Frank Joseph Rodimer

infobox bishopstyles
name=Frank Rodimer
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=not applicable |

Frank Joseph Rodimer (born October 25, 1927) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Paterson from 1977 to 2004.

Biography

Frank Rodimer was born in Rockaway, New Jersey, and ordained to the priesthood on May 19, 1951. He studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., from where he obtained his licentiate in theology in 1951 and doctorate in canon law in 1954.

On December 5, 1977, Rodimer was appointed the sixth Bishop of Paterson by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on February 28, 1978 from Archbishop Peter Gerety, with Archbishops Joseph Bernardin and Peter Poreku Dery serving as co-consecrators.

During his tenure, Rodimer made public his opposition to capital punishment and permanent replacements for striking workers [The Catholic Advocate. [http://www.rcan.org/advocatearchive/061604/news4.htm Bishop Serratelli to be seventh head of Paterson Diocese] June 16, 2004] .

Although he once declared, "I fear for a society which deplores but does little or nothing to address the horrible daily realities which many of our children face" [Ibid.] , the Bishop admitted his "own inadequacy" in failing to prevent at least four of his clerical colleagues, with whom he shared a Long Island beach house, from committing sexual abuse [Bishop Accountability. [http://www.bishop-accountability.org/resources/resource-files/databases/DallasMorningNewsBishops.htm#Rodimer Catholic Bishops and Sex Abuse] ] . Furthermore, when a priest in the Paterson diocese named William Cramer was accused of having abused children, he transferred him to two other parishes before Cramer was indicted in 1985. Despite the fact that he pleaded guilty in 1988, Rodimer continues to support him. He also temporarily allowed another priest to remain in his ministry despite confessing to sexual misconduct.

Rodimer retired as Bishop on June 1, 2004, after twenty-six years of service. He was succeeded by Bishop Arthur Serratelli.

References

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/boharae.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2004/04-100.shtml USCCB - Press Release]