EDITORIAL: Papitto’s Poorly Timed Multi-Million Dollar Gift to Bishop Tobin
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL: Papitto’s Poorly Timed Multi-Million Dollar Gift to Bishop Tobin
Part of the effort has been to remove the stain of her late husband's racist comments during his tenure as the chair of the board of Roger Williams University.
The late Ralph Papitto dropped the n-word. And moreover, there is debate about the regularity with which he used the word.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBut now, as Bishop Thomas Tobin is out the door as the leader of the Diocese of Providence, Papitto donated $4.5 million to the church in a public relations ceremony on one of Tobin’s last days.
Tobin, during his tenure, voiced endless hateful comments against so many.
Here are a few reminders of his insults:
- He took to social in June of 2019 and Tweeted, "A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ 'Pride Month' events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children."
He later said he did "not mean to be offensive" and the church had "respect and love for the gay community."
- “Pope Francis is fond of ‘creating a mess.’ Mission accomplished," Tobin posted on the Synod on the Family, October 21, 2014
- He condemned Nelson Mandela, writing, "There is part of President Mandela’s legacy, however, that is not at all praiseworthy, namely his shameful promotion of abortion in South Africa. In 1996 Mandela promoted and signed into law the ‘Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Bill’ that, according to the New York Times, ‘replaced one of the world’s toughest abortion laws with one of the most liberal.’ While we pray for the peaceful repose of President Mandela’s immortal soul and the forgiveness of his sins, we can only regret that his noble defense of human dignity did not include the youngest members of our human family, unborn children.”
And on and on. Tobin tweeted and broadcasted dozens of hateful comments.
Beyond the hate speech, Tobin should be remembered for his role in bankrupting the pension fund of the nurses and staffers of the St. Joseph pension.
Tobin's St. Joseph's "Legacy"
The Diocese is the only litigant of the still pending federal lawsuit not to have settled.
The litigation is now in its fifth year. The receiver of the failed pension fund asserted in the federal lawsuit many misdeeds by Tobin, including Tobin's failure to disclose in his letter to the Vatican that the proposed asset sale increased the probability of the plan failing. Instead, Bishop Tobin omitted that information (removed from the letter was “spiraling and gaping liability’ which was in the draft) and, in effect, said the opposite, that the approval of the asset sale [to CharterCare] was actually necessary to secure the plan."
The lawsuit goes on to assert, ”These misrepresentations and omissions concerning the Plan in the Bishop’s letter to the Vatican were included by the defendants…and the Diocesan defendant, all understood that the Vatican approval was required for the transaction to proceed, and knew or were told that the Vatican must approve specifically the ‘pension structuring.’”
Papitto would have been far better served to skip the photo-op with Tobin — a man that repeatedly voiced hatred against so many in our community and demonstrated a complete disregard for the, mostly women, who dedicated their lives in service in a Catholic hospital.
“This is wonderful,” Papitto said after the blessing in the Rhode Island Catholic. “First, everything is done for the glory of God. My husband always said that I was going to give his money away to the Church, so I had to do something here. First and foremost, it’s all done for Christ and his Church, which I love so much.”
She could have easily waited for the new Bishop and made announced the gift to recognize her and her husband’s faith.
Instead, she gave credibility to the Tobin legacy -- she went instead for the photo op.