John Mortimer Fourette Smith | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Trenton Titular Bishop ofTres Tabernae | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Trenton |
| Appointed | November 21, 1995 (Coadjutor) |
| Installed | June 30, 1997 |
| Term ended | December 1, 2010 |
| Predecessor | John C. Reiss |
| Successor | David M. O'Connell |
| Previous posts | Auxiliary Bishop of Newark 1987 to 1991 Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee 1991 to 1995 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 27, 1961 by Thomas Boland |
| Consecration | January 25, 1988 by Theodore Edgar McCarrick,Peter Leo Gerety, andWalter William Curtis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1935-06-23)June 23, 1935 |
| Died | January 22, 2019(2019-01-22) (aged 83) |
| Education | John Carroll University Immaculate Conception Seminary Catholic University of America |
| Motto | Servite Domino in lætitia (I will serve God cheerfully) |
| Styles of John Mortimer Fourette Smith | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
John Mortimer Fourette Smith (June 23, 1935 – January 22, 2019) was an Americanprelate of theRoman Catholic Church. He served as the ninth bishop of theDiocese of Trenton in New Jersey from 1997 to 2010. He previously served as bishop of theDiocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida from 1991 to 1995 and as an auxiliary bishop of theArchdiocese of Newark in New Jersey from 1987 to 1991
John Smith was born on June 23, 1935, inOrange, New Jersey, to Mortimer and Ethel (née Charnock) Smith. The oldest of three children, he had two brothers, Andrew (who later became aBenedictinemonk) and Gregory.
John Smith attendedSaint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, andJohn Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1955, he enteredImmaculate Conception Seminary, located at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. He obtained a Bachelor's degree inclassical languages in 1957.[1]
Smith wasordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Newark by ArchbishopThomas Boland on May 27, 1961.[2] He then served as assistantchancellor, asdefender of the bond of theMetropolitan Tribunal, and director of theCursillo movement for the archdiocese.
Smith earned aBachelor of Sacred Theology degree (1961) and adoctorate in canon law (1966) from theCatholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was also a visiting professor ofpastoral theology at the Immaculate Conception Seminary, an elected representative on the archdiocesanCouncil of Priests, anddean of centralBergen County. Smith was raised to the rank ofpapal chamberlain byPope Paul VI in 1971, and assigned to the team ministry of St. Joseph Church inOradell, New Jersey, in 1973.
In 1982, Smith became a faculty member of thePontifical North American College in Rome, where he was director of the Institute for Continuing Theological Education and program director of the U.S. Bishops' Consultation IV. Upon his return to New Jersey in 1986, he was named pastor of St. Mary's Parish inDumont and latervicar general and moderator of thecuria.[3]
On November 20, 1987, Smith was appointedtitular bishop ofTres Tabernae and as anauxiliary bishop of Newark byPope John Paul II. He received hisepiscopal consecration on January 25, 1988, at theCathedral of the Sacred Heart in Newark from ArchbishopTheodore McCarrick, with ArchbishopPeter Gerety and BishopWalter Curtis serving asco-consecrators.[4][5] From November 1985 to July 1991, including his time as auxiliary bishop of Newark, Smith lived with McCarrick at the Newark cathedral rectory.[6]
Smith was named the third bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee on June 25, 1991, by John Paul II. He wasinstalled on July 31 of that year.[7]
On November 21, 1995, Smith was appointedcoadjutor bishop of Trenton. He succeeded BishopJohn C. Reiss as the ninth bishop of Trenton upon the latter's resignation on June 30, 1997.[8]
In 2002, Smith removed a priestaccused of molesting a young boy from an administrative position in thediocese.[citation needed] The diocese had reported the allegation to theMonmouth Countyprosecutor's office when it was first made in 1990, but prosecutors had decided not to file criminal charges because of insufficient evidence. Smith relieved the priest of his duties following a review of personnel files to ensure the public's confidence in the clergy.
On June 4, 2010,David M. O'Connell was named coadjutor bishop of the diocese,[9] and on December 1, 2010,Pope Benedict VI accepted Smith's resignation as bishop of Trenton.[3]
John Smith died in Morris Hall Meadows Home inLawrenceville, New Jersey, on January 22, 2019, following a long illness.[10]
In November 2020, a Vatican investigation into McCarrick, now defrocked, identified Smith as one of three bishops who "provided inaccurate and incomplete information to the Holy See regarding McCarrick’s sexual conduct with young adults" when McCarrick was a candidate for the post of Archbishop of Washington in 2000.[11][12]
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Trenton 1997–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by – | Coadjutor Bishop of Trenton 1995–1997 | Succeeded by – |
| Preceded by | Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee 1991–1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by – | Auxiliary Bishop of Newark 1988–1991 | Succeeded by – |
| Preceded by | Titular Bishop ofTres Tabernae 1987–1991 | Succeeded by |
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