Backlash Continues Against Cardinal Tobin

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NEWARK, N.J. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Amid outcry from faithful Catholics, it is rumored that Cdl. Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey is a front-runner to replace Cdl. Donald Wuerl as archbishop of Washington, D.C. But Catholics are loudly rejecting the possibility.

Tobin's Twitter feed has been daily deluged with comments from angry Catholics demanding that the prelate — handpicked by homosexual predator Theodore McCarrick — resign.

Cardinal Wuerl was implicated in the Pennsylvania grand jury report in August for, among other things, paying hush money to a predatory priest who was part of a pederast ring. He pleaded with Pope Francis to accept his resignation amid intense blowback from the pews and criticism from the media. The Pope finally announced on Oct. 12 that he was accepting Wuerl's resignation.

Now, Wuerl acts as apostolic administrator as Pope Francis tries to decide who will be his successor as head of the Washington archdiocese.

Some have reported that Cdl. Tobin is one of the possible successors to Wuerl that the Pope is considering. This is deeply troubling to faithful Catholics, in part because of Cdl. Tobin's connections to homosexual predator ex-Cdl. Theodore McCarrick.

Already, thousands of Catholics have signed a petition opposing the idea that Tobin should be appointed to replace Wuerl in the Washington archdiocese.

In August, Cdl. Tobin lampooned Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò for his testimony that Pope Francis revoked disciplines that had been imposed on McCarrick. He told The New York Times, "I do think it's about limiting the days of this Pope, and short of that, neutering his voice or casting ambiguity around him."

"And it's part of a larger upheaval both within and without the church," the cardinal added.

Archbishop Viganò's testimony named Cdl. Tobin, claiming McCarrick had advised Pope Francis to make Tobin a cardinal and to appoint him as head of the Newark archdiocese.

One of Tobin's first actions after he took over the Newark archdiocese was to give his blessing to an LGBT pilgrimage and retreat taking place at the cathedral.

In August, during the "summer of shame," several priests in the Newark archdiocese spoke anonymously to Catholic News Agency (CNA) about a dominant homosexual culture among the priests of the diocese. They described how priests would pick seminarians to their liking and groom them for gay sex.

Throughout September, concerned Catholic laity turned up to protest in Newark outside both archdiocesan offices and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Signs held by protesters during the demonstrations said things like "Prosecute Predator Priests," "No investigations, no donations," "It's not enough" and "Independent Investigation Now."

Other signs read, "Rebuild our Church, rebuild our TRUST" and "Wolves in Shepherds' Clothing."

At the protests, one lady's sign read, "Honk for Truth, Stop the Abuse."

A source told Church Militant that many passersby honked in support.

In February this year, Cdl. Tobin sent out a bizarre tweet that read, "Supposed to be airborne in 10 minutes. Nighty-night, baby. I love you."

This tweet led to confusion and speculation among Catholics. Some Twitter users argued it was likely intended to be a private message on Twitter, but mistakenly sent out as a public tweet instead — pointing to how Twitter's interface can be confusing for some smart phone users.

Tobin deleted the strange tweet, then claimed that he intended to send it as a private message to one of his sisters, but accidentally posted it on his Twitter page.

In December of 2017, Cdl. Tobin told The New York Times that he liked the idea of female cardinals. He argued that there is no "compelling theological reason why the pope couldn't name a woman cardinal."

During that interview, instead of using apologetics to explain the all-male priesthood when his interviewer asked about it, Tobin merely admitted that the issue — which strikes at the heart of the Catholic priesthood — can be a "stumbling-block" for some.

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