Pope Leo XIV's Latest US Bishop Appointment Sparks Mixed Reactions over LGBTQ+ Outreach

Pope Leo XIV’s latest US bishop appointment sparks mixed reactions over LGBTQ+ outreach

(RNS) — Bishop-elect Thomas Hennen was appointed by Pope Leo XIV to lead the Diocese of Baker, Oregon, on Thursday (July 10). At age 47, Hennen will be the youngest bishop leading a U.S. diocese. Hennen’s ministry to LGBTQ+ people has seen mixed reactions about his pastoral approach. While ministering at the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa — his most recent post — Hennen spoke at a 2023 diocesan talk about ministry to LGBTQ+ Catholics. He said he had…

Pope Leo XIV's latest US bishop appointment sparks mixed reactions over LGBTQ+ outreach

(RNS) — Thomas Hennen’s ministry in the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, signaled he backs current Catholic Church teaching on LGBTQ+ issues.

Pope Leo XIV appoints Iowa priest to lead mission diocese of Baker, Oregon

Father Thomas Hennen, vicar general of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV to be the next bishop of Baker, a mission diocese in eastern Oregon. / Courtesy of Diocese of Davenport Rome Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 12:3... [...]

Pope Leo XIV Appoints Iowa Priest to Lead Mission Diocese of Baker, Oregon

A moral theologian, Bishop-elect Hennen has over 10 years of experience in pastoral outreach to people with same-sex attraction, as diocesan coordinator and c...

Davenport vicar general Father Thomas Hennen appointed bishop of Baker, Ore.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Liam S. Cary, who has headed the Diocese of Baker, Oregon, since 2012, and named as his successor Father Thomas Hennen, current vicar general of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, and pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral. The resignation and appointment were announced by the Vatican on July 10, and publicized in Washington by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to …