PALM DESERT—Bishop Alberto Rojas, in a letter to Sacred Heart Parish, Palm Desert, addressed the civil marriage of former pastor Howard Lincoln on July 2.
Lincoln, a beloved and high-profile figure in the Coachella Valley for the past 20 years, married his secretary two days after retiring. A week later, in response to questions about the Diocese’s response to Lincoln’s marriage, Bishop Rojas issued the following statement to the Sacred Heart parish community:
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“… I am writing to you in response to the news of Monsignor Howard Lincoln’s recent decision to enter into a civil marriage. Many have been shocked and saddened by this turn of events because Monsignor Lincoln provided such dynamic and pastoral leadership to Sacred Heart parish for 20 years. You knew him as a wonderful priest who had taken lifetime vows to serve the people of God, providing for your spiritual and sacramental needs. Please know of my prayer and support for your parish community during this difficult moment.
As you know, once a priest is ordained, he can never marry. This allows the priest to give himself completely to the Church and the service of the people of God. There are specific circumstances under which the Church will ordain a priest who is already married, but never the reverse.
So, by entering into a civil marriage this month, Monsignor Lincoln has essentially separated himself from his priestly vocation in our Church. This brings great sadness to me as the new Bishop of the Diocese and a brother diocesan priest because it is always hoped and intended that this special relationship between the priest and his Church will last a lifetime.
Questions have arisen about whether the Diocese was aware of Monsignor Lincoln’s intention to marry before he announced it publicly. It is true that in 2019 Msgr. Lincoln had privately expressed the idea of marrying after his retirement. Our immediate response as a Diocese was to offer support and resources to Monsignor Lincoln so that he might instead reaffirm his commitment to his vows and remain a priest in good standing for life. We did not passively accept the idea of him leaving the priesthood, we supported him in his struggle and remained hopeful that he would change his mind.
As we move forward, let us unite ourselves in support of your pastor, Father Elder, Father Tripp and the rest of the wonderful pastoral team at Sacred Heart. We also offer our prayers for Monsignor Lincoln as we know that he gave us many years of faithful priestly service and was a true voice for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Coachella Valley. He extended the hand of the Church to those most in need and was a driving force in Catholic education and the building of new churches. We give thanks to God for his work in these areas and others.
Again, please know that I am with you in prayer and spirit as you process this news. Let us together put our trust in God as you begin a new journey in parish leadership. And let us remember the words of our Diocesan Vision as we answer the call to impact family, neighborhood, and society with the Gospel, so that people’s lives are filled with hope.
Yours in Christ’s love,
Most Reverend Alberto Rojas
Bishop of San Bernardino