As leader of the Church in the most Catholic state in the nation, the Bishop of Providence has a bully pulpit.
Bishop Bruce Lewandowski clearly intends to use it, vowing to be a voice of moral authority here in Rhode Island, in a moment when many feel a profound sense of despair, traumatized by sudden, drastic change.
“The greatest poverty in the world is to be friendless and forgotten, to feel unloved and unlovable,” he said at a Tuesday morning event introducing him to the public. “And what we can offer folks who are going through difficult times right now… is just showing up.
“Let’s be in this together and see what we can do.”
The new bishop, who was born in Ohio, is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese in addition to English. He has spent much of his ministry among immigrant communities. Lewandowski rejects what he calls “the politics of fear and harassment.”
As auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, Lewandowski has spoken out sharply against Trump-era immigration policies. In 2019, he went so far as to call Trump’s threats of mass deportation “domestic terrorism.”
Like Pope Francis, Lewandowski is sympathetic to the plight of immigrants, many of whom are now terrified ICE agents will round them up and ship them off to a Salvadoran prison without so much as a hearing before an immigration judge or a chance to say goodbye to their families.
He also acknowledged the concerns of non-citizens who worry that expressing their views might cost them their visas.
In short, he said, “A humane enforcement of immigration laws that respects the dignity of every person is what’s in order.”
Immigration isn’t his only cause for concern, Lewandowski told reporters. On Tuesday, he also expressed compassion for “those who work in federal jobs, people who have financial worries and difficulties,” and others who find themselves at the mercy of America’s overheated political climate.
“To be human is to be political, we can’t avoid it,” he said. “My faith informs my politics, and it’s actually important for us as Catholics to participate.”
Lewandowski vividly recalled the moment he learned Pope Francis was promoting him. The papal nuncio, the pope’s ambassador to Washington Cardinal Christophe Pierre, broke the news in a phone call.
“Saturday, March 29th at 6 p.m., I was on Route 153 in the car,” he said.
Lewandowski said he pulled over and started to cry.
“I’m going to love being your bishop,” he told the faithful Tuesday morning. Then, he promptly choked up again.
The bishop’s seat here has been vacant for six months, ever since Lewandowski’s predecessor, Archbishop Richard Henning, moved to Boston after Cardinal Sean O’Malley retired. Henning was on the job here less than a year.
Henning’s predecessor, Bishop Thomas Tobin, was installed by Pope John Paul II during his dying days in 2005. Tobin’s priorities were often at odds with those of Pope Francis. For instance, although Francis insisted Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be allowed to participate in communion, Tobin took a harder line.
Lewandowski, by contrast, signaled a more welcoming pastoral approach, describing a recent Vatican audience where he offered Pope Francis a hug.
“There are two things about Pope Francis I find inspiring and instructive to my own ministry,” Lewandowski said. “One is his accessibility and closeness to people.”
“The other part,” he said, “is his call to live the Gospel with joy.”
Lewandowski celebrated his first mass at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul Tuesday at noon. His two predecessors, Henning and Tobin, participated too. In his homily, the new bishop exhorted the congregation to feel God’s love with every breath and heartbeat.
Lewandowski, 57, said he is delighted with his new assignment and insisted he will be in no hurry to leave.
The prelate said he looks forward to getting to know the people of Rhode Island, especially if there is food involved. The bishop confessed to having a sweet tooth and, at his introductory event, asked the audience for restaurant recommendations.
“Is there a more beautiful place than Rhode Island? I think it’s a piece of heaven on earth and I’m only just getting an introduction,” he said.
“Bishop Bruce” — as he’d like to be called — will be formally installed in his new post May 20.
He told the faithful: “Thank you for praying for me even before you knew my name. I have been praying for you all this past week. Let’s continue to pray for each other.”
