ARCHDIOCESE — On June 7, Bishop Carl K. Moeddel submitted to Pope Benedict XVI his resignation as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for reasons of ill health.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced June 20 that the resignation has been accepted.

Doctors have diagnosed Bishop Moeddel, 69, as suffering from vascular dementia connected with strokes he suffered in recent years, as well as his diabetes.

"Bishop Moeddel has been an outstanding member of the Cincinnati presbyterate since his ordination to the priesthood in 1962," said Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk. "I have enjoyed working with him in many capacities over the years. Since he became auxiliary bishop in 1993, he has been my righthand man. I will sorely miss having the benefit of his wisdom, energy and experience. I pray that his years of retirement will be pleasant and peaceful for him."

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Bishop Carl K. Moeddel

He was born in Cincinnati on Dec. 28, 1937, to Carl J. and Florence Moeddel and attended grade school at St. Aloysius in Elmwood Place before going on to then-St. Gregory Seminary in Norwood. After receiving bachelor of arts, master of arts and master of divinity degrees from the Athenaeum of Ohio / Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, he was ordained to the priesthood by then-Archbishop Karl J. Alter in 1962.

In the 1960s and 1970s he held a number of positions of responsibility within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, including executive secretary of the archdiocesan Commission on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, director of Continuing Education of Priests, assistant chancellor, assistant treasurer, assistant pastor of St. Louis Church in Cincinnati and vicar for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations.

Bishop Moeddel was appointed pastor of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in August 1976. He also became dean of the Cathedral Deanery that year, director of finance for the archdiocese in May 1978, and vicar for finance and chairman of the Finance Council of the archdiocese in November 1983.

He was named pastor of St. James of the Valley Parish in Wyoming in August 1985.

He is chairman of the board of trustees of St. Margaret Hall and chairman of the governing board of St. Rita School for the Deaf. He is a past president of the Ohio Council of Churches, the first Catholic ever to hold that post. He is also past president of the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati (MARCC).

Within the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, he has been a member of the Committee on Marriage and Family and was a speaker at a 2001 USCCB Symposium on Leadership for Ministry with Catholic Men.

It is not known yet whether Pope Benedict will name a new auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, or whether he might name a coadjutor archbishop, since Archbishop Pilarczyk is a little more than two years away from the age at which, according to canon law, he must offer his resignation. A coadjutor becomes head of a diocese upon the death or resignation of his predecessor.

Bishop Moeddel is currently residing at Mercy Franciscan Terrace in Cincinnati.