Richmond, Va., May 24, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo has vowed to make the revival of the Church’s traditional values his top priority.
The 61-year-old bishop was installed yesterday as the 12th bishop of the Diocese of Richmond. William Cardinal Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore, and the nuncio, Archbishop Gabrielle Montalvo, were at the installation ceremony.
The former bishop of Honolulu for 10 years said he would base his leadership upon a 2002 statement of faith, which was developed by ministries across the state, that points to a desire to return to traditional values.
At a press conference May 21, DiLorenzo said his objectives also include developing lay leadership, creating a diocesan office responsible for handling allegations of abuse and implementing prevention, and proclaiming the Church’s teachings against abortion and on other social issues.