After months of speculation, the Denver Catholic Archdiocese announced this morning that Pope Leo replaced right-wing Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila with Bishop James Golka, who was elevated to bishop by Pope Frances in 2021 and appears to embrace the more moderate politics that Francis and Leo have promoted for the church.
Aquila, on the other hand, is nationally recognized as a leader of the arch-conservative wing of the church, and he made his voice heard during his 14 years in Denver, even going so far as to say priests should stop giving then-President Joe Biden and other Democrats communion due to their pro-choice positions.
Under Aquila’s leadership, in the political sphere (aside from the significant poverty services the church offers), the Denver archdiocese campaigned loudly against abortion, sex education, and LGBTQ rights, while remaining much quieter on poverty, hunger, immigration, environment, and other issues that Catholics care about.
Aquila’s Hateful Voice
When it came to LGBTQ people, his hateful words rose above his statements of compassion.
In 2019, Aquila spearheaded a program among his churches to “heal” LGBTQ people. As part of the effort, he brought Andrew Comiskey to Denver for training on, in Camiskey’s words, how to “heal homosexuals” and other “sexually broken” people. As part of the church-based programs, “healers” would be identified to set up groups in churches with the goal of leading LGBTQ people to a life of “mature heterosexuality.”
After the 2022 Club Q massacre in Colorado Springs, Aquila wrote a stick-in-your-eye op-ed saying the church’s anti-LGBTQ rhetoric did not deserve scrutiny in the wake of the tragedy.
“Our critics charge that the Catholic Church is discriminating against those who identify as gay or transgender, but it isn’t discriminatory to tell someone you think his beliefs don’t conform to nature — it’s an act of charity,” Aquila wrote.
Golka, who was the Colorado Springs bishop, took a more loving approach, writing in a statement at the time, “The recent shooting and killing is especially troubling as it appeared to target a specific part of our community. The
shooter appeared to target members of the LGBTQ community. Anytime specific members of the population are targeted for violence, we should all be concerned.”
Most recently, the archdiocese enlisted churches to collect anti-LGBTQ ballot initiatives, having previously blamed the “transgender ideology” for the decreasing number of churchgoers.
During his years in Denver, Aquila’s activism was most focused on abortion.
Aquila led multiple public prayer vigils in front of a Denver Planned Parenthood clinic. He said only a person with a “dead” conscience can be pro-choice. Before Roe was overturned, he warned rallygoers that when the law is overturned, “People filled with hate,” will do “horrible things.”
His opposition to enshrining the right to abortion in the Colorado Constitution was partly framed this way: “The pro-abortion lobby abused heartbroken mothers and families to advance their cause, claiming that medical care after a miscarriage or when an unborn child dies in the womb is equivalent to an abortion. … Abortion is never health care; health care does not seek the death of a child.”
The archdiocese under Aquila — who took over the Denver archdiocese from equally conservative Archbishop Charles Chaput — was a driving force behind multiple anti-abortion ballot initiatives.
The archbishop made passing remarks in opposition to the death penalty, and recently spoke out in support of immigrants, saying not that Trump has created a crisis out of an immigration mess but that “both parties” are at fault for the current chaos and misery.
Golka Has Ties to Pope Frances
Golka, who will take over as new archbishop March 25, made no hint of a political chasm between him and Aquila, who submitted his resignation to Leo last year as stipulated under Canon law, which also states that Leo, as Pope, was not required to accept Aquila’s resignation. It’s not known whether Aquila wanted to continue as archbishop. It was not known publicly until today whether Leo would replace him at all.
“I appreciate Archbishop Aquila’s leadership,” said Golka during an Archdiocese livestream today, adding that he will miss his “people” in Colorado Springs, “especially his desire to bring prayer before everything we do.”
Under Aquila, it’s fair to say the Denver archdiocese, with its emphasis on abortion, was a reliable ally of Republican politicians and conservative initiatives, and the extent to which this will change under Golka remains to be seen.
It’s unknown what direction Golka will give to the Archdiocese with regard to politics — whether he will change the Archdiocese lobbying priorities at the Capitol, its involvement in conservative anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ ballot initiatives, its on-the-streets presence at Planned Parenthood, and other political activities.
On the livestream today, Golka delivered part of his remarks in Spanish, choking up and saying, “Whenever I talk in Spanish, I cry.”
Asked about immigration, Golka said: “It’s a very difficult time right now for our country. Before I came to Colorado Springs, I was pastor of a cathedral in Grand Island where 65% of our people were new immigrants, and so just spending time hearing their stories. So our faith teaches us some basic beginning points. Every country has a right to guard their border. Every people have a right to seek a safer, better land if they’re not receiving it in their homeland. And as Catholics, what is charity? If someone’s at my door in need, I help them. So I would just say those are the three starting points for us, and then we pray fervently for the Spirit to guide us where we need to go now. So I would just say that much.”
“I’m equally excited and equally sad, excited because I trust God more than I trust myself,” said Golka. “And if God wants me to be here, I’m going to say yes. I cannot say no to that. And if God wants something, if we do what God wants, we’re going to be great, because it’s God’s plan, God’s diocese, God’s will. So I’m excited.”
In a thank you letter distributed by the archdiocese, Aquila wrote, “I give thanks for the countless acts of fidelity, generosity and courage I have witnessed across our parishes, schools, ministries and families. These are signs of hope, even in times of challenge, and reminders that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church in every age, including — and especially — in our apostolic age. “
