Will The Next Pope Come From NJ? New Archbishop Appointed In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — It’s possible that one day, the next Catholic pope may come from Essex County, New Jersey.

On Monday, the Archdiocese of Newark announced that cardinal-designate Joseph Tobin, the current archbishop of Indianapolis, will take over for 75-year-old Newark Archbishop John Myers, who has officially offered his resignation.

The 64-year-old cardinal-designate, who is a member of the Redemptorist order, has been the archbishop of Indianapolis since 2012 and was named a new cardinal by Pope Francis Oct. 9. He also is former archbishop-secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, CatholicNews.com reported.

Tobin will be installed as archbishop in Newark on Jan. 6, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis stated.

Tobin’s selection marks the first time that the Archdiocese of Newark has been led by a cardinal, the elite rank that new popes are selected from, the New York Times reported.

The Newark archdiocese includes the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union, and includes about 1.5 million Catholics in 214 parishes.

“One of my favorite descriptions of the experience of faith is ‘a willingness to be surprised by God.’” Tobin wrote on Monday. “By that standard, the last weeks have been exceptionally faith-filled. The first jolt came on October 9, when I learned that Pope Francis had named me to the College of Cardinals. The second tremor arrived on October 22, when I received a phone call from the ambassador of the Holy See to the United States, the papal nuncio, who informed me that Pope Francis had appointed me as the Archbishop of Newark.”

The Newark Archdiocese live streamed a video of Monday’s announcement on its Facebook page.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com