Daniel Edward Thomas

Daniel Edward Thomas (born June 11, 1959) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has been bishop of the Diocese of Toledo in America in the state of Ohio since 2014. He is the chairman of the Pro-Life Activities Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He was an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2014.

Biography

Early life Daniel Thomas was born on June 11, 1959, in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Francis and Anna (née Weber) Thomas. He went to Holy Family Parish Elementary School and then Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia.

Priesthood Thomas was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by Cardinal John Krol at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia on May 18, 1985. After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned him as parochial vicar of Saint Joseph's Parish in Aston, Pennsylvania.

Two years later, in 1987, Thomas was sent to Rome to study dogmatic theology while residing at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1989.

On December 28, 2016, Francis named Thomas as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Cleveland. He served this additional assignment until Bishop Nelson Perez was installed on September 5, 2017.

In 2018, Thomas reflected on his handling of a sexual abuse allegation as auxiliary bishop in Philadelphia. The incident had been reported in a 2011 grand jury investigation of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In 2007, a man known as "Ben" reported to the archdiocese that he had been sexually abused when he was a child by Reverend Joseph J. Gallagher. Gallagher was already the focus of similar allegations. However, the archdiocese review board found Ben's allegations to be unsubstantiated. Thomas approved the findings and sent them to the archbishop. Less than a year later, Ben committed suicide. Thomas had this comment:In hindsight, perhaps I would have asked if there was more information we could determine and make a final determination on... Well I think that I feel guilty not just for myself but for any Bishop and priest who has in any way learned and known of any abuse taking place. In August, 2020, Thomas announced that Reverend Michael Zacharias, a priest at St. Peter's Parish in Mansfield, Ohio, had been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on sexual abuse charges. After hearing about Zacharias' arrest, Thomas immediately suspended him from all priestly functions. Viewpoints

Legal abortion On June 24, 2022, Thomas released a statement supporting the verdict in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, greatly limiting abortion access for women in the United States. This historic moment moves us a step closer to establishing a culture of life where every life is valued, where the dignity of every person born and pre-born is respected, and where each human person is treasured as created in the image and likeness of God.

Immigration In April 2026, Thomas and Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Texas sent a joint letter to United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), expressing concern about the treatment of pregnant and nursing mothers in ICE custody.