Charles J. Chaput has served as the archbishop of Denver since 1997, appointed by Pope John Paul II. He was previously the bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota. One of America's most publicly engaged Catholic bishops, he frequently addresses the intersection of religious faith and political life, as he does in his new book, Render Unto Caesar. He is widely known for his strong teachings on abortion, the death penalty, immigration and other issues. He is a former two-term member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a tenure which included missions to China and Turkey.
Archbishop Chaput is a member of the Capuchin Franciscan order of religious priests and brothers. A registered member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi tribe, he is the second Native American to be ordained bishop in the U.S., and the first Native American archbishop.
Raised in a small farming community in central Kansas, Archbishop Chaput felt called to the priesthood from a young age. Except for a childhood interest in growing up to be a film director (or a stunt man; the archbishop is a great movie buff and voracious reader), he has wanted to be a priest for as long as he can remember.
Archbishop Chaput earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from St. Fidelis College Seminary in Herman, Pennsylvania, and studied Psychology at Catholic University in Washington D.C. He holds a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Capuchin College in Washington D.C., and a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of San Francisco.
For an interview with Archbishop Charles Chaput,
please contact Kelly Hughes
(312) 280-8126
or kelly@dechanthughes.com.
