Paul Stagg Coakley
Encyclopedia
Paul Stagg Coakley is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the current archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
.
, Virginia
, to John and Mary Coakley. His mother (d. March 10, 1988) was of French
descent, while his father is of Irish descent. The second of three children, he has an older brother, John, and a younger sister, Mary Christina. At age 2, he and his family moved to Metairie
, Louisiana
, where Coakley attended St. Mary Magdalen School from 1960 to 1965. The family then moved to Overland Park
, Kansas
in 1965, and Coakley there attended Cherokee Elementary School for two years.
He attended Broadmoor Junior High School (1967–1970) and Shawnee Mission West High School (1970–1973) before studying at the University of Kansas
, from where Coakley obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English and Classical Antiquities 1977. During this period, he was also a student in KU's Integrated Humanities Program. After graduating from KU, Coakley traveled in Europe
and briefly considered a monastic vocation
at the Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault
in France
before returning to the United States
, where he entered St. Pius X Seminary in Erlanger
, Kentucky
in 1978.
On April 8, 1982, he was ordained
a deacon
by Bishop David M. Maloney
. He also studied at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg
, Maryland
, earning a Master's in Divinity
in 1983.
by Bishop Eugene J. Gerber
on May 21, 1983. He then served as chaplain
at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Wichita
from June to August 1983, and as associate pastor
at St. Mary's Church in Derby
from 1983 to 1985. He then furthered his studies in Rome
at the Pontifical Gregorian University
, where he received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
in 1987.
Upon his return to the Diocese of Wichita
, Coakley served as chaplain at Kansas Newman College
from 1987 to 1989. He also was director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (1987–1991), and pastor
of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (1989–1990). From 1990 to 1995, he served as associate director of the Spiritual Life Center and associate pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church. He served as pastor of the Church of the Resurrection from (1995–1998) before returning to Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland, where he was Director of Spiritual Formation
from 1998 to 2002.
Coakley served as director of the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita from 2002 to January 2004, when he became Vice-Chancellor
of the Diocese of Wichita. In addition to his role as Vice-Chancellor, he served as administrator of the Church of the Magdalen from July to December 2004.
by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following December 28 from Archbishop James P. Keleher
, with Bishops George K. Fitzsimons
and Eugene J. Gerber serving as co-consecrators
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: Duc In Altum, meaning, "Put Out Into The Deep" .
During the 2008 presidential election
, Coakley declared, "To vote for a candidate who supports an intrinsic evil, such as abortion
or genocide
, would require a proportionately grave moral reason for ignoring such a flaw." He later stated that House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi
and Senator
Joe Biden
"misrepresented Catholic teaching on abortion" in their respective interviews on Meet the Press
. He also said that pro-choice
Catholic politician
s are "a scandal to others" and "contribute to the perpetuation of a grave evil," and that denying them Communion
"in many cases becomes the right decision and the only choice." Later calling the victory of Democratic
candidate Barack Obama
an "undeniable irony," he said that the election of the first African-American
president
"signals that our nation has crossed a threshold in the struggle for civil rights" but also noted Obama's "denial of civil rights and legal protection to a whole class of persons as well, unborn human beings."
In March 2009, Coakley described President Obama's reversal of the Mexico City Policy
and nomination of Governor
Kathleen Sebelius
as Secretary of Health and Human Services
as "serious assaults against the rights of conscience and our efforts to protect innocent human life." In the following April, he expressed his "deep disappointment" at the University of Notre Dame
's decision to have Obama deliver its commencement speech and receive an honorary degree
, saying, "The University's invitation undermines the Catholic identity and mission of the institution."
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
, Coakley currently sits on the Subcommittee on Home Missions; Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations; and Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. He is also a Fourth Degree member of the Knight of Columbus
, and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
.
, and was installed on February 11, 2011, replacing retiring Eusebius J. Beltran
. At the announcement of his appointment at the pastoral Center in Oklahoma City, Coakley remarked: "This new pastoral responsibility is an opportunity and a challenge that I certainly had not sought, but one which I will eagerly embrace with all my heart."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the current archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the midwestern region of the United States. Its ecclesiastical territory includes 46 counties in western Oklahoma. The Most Reverend Paul Stagg Coakley is the current archbishop...
.
Early life and education
Paul Coakley was born in NorfolkNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, to John and Mary Coakley. His mother (d. March 10, 1988) was of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
descent, while his father is of Irish descent. The second of three children, he has an older brother, John, and a younger sister, Mary Christina. At age 2, he and his family moved to Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, where Coakley attended St. Mary Magdalen School from 1960 to 1965. The family then moved to Overland Park
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in 1965, and Coakley there attended Cherokee Elementary School for two years.
He attended Broadmoor Junior High School (1967–1970) and Shawnee Mission West High School (1970–1973) before studying at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, from where Coakley obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English and Classical Antiquities 1977. During this period, he was also a student in KU's Integrated Humanities Program. After graduating from KU, Coakley traveled in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and briefly considered a monastic vocation
Consecrated life (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, the term "consecrated life" denotes a stable form of Christian living by those faithful who feel called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way recognized by the Church...
at the Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault
Fontgombault Abbey
Fontgombault Abbey is a Benedictine monastery of the Solesmes Congregation located in Fontgombault in the département of Indre, in the province of Berry, France.-History:...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
before returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he entered St. Pius X Seminary in Erlanger
Erlanger, Kentucky
Erlanger is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,676 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Erlanger is located at ....
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1978.
On April 8, 1982, he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
by Bishop David M. Maloney
David Monas Maloney
David Monas Maloney was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wichita from 1967 to 1982.-Biography:...
. He also studied at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg
Emmitsburg, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,290 people, 811 households, and 553 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,992.9 people per square mile . There were 862 housing units at an average density of 750.2 per square mile...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, earning a Master's in Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
in 1983.
Priesthood
Coakley was ordained to the priesthoodPriesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Eugene J. Gerber
Eugene John Gerber
Eugene John Gerber is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Dodge City from 1976 to 1982, and Bishop of Wichita from 1982 to 2001.-Early life and education:...
on May 21, 1983. He then served as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
from June to August 1983, and as associate pastor
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Mary's Church in Derby
Derby, Kansas
Derby is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. Formerly known as El Paso, it is a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,158. As of 2008 the population was estimated at 22,517, making it the 17th largest city in the state of Kansas...
from 1983 to 1985. He then furthered his studies in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
, where he received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
in 1987.
Upon his return to the Diocese of Wichita
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kansas. It was founded on August 2, 1887, and covers Allen, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Reno,...
, Coakley served as chaplain at Kansas Newman College
Newman University
Newman University is a coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. The university offers both undergraduate and masters level programs.-History:...
from 1987 to 1989. He also was director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (1987–1991), and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (1989–1990). From 1990 to 1995, he served as associate director of the Spiritual Life Center and associate pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church. He served as pastor of the Church of the Resurrection from (1995–1998) before returning to Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland, where he was Director of Spiritual Formation
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing...
from 1998 to 2002.
Coakley served as director of the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita from 2002 to January 2004, when he became Vice-Chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Diocese of Wichita. In addition to his role as Vice-Chancellor, he served as administrator of the Church of the Magdalen from July to December 2004.
Episcopal career
On October 21, 2004, Coakley was appointed the ninth Bishop of SalinaRoman Catholic Diocese of Salina
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina is a Roman Catholic diocese covering thirty-one counties in Kansas. The episcopal see is in Salina, Kansas...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following December 28 from Archbishop James P. Keleher
James Patrick Keleher
James Patrick Keleher was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Belleville and Archbishop of Kansas City .-Early life and education:...
, with Bishops George K. Fitzsimons
George Kinzie Fitzsimons
George Kinzie Fitzsimons is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Salina from 1984 to 2004.-Biography:...
and Eugene J. Gerber serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: Duc In Altum, meaning, "Put Out Into The Deep" .
During the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Coakley declared, "To vote for a candidate who supports an intrinsic evil, such as abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
or genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, would require a proportionately grave moral reason for ignoring such a flaw." He later stated that House Speaker
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
"misrepresented Catholic teaching on abortion" in their respective interviews on Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
. He also said that pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
Catholic politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s are "a scandal to others" and "contribute to the perpetuation of a grave evil," and that denying them Communion
Eucharist (Catholic Church)
"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood."...
"in many cases becomes the right decision and the only choice." Later calling the victory of Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
an "undeniable irony," he said that the election of the first African-American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
"signals that our nation has crossed a threshold in the struggle for civil rights" but also noted Obama's "denial of civil rights and legal protection to a whole class of persons as well, unborn human beings."
In March 2009, Coakley described President Obama's reversal of the Mexico City Policy
Mexico City Policy
The Mexico City Policy, also known by critics as the Mexico City Gag Rule and the Global Gag Rule, was an intermittent United States government policy that required all non-governmental organizations that receive federal funding to refrain from performing or promoting abortion services, as a...
and nomination of Governor
Governor of Kansas
The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...
as Secretary of Health and Human Services
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet...
as "serious assaults against the rights of conscience and our efforts to protect innocent human life." In the following April, he expressed his "deep disappointment" at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
's decision to have Obama deliver its commencement speech and receive an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
, saying, "The University's invitation undermines the Catholic identity and mission of the institution."
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, Coakley currently sits on the Subcommittee on Home Missions; Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations; and Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. He is also a Fourth Degree member of the Knight of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
, and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
Order of the Holy Sepulchre
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. It traces its roots to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade...
.
Appointment as Archbishop
On December 16, 2010, he was announced as the Archbishop-designate for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma CityRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the midwestern region of the United States. Its ecclesiastical territory includes 46 counties in western Oklahoma. The Most Reverend Paul Stagg Coakley is the current archbishop...
, and was installed on February 11, 2011, replacing retiring Eusebius J. Beltran
Eusebius J. Beltran
Eusebius Joseph Beltran is an American prelate. He was the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City from 1993 until 2010. Before his appointment to Oklahoma City, Beltran was bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa from 1978 to 1992....
. At the announcement of his appointment at the pastoral Center in Oklahoma City, Coakley remarked: "This new pastoral responsibility is an opportunity and a challenge that I certainly had not sought, but one which I will eagerly embrace with all my heart."