David Zubik

David Allen Zubik (/ˈzuːbɪk/ ZOO-bik; born September 4, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as the twelfth and current bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop Zubik previously served asthe bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay from 2003 to 2007.

Early life and education

David Zubik was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, to Stanley (b. 1927) and Susan Zubik (née Raskosky; died 2006). The grandson of Polish and Slovak immigrants, he is an only child.

He was raised in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and attended St. Stanislaus Church. His parents would take him to a local amusement park after Mass on Sundays.

Zubik first considered pursuing Holy Orders in the first grade, later contemplating a career in law before returning to his priestly aspirations after attending a retreat in 1965 on the South Side. After graduating from St. Veronica High School in 1967, he entered St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh. He earned an undergraduate degree from Duquesne University in 1971 and continued his studies at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, earning a Master of Divinity degree in 1975.

Ordination and Priestly Ministry

Zubik was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Vincent Leonard on May 3, 1975 for service in Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.His first appointment was in parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Shadyside until 1980, and as Vice-Principal of Quigley Catholic High School and chaplain to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden until 1987. He received a Master's degree in Education Administration from Duquesne University in 1982. From 1987 to 1991, he was secretary to Bishop Anthony Bevilacqua.

Zubik became an associate spiritual director of St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe in 1989 and, with the arrival of Bishop Donald Wuerl to Pittsburgh (in 1988) Zubik was appointed as Diocesan Director of Clergy Personnel from 1991-96. During this period, Zubik allegedly aided in the cover-up of "predator priests", including Ernest Paone. The 2018 Grand Jury report into clergy abuse found that Zubik knew of the serious allegations of abuse made against Paone, yet Zubik chose not contact the police. Instead, Zubik allegedly abetted the crimes by concealing the allegations in the Diocese of Pittsburgh's confidential files. Zubik became President of the Diocesan Finance Council in 1995.

In 1996 Zubik was appointed by Donald Wuerl to serve alongside him as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1996. He also served as chaplain of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit Motherhouse in Pittsburgh.

Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh

On February 18, 1997, Zubik was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh and Titular Bishop of Jamestown by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following April 6 from then-Bishop Donald Wuerl, with Bishops Nicholas Dattilo and Thomas Tobin serving as co-consecrators, at St. Paul Cathedral. He selected as his episcopal motto: "Nothing is Impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).

Bishop of Green Bay

Zubik was named the eleventh Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin, on October 10, 2003, replacing Bishop Robert Banks and was formally installed on December 12 of that year. In address to sexual abuse scandals, Zubik met with representatives of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), but was criticized by the group for not disclosing the names of priests who were accused of sexual abuse but never sued or charged with a crime.

During the 2004 presidential election, he urged Catholics to consider the Church's teachings on abortion and same-sex marriage before casting their votes. Although he has said that pro-choice Catholic politicians should refrain from receiving Communion, Zubik has also stated he would not refuse Communion to those figures. He opposes capital punishment, and supports immigration reform.

Bishop of Pittsburgh

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Zubik the twelfth Bishop of Pittsburgh on July 18, 2007, ending a 14-month-long vacancy. He received the call of appointment from the chargé d'affaires at the office of the then-Apostolic Nuncio (Papal Ambassador) to the U.S., the late Archbishop Pietro Sambi, at 3:35 PM on July 9, the exact time of his birth. He was installed on September 28, 2007.

Bishop Zubik declined to take up residence at the episcopal mansion on Warwick Terrace, which had been the home of the bishops of Pittsburgh since 1949, and instead settled at Saint Paul Seminary, saying that the Church needed to move away from being "attached to buildings."

In April 2009, he held a widely publicized Service of Apology at St. Paul Cathedral, where he begged the "forgiveness of anyone hurt by the Church... in any way." Under Bishop Zubik, the diocese implemented a policy of reporting all allegations of sexual abuse to law enforcement.

Zubik handed off the case of Rev. David Dzermejko to the Vatican after a diocese review board found that allegations of child sexual abuse against Dzermejko were credible. Dzermejko was removed as pastor of Mary, Mother of the Church in Charleroi in June 2009 after a couple informed the diocese that he had sexually abused their son. Another man came forward to say that Dzermejko had abused him as a child. Dzermejko was removed within 48 hours of the diocese receiving the first allegation.

Bishop Zubik said that neither he nor his predecessor Archbishop Wuerl, tried to cover up the sexual abuse of children documented in a grand jury report released by the Pennsylvania attorney general. Zubik apologized for the abuse, "In the name of the Church of Pittsburgh, and in my own name, and in the name of my predecessors, we are sorry. I am sorry." Zubik also stated that the details of the report disgusted him. Zubik offered to apologize in person to victims but acknowledged that apologies would not be enough.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro accused Zubik of lying about there not being a cover-up. Zubik responded in a statement widely disseminated to the media. Part of the statement reads, "The Diocese of Pittsburgh is not the church described in the report. That means that the report ignores 30 years of reforms and actions to protect children and identify and remove abusing priests from ministry." Another paragraph states, "The truth is that 90 percent of the incidents of abuse occurred before 1990, and the efforts we have made to protect children — such as turning over allegations to law enforcement, creating the first Independent Review Board and training more than 70,000 people on how to look for and report abuse — have significantly reduced the incidents of abuse."

Bishop Zubik described the University of Notre Dame's decision to have President Barack Obama deliver its commencement speech and receive an honorary degree as "painful" and "embarrassing," noting that Obama is "the single most outspoken pro-abortion president since the issue was foisted upon the country by the Supreme Court."

Zubik is a proponent of "comprehensive immigration reform" stating: "We need to give the immigrants of our century the same latitude that we gave the immigrants of the last century."