Roberto González Nieves
Encyclopedia
Roberto Octavio González Nieves, OFM
(born June 2, 1950) is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church
in Puerto Rico
and the current Archbishop of San Juan
.
, on June 2, 1950. He received his elementary education at Academia Santa Monica in Santurce, a district of San Juan
. He attended St. Joseph Seraphic Seminary in Callicoon, New York
. He also studied and graduated from Siena College
in Loudonville, New York
. Accepted as an affiliate of the Franciscan Order at Christ House in Lafayette, New Jersey, in 1970, he professed first vows in 1972 at St. Francis Friary in Brookline, Massachusetts. González earned a Master's degree in Sacred Theology at the Washington Theological Coalition (now Washington Theological Union
) in Silver Spring, Maryland
. He also holds a doctorate in sociology from Fordham University, and he authored The Hispanic Catholic in the United States: a Socio-Cultural and Religious Profile. He has received an honorary doctorate from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana
.
to work as the city's auxiliary bishop under Cardinal Archbishop Bernard Francis Law. In Boston, Bishop González Nieves was popular in the Hispanic
community.
In 1995, González Nieves was relocated to Texas
, where he served as coadjutor bishop of Corpus Christi
until 1997, when he succeeded as bishop of the diocese. As in Boston, González Nieves was very popular with the Hispanic community living in Corpus Christi.
John Paul II
. He was installed as archbishop on May 8 in a ceremony that was attended by many of his friends from Corpus Christi, New York and Boston. Other people who attended included the then mayor of San Juan and future Governor of Puerto Rico
Sila Calderón, former Governor Carlos Romero Barceló
, as well as other Puerto Rican political figures.
The ceremony also marked the retirement of Cardinal Luis Aponte Martínez
, who had been the archbishop of San Juan since 1965. Aponte Martínez observed that the ceremony marked the first time in history that a Puerto Rican archbishop had handed the see over to another Puerto Rican archbishop.
Almost immediately, González Nieves raised his profile across the island. As archbishop, he articulated outspoken and often controversial views, particularly in defence of the Navy-Vieques protests and in his denunciation of homosexuality
, among other things. His actions in the Vieques Protests gained international notoriety, and he was viewed as a strong Latin-American leader of the Catholic Church. In Puerto Rico he has been unpopular among some due to his strong nationalist sentiments. He has been shrouded in controversy due to speculation about the management of pedophile priests both in Boston and in Puerto Rico. Public protests against him have occurred as well as complaints sent to the Holy See in Rome.
He has proclaimed his pride in being Puerto Rican, asked the Government to work hard to preserve the national identity of Puerto Ricans, and criticized political corruption
in Puerto Rico.
During the spring of 2006, along with several Protestant leaders, he was instrumental in persuading Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vila
, Senate President Kenneth McClintock
, and House Speaker José Aponte Hernández to resolve Puerto Rico's fiscal crisis, which had sparked a two-week-long government shutdown.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
(born June 2, 1950) is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the current Archbishop of San Juan
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, comprising the northeast portion of the island of Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the United States...
.
Early life and education
Roberto Octavio González was born in Elizabeth, New JerseyElizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, on June 2, 1950. He received his elementary education at Academia Santa Monica in Santurce, a district of San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. He attended St. Joseph Seraphic Seminary in Callicoon, New York
Callicoon, New York
Callicoon, New York may refer to:*Callicoon , New York*Callicoon , New York...
. He also studied and graduated from Siena College
Siena College
Siena College is an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Loudonville, in the town of Colonie, New York, United States. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and...
in Loudonville, New York
Loudonville, New York
Loudonville is a hamlet in the town of Colonie, in Albany County, New York, United States. Loudonville was a census-designated place in the 1970, 1980, and 1990 US Census, but ceased to be in the 2000 Census.The area is not precisely defined...
. Accepted as an affiliate of the Franciscan Order at Christ House in Lafayette, New Jersey, in 1970, he professed first vows in 1972 at St. Francis Friary in Brookline, Massachusetts. González earned a Master's degree in Sacred Theology at the Washington Theological Coalition (now Washington Theological Union
Washington Theological Union
Washington Theological Union is a Roman Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry in Washington, D.C., with a mission of educating and forming candidates for the priesthood and other church ministries. WTU is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada...
) in Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
. He also holds a doctorate in sociology from Fordham University, and he authored The Hispanic Catholic in the United States: a Socio-Cultural and Religious Profile. He has received an honorary doctorate from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
.
Priesthood
On May 8, 1977, González Nieves became a priest, and, in 1982, he began to serve at St. Pius V in the Bronx, New York, before going to Holy Cross Church, also in the Bronx. In 1986, he was appointed pastor of that church. He remained there until 1988, when he was sent to BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to work as the city's auxiliary bishop under Cardinal Archbishop Bernard Francis Law. In Boston, Bishop González Nieves was popular in the Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
community.
In 1995, González Nieves was relocated to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he served as coadjutor bishop of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
until 1997, when he succeeded as bishop of the diocese. As in Boston, González Nieves was very popular with the Hispanic community living in Corpus Christi.
Archbishop of San Juan
On March 26, 1999, González Nieves was appointed archbishop of San Juan by PopePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He was installed as archbishop on May 8 in a ceremony that was attended by many of his friends from Corpus Christi, New York and Boston. Other people who attended included the then mayor of San Juan and future Governor of Puerto Rico
Governor of Puerto Rico
The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
Sila Calderón, former Governor Carlos Romero Barceló
Carlos Romero Barceló
Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fifth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party and also Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001, making him one of the more successful...
, as well as other Puerto Rican political figures.
The ceremony also marked the retirement of Cardinal Luis Aponte Martínez
Luis Aponte Martínez
Luis Aponte Martínez is the only Puerto Rican ever to be consecrated a cardinal of the Catholic Church, and for 34 years was the Archbishop of San Juan. Cardinal Aponte was a cardinal elector in the two conclaves of 1978....
, who had been the archbishop of San Juan since 1965. Aponte Martínez observed that the ceremony marked the first time in history that a Puerto Rican archbishop had handed the see over to another Puerto Rican archbishop.
Almost immediately, González Nieves raised his profile across the island. As archbishop, he articulated outspoken and often controversial views, particularly in defence of the Navy-Vieques protests and in his denunciation of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, among other things. His actions in the Vieques Protests gained international notoriety, and he was viewed as a strong Latin-American leader of the Catholic Church. In Puerto Rico he has been unpopular among some due to his strong nationalist sentiments. He has been shrouded in controversy due to speculation about the management of pedophile priests both in Boston and in Puerto Rico. Public protests against him have occurred as well as complaints sent to the Holy See in Rome.
He has proclaimed his pride in being Puerto Rican, asked the Government to work hard to preserve the national identity of Puerto Ricans, and criticized political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in Puerto Rico.
During the spring of 2006, along with several Protestant leaders, he was instrumental in persuading Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vila
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,...
, Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
, and House Speaker José Aponte Hernández to resolve Puerto Rico's fiscal crisis, which had sparked a two-week-long government shutdown.