Edward Weisenburger

Edward Joseph Weisenburger (born December 23, 1960) is an American Catholic prelate who serves as Archbishop of Detroit. He previously served as Bishop of Tucson from 2017 to 2025 and as Bishop of Salina from 2012 to 2017.

Biography

Early life Weisenburger was born in Alton, Illinois on December 23, 1960, to Edward and Asella (Walters) Weisenburger. He grew up primarily in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he attended St. Barbara School and graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1979. He began his studies at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, graduating with honors in 1983. After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Weisenburger to St. Mary Parish in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He was sent in 1990 to Ottawa, Ontario to study at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario. He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law degree in 1992. After returning to Oklahoma, Weisenburger was appointed vice chancellor and adjutant judicial vicar for the archdiocese. His installation occurred on March 18, 2025.

Positions

Implementation of Traditionis custodes In July 2025, Weisenburger banned the celebration of the Tridentine Mass in parishes. This was based on Traditionis custodes, the 2021 apostolic letter issued by Pope Francis on the Tridentine Mass. Under the new rules, the masses could only take place in non-parochial settings, such as St. Joseph Shrine, and three other designated settings. Priests not assigned to these sites could request permission to celebrate the liturgy on weekdays. The diocese also prohibited lay people from attending Tridentine Masses. In addition, priests performing the masses would have to follow strict conditions, including annual renewal and a written affirmation of the validity of the Novus Ordo liturgy.

The July 2025 decree also prohibited the ad orientem posture by priests in the Novus Ordo liturgy, mandating the use of freestanding altars in all parish churches within 180 days. Additionally, the diocese also required that priests read scriptures in the liturgy using the vernacular language of the parish, employing only translations approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In announcing these changes, Weisenburger emphasized the need for unity under papal and episcopal leadership while acknowledging the “rich expressions of the Catholic faith in southeast Michigan."

Sexual abuse During his tenure as vicar general of Oklahoma City (1996–2012), Weisenburger helped evaluate allegations of sexual abuse by clergy. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) criticized the diocesan response to these allegations, citing a lack of transparency and action in addressing cases of accused priests.

As bishop of Tucson (2017–2025), Weisenburger addressed sexual misconduct within the diocese. In September 2018, he announced the firing of ten diocesan employees and rescinded clearances for twelve unpaid workers due to allegations of sexual misconduct. He noted these individuals likely passed initial screenings, but the diocese identified issues during clearance renewals or from separate incidents. Weisenburger stated that the diocese had “no known allegations of sexual misconduct with minors against any of our priests in active ministry today.” In response to a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing widespread clergy abuse, Weisenburger denounced the actions of offending priests as “criminal and sinful.” He emphasized the diocese’s policy of reporting allegations to law enforcement, as established in a 2002 agreement with the Pima County Attorney’s Office.

In December 2020, the Diocese of Tucson, along with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was named in a federal racketeering lawsuit by two individuals alleging sexual abuse by four priests in Arizona during the 1970s. One plaintiff, Diana Almader-Douglas, claimed abuse by Charles Knapp when she was five years old in Pirtleville, Arizona. Weisenburger stated that when the diocese learned of these allegations, it had immediately notified police, who declined to investigate them. In addition, an external investigation could not determine the credibility of the allegations. A third individual joined the lawsuit in 2021.

In 2018, Weisenburger linked the prevalence of sexual abuse to the cultural shifts of the 1960s so-called “sexual revolution,” a perspective criticized by some as deflecting responsibility from the Church’s institutional failures. The Diocese of Tucson signed a $14 million settlement in 2002 for clergy abuse cases from the 1960s to 1980s and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2004 to address 22 related lawsuits, creating a $22 million settlement pool. Weisenburger acknowledged these past issues, stating, “What happened in the past brought us to this point, and from here, we move forward and will always do it correctly.”

Immigration Weisenburger has been outspoken in support of immigrants. At a 2018 conference of bishops, he suggested bishops might issue canonical penalties, potentially including a denial of holy communion or excommunication, to Catholic federal agents who enforce Trump-era immigration laws.

As bishop of Tucson, Weisenburger oversaw immigrant programs, including the Casa Alitas shelter operated by Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona. Casa Alitas provides temporary shelter, food, and medical care to those who are released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, and operates multiple facilities in Tucson, including a housing site at a repurposed hotel. In 2024, U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani, representing Arizona’s 6th District, called for a federal investigation into Catholic Community Services’ use of taxpayer funds for Casa Alitas. He alleged potential financial mismanagement and a contractor-hiring violation involving inflated charges by a laundry service. Pima County officials confirmed an ongoing investigation into compliance with federal and county grant rules.

In a 2025 article for America magazine, Weisenburger advocated for a compassionate approach to U.S. immigration reform, emphasizing the human dignity of migrants and critiquing the inefficiencies of the current system, such as visa backlogs and harsh deportation policies. Drawing on his experience as a bishop on the Arizona-Mexico border and the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, he urged recognition of immigrants’ contributions and the moral imperative to treat them with reverence, aligning with Catholic social teaching.

In July 2025, Weisenburger opposed the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated approximately $46.5 billion for new segments of the Mexico-United States border wall and $120 billion for other immigration enforcement infrastructure. He said this would increase suffering by driving potential undocumented immigrants into dangerous border regions, increasing reliance on smugglers.

On July 14, 2025, Weisenburger participated in a procession organized by "Strangers No Longer," a grassroots organization of Catholics including clergy advocating particularly for amnesty rights for immigrants, from Most Holy Trinity Church to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office in Detroit. The event, described as a “solemn procession,” aimed to deliver a letter to ICE Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft, requesting a meeting to discuss concerns about law enforcement practices, including the use of face masks by agents, arrests without federal warrants, and the detention of individuals without felony convictions. The letter was co-signed by David Buersmeyer and Judith Brooks, the group’s board president. ICE officials declined to accept the letter.

Weisenburger offered a prayer before the march, emphasizing the Church’s call to uphold the dignity of immigrants, stating, “You call us to reverence your presence in all those we meet, but most especially the poor, the needy, the troubled, and the immigrant.” He further underscored the event’s alignment with Catholic social teaching, particularly the principles of human dignity and the common good, and described it as a “prophetic witness” to America’s tradition of charity and welcome.

Environmentalism In March 2024, Weisenburger publicly thanked Pope Francis for his critique of "irresponsible" American lifestyles contributing to anthropogenic climate change, as outlined in Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum. This document, a follow-up to the encyclical Laudato Si', specifically highlighted the disproportionate per capita emissions in the United States compared to other nations, urging a shift away from unsustainable Western lifestyles.

Weisenburger’s environmentalism was notable for its alignment with Pope Francis’s call for urgent action on the climate crisis, a position that contrasts with the focus of other Catholic leaders on issues such as abortion, marriage, or religious liberty. His participation in a November 2024 White House meeting with Biden administration officials, including senior climate adviser John Podesta, underscored his commitment.

At a University of Arizona event in March 2024, Weisenburger praised Pope Francis for directly challenging American consumption patterns, stating, “I’m a very proud American, but I was so grateful the Holy Father had the nerve to go after us.”

COVID-19 vaccine mandates In August 2021, Weisenburger issued a statement to his clergy, directing them not to be involved in supporting applications for religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine or mask mandates. He said that “all current anti-Covid-19 vaccines may be received without moral compromise,” citing the CDF’s 2020 note about the moral distinction between formal and material cooperation. He acknowledged the ethical concerns about fetal cell lines but maintained that the Church’s teaching resolved these concerns, making exemptions based on Catholic faith untenable.