Richard J. Sklba
Encyclopedia
Richard John Sklba is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
.
, Wisconsin
. He attended St. Catherine's High School
for two years before entering St. Francis Seminary. From 1954 to 1960, he studied in Rome
, where he earned a degree
in Scripture
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on December 20, 1959, and then served as assistant pastor
at St. Mary's Church, in Elm Grove
for two years.
He furthered his studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute
and the Angelicum from 1962 to 1965 and, after returning to the United States
, did weekend pastoral
work at St. Veronica Church, in Milwaukee
, and taught Scripture at St. Francis Seminary.
On November 6, 1979, Sklba was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Milwaukee
and Titular Bishop
of Castro di Puglia
by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following December 19 from Archbishop Rembert Weakland
, OSB
, with Archbishops William Cousins and Robert Sanchez serving as co-consecrators
. He has been a member of the Catholic Biblical Association of America since 1968 and named its President
in 1982.
In 1998 Sklba caused controversy when he wrote and read the euolgy at Father Lawrence Murphy's funeral. His eulogy alluded to the good work done by Father Murphy and stated "some shadows had been cast on his ministry" when in fact Father Murphy had admitted to molesting 30 deaf students and was suspected in 200 cases.
From 2005 to 2008, Sklba served as chairman
of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
. In this capacity, following Pope Benedict XVI
's reformulation of the Good Friday Prayer for the Jews in the Tridentine Mass
, he stated, "Central to the concerns of the Holy Father
is the clear articulation that salvation
comes through faith in Jesus Christ
and his church. It is a faith that must never be imposed but always freely chosen. The Catholic Church in the United States
remains steadfastly committed to deepening its bonds of friendship and mutual understanding with the Jewish community." On October 18, 2010, Bishop Sklba retired.
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 served as an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Roman Catholic archdiocese headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, as well as the counties of Dodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha, all...
.
Biography
Richard Sklba was born in RacineRacine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. He attended St. Catherine's High School
St. Catherine's High School (Racine, Wisconsin)
St. Catherine's High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Racine, Wisconsin. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee.-History:St. Catherine's traces its origins to the fall of 1864, when the Racine Dominican Sisters...
for two years before entering St. Francis Seminary. From 1954 to 1960, he studied 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...
, where he earned a degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in Scripture
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. 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....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (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....
on December 20, 1959, and then served as assistant 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 Elm Grove
Elm Grove, Wisconsin
Elm Grove is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,249 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elm Grove is located at ....
for two years.
He furthered his studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute
Pontifical Biblical Institute
The Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, Italy is an institution of the Holy See run by the Jesuits that offers instruction at the university level...
and the Angelicum from 1962 to 1965 and, after returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, did weekend pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work at St. Veronica Church, in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, and taught Scripture at St. Francis Seminary.
On November 6, 1979, Sklba was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Milwaukee
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Roman Catholic archdiocese headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, as well as the counties of Dodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha, all...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Castro di Puglia
Castro (LE)
Castro is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-eastern Italy.-History:Castro derives its name from Castrum Minervae , which was an ancient town of the Sallentini, c. 15 km south of Hydruntum...
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 19 from Archbishop Rembert Weakland
Rembert Weakland
Rembert George Weakland was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Milwaukee from 1977 to 2002. He is the author of A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop, which explores Church reform issues, his homosexuality, and the child abuse crisis....
, OSB
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
, with Archbishops William Cousins and Robert Sanchez 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 has been a member of the Catholic Biblical Association of America since 1968 and named its President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
in 1982.
In 1998 Sklba caused controversy when he wrote and read the euolgy at Father Lawrence Murphy's funeral. His eulogy alluded to the good work done by Father Murphy and stated "some shadows had been cast on his ministry" when in fact Father Murphy had admitted to molesting 30 deaf students and was suspected in 200 cases.
From 2005 to 2008, Sklba served as chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of 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...
' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
The Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs is the principal ecumenical and interfaith organization of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops....
. In this capacity, following Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
's reformulation of the Good Friday Prayer for the Jews in the Tridentine Mass
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
, he stated, "Central to the concerns of the Holy Father
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
is the clear articulation that salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
comes through faith in Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and his church. It is a faith that must never be imposed but always freely chosen. The Catholic Church in the United States
Roman Catholicism in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...
remains steadfastly committed to deepening its bonds of friendship and mutual understanding with the Jewish community." On October 18, 2010, Bishop Sklba retired.