UPDATE: Bishop, governor-elect welcome face-to-face meeting

With North Smithfield homeowner Dwight Grant, Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin kicks off the annual heating assistance program. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

Bishop Thomas Tobin has been corresponding with governor-elect Gina Raimondo, and while they have yet to meet in person since her election on Tuesday, he is hoping to “build some bridges”, after he sharply criticized her endorsement by the pro-choice group Planned Parenthood.

“We have had a nice little exchange of correspondence. I haven’t spoken to her personally since the election but we’ve been in touch,” Bishop Tobin told WPRO News Thursday in North Smithfield.

“I think we’re trying to build some bridges that maybe will benefit us well going into the future. So we hope and pray that we can have a very productive communication and association going forward,” he said.

Raimondo also welcomed the prospect of meeting with Bishop Tobin.

“I would love to sit down with him and I would love to have a great relationship with him and the Church going forward, as well as with all leaders,” Raimondo said.

“He’s an important leader in the state, and I plan to reach out to all leaders and welcome them into the work that we’re doing to rebuild Rhode Island,” she added.

Planned Parenthood of Southern New England hosted an event September 25th, just weeks before the election, endorsing Raimondo. There, she criticized her Republican opponent, Allan Fung for embracing the group’s pro-choice stance, while accepting the endorsement of the anti-abortion “Rhode Island Right to Life” group.

“Obviously the Church and I personally will continue to do our best to challenge any kind of moral aberration, moral evil that we find in our society, in our culture, in our state,” said Tobin in Thursday’s interview. “I think that’s the role of the Church.”

Bishop Tobin, who broke with longstanding tradition and did not attend Gov. Lincoln Chafee’s 2011 inauguration after their differences over issues including same-sex marriage, said that he will not attend the 2015 inauguration of Raimondo and other state leaders, currently scheduled for January 6, 2015.

“I don’t know if I will be invited to participate in any of those inaugural activities. I can say that on Inauguration Day we’re going to be having a special Mass at the Cathedral (of Saints Peter and Paul, the seat of his diocese), at noon, just during the inauguration time, I believe, as we did four years ago. And at that Mass on Inauguration Day we’ll be praying for God’s blessing upon our Nation and our state and all of our leaders,” he said.

Bishop Tobin spoke after announcing his 10th annual “Keep the Heat On” campaign, seeking donations for a diocesan-run program to provide heating assistance for families in need.

At the North Smithfield home of Mr. & Mrs. Dwight Grant, he said that the program has raised about $2 million over nine years, assisting approximately 7,800 families statewide.

To kick off the program, the Diocese of Providence donated $50,000 through the Catholic Charities appeal, and in his own name, Bishop Tobin, a devoted Pittsburgh Steelers fan, said he will donate $1 for every point the Pittsburgh Steelers score this year.

“So, already they have score 248 points in the first nine games, so I’m going to make my personal contribution… maybe some of the Patriots fans would like to donate on behalf of Tom Brady and the Patriots as well, but there are many different ways that people can support the “Keep the Heat On” campaign, and we hope and we pray that it will be a great success,” he said.

The Patriots have scored 281 points through nine games.