The pope has named a new auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Cleveland.
“Pope Francis has appointed the Rev. Michael G. Woost as auxiliary bishop of Cleveland,” according to the Diocese. “Bishop-elect Woost is a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland and currently serves as a member of the faculty of Saint Mary Seminary. In addition, he was recently appointed as the interim director of the diocesan Office for Worship. Bishop-elect Woost will be ordained to the episcopate during Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Thursday, August 4, 2022.”
The Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland was congratulatory.
“This announcement is great news for the Diocese of Cleveland. I am grateful to the Holy Father Pope Francis for the appointment of Bishop-elect Woost as an auxiliary bishop,” Bishop Edward Malesic said. “He is a highly respected, capable, and faithful man who will be a good helpmate with me in shepherding the wonderful people of our Diocese. I look forward to working closely with Bishop-elect Woost and ask our people to pray for him as he prepares to be ordained as a bishop of our Church.”
Woost is a Cleveland native, according to the Diocese. He attended Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Cleveland, where he is now a member of the faculty. According to the school, he is an Associate Professor of Liturgical-Sacramental Theology.
Woost’s appointment to bishop comes amid a time of turmoil in the United States surrounding one of the Catholic Church’s signature issues.
Last week, a leaked opinion from Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito showed that the nation’s highest Court might be preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade, the infamous 1973 decision that made abortions available on-demand.
The Catholic Church opposes abortion.
“As Catholics, we care about every unborn child and every mother,” Archbishop William Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore said after the leak. “Our church has consistently witnessed in word and deed that life begins at the moment of conception.”
Pope Francis has remained silent in the wake of the leak.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Pope Francis” by Zebra48bo. CC BY-SA 4.0.
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