William E. Lori

William Lori was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 6, 1951, to Francis and Margaret Lori. He attended the Seminary of Saint Pius X in Erlanger, Kentucky, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973. He then earned a master's degree from Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 1977.^[2]

Lori was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal William Baum on May 14, 1977, for the Archdiocese of Washington.^[3] After his ordination, Lori was assigned as a parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Largo, Maryland, from 1977 until 1982. He earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1982. That same year, Cardinal James Hickey named Lori as his theological advisor, a role Lori maintained until 2000.^[2]

Lori also served as the director of ecumenical affairs for the archdiocese from 1982 to 1986 and as Hickey's priest–secretary from 1983 until 1994. In 1994, Hickey appointed Lori as his chancellor, vicar general, and moderator of the curia.^[4] In early 1995, Lori was serving as archdiocesan spokesman when it removed four priests from ministry. The priests had confessed to sexually abusing an altar boy years earlier.^[5]

On February 25, 1995, Pope John Paul II appointed Lori as an auxiliary bishop of Washington and titular bishop of Bulla. He was consecrated by Hickey on April 20, 1995, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Cardinal William Baum and Bishop William Curlin served as Lori's co-consecrators.^[3]

Hickey ordered Lori in 1997 to investigate irregularities in a Georgetown parish. The pastoral staff had allegedly used gender-neutral terms during mass and criticized the male-only priesthood. Lori interviewed dozens of parishioners under oath, leaving many of them unhappy with the experience.^[5]

On January 23, 2001, John Paul II appointed Lori as bishop of Bridgeport; he was installed on March 19, 2001.^[6] As bishop, Lori launched new initiatives in Catholic education, vocations, Catholic Charities, pastoral services, and other ministries^[2]

In 2002, Lori helped write the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People by the USCCB. The first draft of the charter stated that its policies applied to bishops, priests, and deacons. However, the revised draft mentioned only priests and deacons.^[7] When questioned why the revised draft omitted bishops, Lori said that the drafting committee:

"...decided we would limit it to priests and deacons, as the disciplining of bishops is beyond the purview of this document. 'Cleric' would cover all three, so we decided not to use the word "cleric.'"^[7]

While serving in Bridgeport, Lori refused to release the names of diocesan priests being sued for sexual abuse. An activist group then sued the diocese to provide the names. The US Supreme Court ruled against the diocese in 2009, forcing it to reverse its policy.^[8]

On March 20, 2012, Lori was appointed archbishop of Baltimore by Pope Benedict XVI; Lori was installed on May 6, 2012.^[9]

In addition to his role as archbishop, the Vatican in 2018 appointed Lori as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. This action followed the retirement of Bishop Michael J. Bransfield. Lori investigated allegations that Bransfield had engaged in sexual harassment and made inappropriate financial transactions using diocesan funds.^[10]

In January 2019, Lori released “The Journey to Racial Justice: Repentance, Healing and Action.” The document acknowledged racism in the Catholic Church and suggested measures to combat it.^[2] That same month, Lori instituted an initiative for reporting allegations against the archbishop The policy was drafted by the archdiocesan Independent Review Board.

In June 2019, the Washington Post obtained copies of the first and final drafts of Lori's report on Bransfield.^[10] The final draft omitted the names of several cardinals and bishops who had received cash gifts from Bransfield, including that of Lori himself. After the Post published the article, Lori returned his $7,500 gift from Bransfield to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, asking that they donate it to Catholic Charities. Other bishops followed his example.^[11] Lori admitted removing the names to the Baltimore Sun,^[12] stating “looking back on this in hindsight, I would say that judgment call was a mistake.”

In May 2024, Lori announced that the archdiocese would reduce the number of parishes and worship sites in Baltimore and Baltimore County. The archdiocese would go from 61 parishes at 59 worship sites to 23 parishes at 30 worship sites in the affected areas. He remarked that the consolidations and closures would allow parishes to “focus on mission and ministry, as opposed to leaking roofs, crumbling walls, and failing electrical and plumbing systems.” ^[13]

• Former chair and current member, Committee on Doctrine
• Former chair, Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty
• Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Universities and Colleges
• Member, Committee on Pro–Life Activities
• Member, Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage
• Former member, Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse
• Former member, Committee on Catholic Education
• Vice president, USCCB (2022 to 2025)^[14]

• Chancellor and board chair, St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore
• Chancellor, Mount St. Mary's Seminary
• Former board chair, Catholic University of America
• Former board chair, Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut
• Supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus since 2005^[2]

In 2022, Lori expressed his support for a national ban on abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy.^[15]

In 2018, Lori announced that the archdiocese would offer ID cards to its parishioners that would be recognized by the Baltimore Police Department as a valid form of identification. The measure was meant to assist immigrants and other individuals in the archdiocese who faced obstacles in obtaining other forms of ID.^[16]

Lori in 2020 expressed his disappointment in a court decision that allowed the Trump Administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadoran immigrants.^[17]

Lori in 2023 issued Like Every Disciple, a set of guidelines for providing pastoral care to LGBT individuals in the archdiocese. Lori stated that:

“Persons who may identify as LGBT are daughters and sons of God, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, they are members of the Body of Christ, they are our family members and friends.”^[18]

• Archdiocese of Baltimore
• Biography, Diocese of Baltimore
• Catholic-Hierarchy.org
• Diocese of Bridgeport
• Knights of Columbus Biography