Jaime Soto

Jaime Soto (born December 31, 1955) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Sacramento since 2007. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange in Southern California from 2000 to 2007.

Biography

Early life and education Jaime Soto was born on December 31, 1955, at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, California. He is the eldest of seven children of a Mexican family. His father, Oscar Soto, was a telephone company engineer. In 1956, the Soto family moved to Stanton, California, where he attended St. Polycarp School. He also played Mass in his backyard with his siblings, knowing he wanted to be a priest as early as the second grade.

Soto graduated from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, in 1974.

Priesthood Soto was ordained to the priesthood in Orange at Holy Family Cathedral for the Diocese of Orange by Bishop William Robert Johnson on June 12, 1982. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Soto as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Santa Ana. As auxiliary bishop, Soto counseled Hispanics diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, led monthly services for inmates at the Orange County Men's Jail and promoted such Hispanic rituals and events as the procession of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Day of the Dead.

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Sacramento Soto was named as coadjutor bishop of Sacramento by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2007 to assist Bishop William Weigand. Soto was installed on November 19, 2007, in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. When Weigand retired on November 30, 2008, Soto automatically succeeded him. Soto in August 2020 excommunicated Reverend Jeremy Leatherby for his persistent refusal to recognize Pope Francis as the legitimate pope of the Catholic Church. Leatherby had been removed from public ministry in 2016 after the diocese received an accusation of his having an inappropriate relationship with a woman.

USCCB committee positions Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Soto is chair of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, a member of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, and a consultant to the Committee on International Justice and Peace. He is also the chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC).

On November 17, 2010, Soto was appointed head of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), a USCCB agency. The CCHD faced allegations that it funded groups advocating abortion rights, contraception rights and contraception and same-sex marriage. These reports led a coalition of conservative Catholic and anti-abortion groups to launch a boycott of the national collection. At least ten American bishops announced support for the boycott. Soto's appointment came one day after Archbishop Timothy Dolan was elected USCCB president.

Viewpoints Abortion Soto, in January 2024, called for a day of reparation for the "sin of abortion". He asked parishioners to pray and fast in its observance.

Immigration In a 2023 editorial, Soto condemned the use of undocumented immigrants as political pawns by politicians after greeting a plane load of them flown to Sacramento by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Same-sex relationships In 2008, Soto spoke at a conference for the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries, saying that the "homosexual lifestyle" is sinful. Soto stated:"Sexual relations between people of the same sex can be alluring for homosexuals but it deviates from the true meaning of the act and distracts them from the true nature of love to which God has called us all. For this reason, it is sinful."

Premarital sex In his 2008 speech, Soto spoke against premarital sex stating: "Sexual intercourse, outside of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman, can be alluring and intoxicating but it will not lead to that liberating journey of true self-discovery and an authentic discovery of God. For that reason, it is sinful."

Honors In 2003, Soto was inducted to the inaugural Mater Dei High School Ring of Honor.