| Most Rev. Louis Edward Gelineau | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Providence | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Providence |
| In Office | January 26, 1972—June 11, 1997 |
| Predecessor | Russell McVinney |
| Successor | Robert Edward Mulvee |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 5, 1954 |
| Consecration | January 26, 1972 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 3, 1928 Burlington, Vermont |
Louis Edward Gelineau (born May 3, 1928) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Providence from 1972 to 1997.
Louis Gelineau was born in Burlington, Vermont, to Leonidas and Juliette (née Baribault) Gelineau; he has an older brother, Robert.[1][2] After attending St. Joseph's Elementary School and Cathedral High School in Burlington, he studied at St. Michael's College for two years before beginning his studies for the priesthood at St. Paul's University in Ottawa, Ontario, from where he later obtained a Licentiate of Sacred Theology and a Bachelor of Philosophy.[3] He was ordained a priest on June 5, 1954,[4] and then served as assistant pastor at All Saints Parish in Richford (1954–1956) and at St. Stephen Parish in Winooski (1956–1957).[1]
Gelineau was sent to further his studies at the Catholic University of America in 1957, and later earned a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1959.[3] Returning to the Diocese of Burlington, he was named assistant chancellor of the Diocese and secretary and master of ceremonies to Bishop Robert Francis Joyce. He also served as director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and assistant chaplain at De Goesbriand Memorial Hospital.[1] He became chancellor of the Diocese in 1961 and was raised to the rank of Papal Chamberlain by Pope John XXIII. In 1968 he became vicar general of the Burlington Diocese and a Prelate of His Holiness.[1]
On December 6, 1971, Gelineau was appointed the sixth Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, by Pope Paul VI.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on January 26, 1972 from Bishop Joyce, with Bishops Bernard Joseph Flanagan and Edward Cornelius O'Leary serving as co-consecrators.[4] In 1988, Gelineau declared that removing a feeding tube from 48-year-old Marcia Gray, a comatose Rhode Island woman, "does not contradict Catholic moral theology," but emphasized that he "in no way supports or condones the practice of euthanasia."[5] He also opposed a 1985 ordinance for the city of Providence to protect homosexuals from discrimination in employment, housing, credit and access to public accommodations. He said, "Homosexual acts are contrary to God's command and contrary to his purpose in creating sex. To give support to this proposed legislation may easily be interpreted as supporting the homosexual lifestyle."[6] Later, in 1995, when the Rhode Island Senate passed a gay rights bill, Gelineau stated, "If [proposed legislation] seeks to afford protection from unjust discrimination, which is not now afforded under our laws, then those laws should be changed."[7]
Gelineau was also criticized for his management of sexual abuse allegations in the Providence Diocese.[8][9]
After a 25-year-long tenure, Gelineau resigned as Bishop on June 11, 1997.[4] He became chaplain at St. Antoine Residence in March 2004.[1]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Russell McVinney |
Bishop of Providence 1972—1997 |
Succeeded by Robert Edward Mulvee |