Thomas Ludger Dupré
Catholic University of America |
|---|
Thomas Ludger Dupré (November 10, 1933 – December 30, 2016) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts from 1995 to 2004. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the same diocese from 1990 to 1995.
In 2004, Dupré was indicted (but not prosecuted) on two counts of
Biography
Early life
Dupré was born on November 10, 1933, in
Priesthood
Dupré was
- St. Joseph's in Springfield[1]
- St. John the Baptist in Ludlow (1970–1973)
- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Chicopee (1973–1977)
- St. Louis de France in West Springfield (1978–1990)
Dupré was named chancellor of the diocese in 1977 and vicar general in 1989.[1]
Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts
On April 7, 1990, Dupré was appointed
On February 10, 2004,
Retirement and legacy
Dupré's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield due to health reasons was accepted on February 11, 2004, by Pope John Paul II.[2] Dupré resigned at age 71, four years before the normal retirement age allowed for a bishop.
On September 24, 2004, Dupré was indicted by a Hampden County grand jury on two counts of child molestation.[5] He thus became the first American Catholic bishop to be indicted during the sexual abuse scandal of the late 20th century.[6] However, the Springfield district attorney's office was forced to drop the charges because the statute of limitations had run out.[6] Dupré then entered St. Luke Institute, a private Catholic psychiatric hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. [7]
In June 2010, a judge released a transcript and videotape of Dupré's deposition for a civil lawsuit. At the start of the deposition, Dupré states his name and date of birth. After that, he pleads the
Dupré died in Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 30, 2016. His funeral in Springfield was private.[9]
Viewpoints
During the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Dupré declared that it was the "obligation and responsibility" of Catholics:
"to vote for the candidate who will promote what is good and oppose what is evil, who will promote the culture of life and oppose the culture of death, who will promote the well-being of society and oppose its moral disintegration."[10]
During his tenure, Dupré publicly expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion.[10]
References
- ^ The Springfield Republican. 2004-09-28.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bishop Thomas Ludger Dupré". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ "Pope Accepts Resignation Of Springfield Bishop Thomas L. Dupré". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 2004-02-11.
- The Springfield Republican.
- ^ Finer, Jonathan (2004-09-28). "Mass. Bishop Charged With Rape; No Trial Planned". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b Zezima, Katie (2004-09-28). "Bishop Is Indicted in Sex Abuse Case but Won't Be Prosecuted". The New York Times.
- ^ The Springfield Republican. Archived from the originalon 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- The Springfield Republican.
- The Springfield Republican.
- ^ a b Dupré, Thomas L (2000-10-20). "To vote responsibly is a right, a duty and a privilege". The Catholic Observer. Archived from the original on 2001-03-08.