Jennifer Schack
Director of Media Relations
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Office | 513.263.6618
Cell | 859.512.5626
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Release Date: May 7, 2020
Bishop Joseph R. Binzer Resigns as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
In late April, Bishop Joseph R. Binzer offered his resignation to the Holy See from his office as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted Bishop Binzer’s resignation which is effective today.
Bishop Binzer was previously removed as the Director of Priests’ Personnel after he failed to bring past concerns about Father Geoffrey Drew’s conduct to the attention of Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and the Priests’ Personnel Board.
“I am deeply sorry for my role in addressing the concerns raised about Father Drew, which has had a negative impact on the trust and faith of the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. In April, having studied this matter since last summer, the Holy See informed me that it agreed with this assessment. As a result, and after much prayer and reflection, I offered my resignation from the Office of Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,” said Bishop Binzer. “I believe this to be in the best interest of the archdiocese.”
Bishop Joseph Binzer is a Cincinnati native. He was ordained a priest on June 4, 1994. Binzer served as Chancellor of the archdiocese for eight years before being ordained a bishop and installed as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on June 9, 2011.
Although Bishop Binzer has resigned from his office of Auxiliary Bishop, he remains a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
“I have been blessed to serve the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as a priest for almost 26 years and hope to do so for years to come. I will continue to pray for all of you, and for all those I have affected,” said Bishop Binzer.
“In this difficult and unfortunate time, please keep Bishop Binzer and all the people of the archdiocese in your prayers,” said Archbishop Schnurr. “Bishop Binzer will continue to serve the people of the Archdiocese with the title of Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus. What exactly that ministry will look like will be determined after discussions between Bishop Binzer, the Priest Personnel Board, and me.”
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 44th largest Catholic diocese in the country, with more than 450,000 Catholics, and has the fifth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with more than 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 211 parishes and 111 Catholic primary and secondary schools.
