CMSOnAir | His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin

This episode features a conversation with His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey.

Ordained in 1978, Cardinal Tobin served as a pastor in Holy Redeemer Parish in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan until 1990. He also served in a number of diocesan assignments within the Archdiocese of Detroit, including: Episcopal Vicar; member of the Presbyteral Council, and; official in the Metropolitan Tribunal. In addition, throughout much of his career, Cardinal Tobin served in a number of positions within the Redemptorist Congregation, including as the General Consultor of the Community in Rome from 1991 until 1997, and as Superior General of the Redemptorists in Rome from 1997 until 2009.

On August 9, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Tobin to the Roman Curia post of Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSA), and titular Archbishop of Obba. On October 18, 2012, Pope Benedict appointed him to serve as the Sixth Archbishop of Indianapolis. In 2016, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals and appointed him as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark.

Cardinal Tobin is well-known for his support of migrants and refugees – accompanying immigrants to deportation hearings and speaking out against unjust immigration policies. In 2015, as Archbishop of Indianapolis, he famously directed Catholic Charities of Indianapolis to resettle a Syrian refugee family in the Archdiocese, against the wishes of then-Indiana governor, and now Vice-President, Mike Pence.

In this interview with CMS’s Executive Director, Donald Kerwin, Cardinal Tobin discusses Catholic teaching on migrants and refugees, developments in immigration and refugee policy, ideological polarization surrounding immigration in the United States, the provision of sanctuary to migrants, and how faith communities can become more involved on immigration issues.