in 2013. He told Providence Journal, “I was profoundly disappointed that the state moved in that direction and that so many Catholic politicians abandoned ship on this issue. This was a critical issue, and they let us down.”

4. He Has Spoken Out for Refugees and Expanded Programs Benefitting Low-Income Groups

Despite his conservative stance, Bishop Tobin differs from his party in his feelings toward refugees. In 2015 WPRI reports he spoke out in favor of welcoming Syrian refugees in Rhode Island, saying, “It would be wrong for our nation and our state to refuse to accept refugees simply because they are Syrian or Muslim.”

Bishop Tobin has also been instrumental in programs in his Diocese that provide assistance to homeless and low-income residents of Providence. Keep the Heat On is a program that helps people in poverty pay to heat their homes during the cold Rhode Island winters. The Diocese also operates Emmanuel House, a homeless shelter in Providence.

5. Bishop Tobin Is the Author of Two Books and the Column ‘Without a Doubt’ in The Rhode Island Catholic

Bishop Tobin is a prolific writer as well. He has written two books about his views on faith, Without a Doubt: Bringing Faith to Life in 2001 and Effective Faith: Faith that Makes a Difference in 2009. He is the author of Without a Doubt and Imitation of Christ, both columns in The Rhode Island Catholic.