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Charles John Brown
American bishop and Vatican nuncio From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Charles John Brown KC*HS (born 13 October 1959) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has been serving as an apostolic nuncio since 2012. He is currently the apostolic nuncio to the Philippines. He previously served in the same position in Albania and Ireland. He was consecrated as an archbishop in 2012.
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Before entering the Vatican diplomatic service, Brown worked at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in Rome.
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Biography
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Early life and education
Charles Brown was born on October 13, 1959, in the East Village of Manhattan, then a mostly Jewish neighborhood. He later recalled that his family "were pretty much the only gentile family in the apartment block" as he grew up as the oldest of six children. When he was five, the family moved to Rye, New York, and in 1971 to Windham, New York.[1]
Brown earned a Bachelor of History degree at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana,[2] a Master of Theology degree at University of Oxford in England, and a Master of Medieval Studies degree at the University of Toronto in Ontario. He then entered the seminary and earned a Master of Divinity degree at Saint Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York.
Priesthood
Brown was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal John O'Connor on May 13, 1989, in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.[3]
After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Brown as an assistant pastor at St. Brendan's Parish in the Bronx Borough of New York City. In 1991, O'Connor sent Brown to study in Rome. He earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree at the Pontifical University St. Anselmo. In 1994, Brown stayed in Rome to join the CDF staff, where he worked closely with then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) for 17 years.[4]
Brown also served as the chaplain for Pope John Paul II from 2000 to 2011.[5] He was named as adjunct secretary of the International Theological Commission in September 2009. Brown is also reported to be a member of the Vatican's official athletic federation, Vatican Athletics.[6]
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Diplomatic career
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Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
Brown was named titular archbishop of Aquileia and apostolic nuncio to Ireland on November 26, 2011 by Benedict XVI.[7]Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York remarked that same month that Brown was "young, vibrant, very theologically savvy but pastorally sensitive".[8]
Brown was consecrated as archbishop by the pope at St Peter's Basilica in Rome on January 6, 2012.[9][3][3]Brown presented his letters of credence from the Vatican to Irish President Michael D. Higgins in Dublin on February 2012.[10]
In July 2012, Brown climbed Croagh Patrick (the Reek). a Catholic pilgrimage site in County Mayo, Ireland, that is associated with St. Patrick. He then celebrated mass atop the mountain with 12,000 pilgrims.[11] In July 2013, he launched a prayer card for the annual Croagh Patrick pilgrimage called Reek Sunday.[12]
In an October 2012 interview with the Catholic News Agency, Brown said the 'hundreds of young people' in Ireland who were participating in Eucharistic adoration, praying the rosary, confessing their sins and 'rejoicing in the liberating love of God' represented the future of the Catholic Church in that country.[13]
In January 2014, Brown praised the decision of the Government of Ireland to re-open the Irish Embassy to the Holy See.[14] The Irish Government had closed its embassy in 2009 due to revelations about the sexual abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Dublin and the Diocese of Cloyne. [4]
Brown told the Catholic News Service in June 2014, "You see a renewed enthusiasm among young Catholics in Ireland now". He said that they represented the best in the tradition of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s: "...communicating the ancient unchanging faith in a new, vibrant and attractive way".[15]
In 2016, Brown climbed Croagh Patrick again for Reek Sunday, this time with 20,000 pilgrims.[16]During Brown's tenure in Ireland, he participated in the appointment of 15 bishops of Irish dioceses.[4]
Apostolic Nuncio to Albania
On March 9, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Brown as apostolic nuncio to Albania.[17]
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines
On September 28, 2020, Francis named him as apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.[18]On April 14, 2021, to begin the yearlong celebrations for the anniversary of 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines, Brown officiated mass with Archbishop José S. Palma of Cebu. Brown administered baptism to several children in commemoration of the first baptism on Cebu in 1521.[19]
In the aftermath of Typhoon Rai on December 16, 2021, Brown spent Christmas Day 2021 with the typhoon victims in Siargao Island. He celebrated mass at the San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral in Surigao del Norte and visited several parishes.[20]
On February 11, 2022, Brown co-consecrated Archbishop Arnaldo Catalan, the current apostolic nuncio to Rwanda.[21] He also led the closing ceremonies for that jubilee year, officiating the mass on March 31, 2022, on Limasawa Island, the site of the first documented mass in the Philippines in on March 31, 1521. He also led the mass to culminate the Year of Missio Ad Gentes held in Cebu on April 24, 2022.[22]
On September 26, 2022, Brown led the Sunday mass for the Filipino community in New York City for the 35th canonization anniversary of the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz, at St. Patrick's Cathedral.[23]On January 31, 2024, Brown presided the mass in honor of the feast day of St. John Bosco and the 70th founder's day celebration in Don Bosco Technical Institute of Makati in Makati, Philippines.
In May 2024, Brown met with Lai Ching-te, the incoming president of the Republic of China, during his inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan.[24]
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See also
References
External links
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