Story Of Fmr. Detroit Priest Who Was Made Cardinal By Pope Francis

**emu steve** · December-25-16, 02:41 PM

Fascinating story written by the N. Y. Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/ny...ttom-well&_r=0

**renf** · December-25-16, 08:30 PM

That was a very interesting story in the morning newspaper. And he has a friend in
Pope Francis. One man from southwest Detroit gets appointed as a cardinal, another
may get confirmed as secretary of HUD.

**Gannon** · December-26-16, 05:43 AM

Both of my parents knew this fellow when he was at Holy Redeemer and beyond. I'm pretty sure he was around when mum was helping found the AlAnon chapter on Vernor Highway. Heck, he married my father and step-mother, down at old St. Anne's. Weird being only two-degrees separated from this man.

Never heard a bad word about him.

**emu steve** · December-26-16, 11:35 AM

I doubt I'd create a thread for any Catholic Priest from Detroit who does well, but the Cardinal is not only a Catholic Priest from Detroit, but IS DETROIT.

He may have left Detroit [[for the Vatican, etc.) but sounds like no one got the Detroit out of him.

If there is anything like "Detroit values", he probably fits it to a tee.

**renf** · December-26-16, 02:00 PM

A Cardinal who drives a Chevy Tahoe is certainly a Motown guy.

**EastsideAl** · December-27-16, 08:30 PM

I'm not Catholc but I knew Father Joe Tobin when he was at Holy Redeemer and have nothing but the utmost respect for him. I worked for a while with one of his sisters at the City County Building He was the priest of my best friend's father, and I met him at one of his father's barbecue parties down in the Vernor Junction area. Father Joe helped my friend deal with his father's violent death and officiated at the funeral. As the story portrays hm he's a wonderful compassionate down-to-earth man. And very very Detroit still. He should be wonderful for Newark - a city with similar troubles to ours.

**emu steve** · December-28-16, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I'm not Catholc but I knew Father Joe Tobin when he was at Holy Redeemer and have nothing but the utmost respect for him. I worked for a while with one of his sisters at the City County Building He was the priest of my best friend's father, and I met him at one of his father's barbecue parties down in the Vernor Junction area. Father Joe helped my friend deal with his father's violent death and officiated at the funeral. As the story portrays hm he's a wonderful compassionate down-to-earth man. And very very Detroit still. He should be wonderful for Newark - a city with similar troubles to ours.

Pope Francis has turned away from prelates who love canon law, life as a prince, and turned to those who have the compassion of Jesus, himself.

To me, 'the law' and compassion are opposites: the law judges and extracts punishment while compassion looks beyond the law at mercy, forgiveness, etc.

In our [[Arlington, Va) diocese, we have a Priest who was a fmr. district attorney.

My question: How does being a DA train one to become what Pope Francis thinks a Priest should be? [[I heard him give a homily on abortion, and mercy, forgiveness, etc. never crossed his mind, I'd think. It was harsh).