Rigali wasordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by CardinalJames Francis McIntyre on April 25, 1961.[4] After his ordination, Rigali received pastoral assignments at parishes in Los Angeles andDowney, California.[3]
While in Rome, Rigali served as an assistant during the first two sessions (1962–1963) of theSecond Vatican Council.[5] Rigali returned to California in the summer of 1964 and was briefly assigned as anassociate pastor at a parish inPomona.[6] Back to Rome, he studied at thePontifical Ecclesiastical Academy from 1964 to 1966 in preparation for his diplomatic work for theVatican.[3]
Rigali began his service in the English section of theSecretariat of State on November 25, 1964.[5] From September 1966 to February 1970, he served as secretary of theApostolic Nunciature toMadagascar. The Vatican named Rigali as apapal chamberlain on July 11, 1967. On February 11, 1970, Rigali became director of the English section of the Secretariat of State. He also served as the English translator forPope Paul VI, accompanying him on several international trips.[5]
During his service at the Secretariat of State, Rigali also served as achaplain at aCarmelite monastery and as a professor at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.[3] He accompaniedPope John Paul II on several international trips, including his 1979 and 1987 visits to the United States. The Vatican elevated Rigali to aprelate of honor on April 19, 1980, and he was appointed a magistral chaplain in theOrder of the Knights of Malta on October 25, 1984.[5]
On January 25, 1994, John Paul II named Rigali as the seventh archbishop of St. Louis. Rigali wasinstalled in St. Louis, Missouri, by CardinalBernardin Gantin on March 15, 1994.[8]
Rigali became a member of theKnights of Columbus on November 7, 1994. During his tenure atSt. Louis, Rigali showed a great interest in schools, visiting every Catholic high school in thearchdiocese.[9] However, Rigali opposedcollective bargaining by teachers and opposed any efforts they made to unionize. Rigali was widely credited as an able administrator and effective fundraiser, although observers said that his popularity dimmed as his tenure continued.[9]
In January 1999, Rigali hosted the visit of John Paul II to St. Louis.[9] The pope reportedly decided to visit the archdiocese because of his longtime close friendship with Rigali in Rome.[9]
According to theSt. Louis Business Journal, Rigali "brought financial stability to the St. Louis Archdiocese, overseeing successful capital campaigns to address immediate needs and raising endowment funds for the future."[10]
Rigali was appointed the eighth archbishop of Philadelphia by John Paul II on July 15, 2003.[11][8] He was installed as archbishop on October 7, 2003. On September 28, 2003, the Vatican elevated Rigali to theCollege of Cardinals, a customary privilege for the archbishops of Philadelphia. Rigali was created ascardinal-priest ofSanta Prisca in Rome during theconsistory of October 21, 2003.[8]
On June 16, 2011, Benedict XVI appointed Rigali to serve as his special envoy to the celebrations atPrachatice in theCzech Republic for the 200th anniversary of the birth of BishopJohn Neumann.[12]
On July 19, 2011, Benedict XVI accepted Rigali's resignation as archbishop of Philadelphia and named ArchbishopCharles J. Chaput to succeed him.[13] Chaput was installed as archbishop on September 8, 2011.[14][15] Rigali then retired in residence at theDiocese of Knoxville. He was invited there by BishopRichard Stika, with whom he shared living quarters.[16][17]
Rigali participated in the 2013 conclave that selectedPope Francis. Rigali remained eligible to vote inconclaves until he reached 80 on April 19, 2015. In December 2013, Rigali retired from the Congregation for Bishops.[18] During this period, Rigali participated in some activities in theDiocese of Nashville.[19] In January 2023, Rigali was hospitalized inKnoxville, Tennessee, for a few days for an undisclosed medical condition.[20] In 2023, he moved back to St. Louis.[21]
In October 2005, a grand jury empaneled in 2003 by Philadelphia District AttorneyLynne Abraham released a report on the cover-ups of sexual abuse by clergy in the archdiocese.[22] In response to the report, Rigali stated that “no priests in ministry today who have an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them.” However, some groups disputed the accuracy of that statement.[23]
In 2007, a former Catholic high school student reported that he had been repeatedly molested by BishopMichael J. Bransfield of theDiocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The alleged abuse took place when Bransfield was priest teachingLansdale Catholic High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, during the 1970s.[24] Rigali, then archbishop of Philadelphia, announced in October 2009 that the allegations could not be substantiated and took no action against Bransfield.[24]
In 2011, Bransfield gave $1,000 to Rigali. Bransfield made other cash gifts to senior clerics in the archdiocese, includingMonsignorTimothy C. Senior, the vicar for clergy.[24] One of Bransfield's accusers said that Rigali and other archdiocesan officials "looked the other way" and failed to inform him about the church's handling of his complaint.[24]
In early 2011, another grand jury in Philadelphia reported that the archdiocese was still negligent in its handling of sexual abuse accusations against clergy. In March 2011, Rigali suspended 21 priests in a single day, "prompting criticism that he should have alerted prosecutors sooner."[13][25][26]
In June 2006, Rigali traveled to theWhite House along with ArchbishopJohn J. Myers and CardinalSeán Patrick O'Malley to attend a press conference by US PresidentGeorge W. Bush. The purpose was to support passage of the proposedMarriage Protection Amendment to the US Constitution in theUnited States Senate, which would ban civil unions and marriages by same sex couples. The amendment did not pass the senate in 2006 or in later years.
As chair of theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Pro-Life Committee, he remarked during the annual Washington, DC,Pro life rally in January 2007 that there were "reasons for rejoicing" in thepro-life cause because more and more young people were working for the cause, and that there was a "growing moral sensitivity among them."[citation needed] In 2009, Rigali endorsed passage of thePregnant Women Support Act in Congress. He praised the bill for offering "an authentic common ground" that will provide many kinds of life-affirming support for pregnant women and their unborn children.[27] The bill did not pass congress.
In November 2009, Rigali, along with other Catholic prelates and religious leaders from other denominations, signed theManhattan Declaration. The document reiterated conservative viewpoints on marriage and religious freedom.[28]
In April 2009, Rigali denounced theordination ceremony of two Catholic women in Philadelphia, calling it a "pseudo-ordination" that "denigrates the truth entrusted to the Church by Christ himself." He excommunicated the two participants.[30][31]
^abcdeMiranda, Salvador."Rigali, Justin Francis".The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church.Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. RetrievedApril 11, 2009.
