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Howard Hubbard

Howard James Hubbard (born October 31, 1938) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Albany in New York from 1977 to 2014.

Early life

Howard Hubbard was born in Troy, New York, to Howard and Elizabeth Hubbard. He attended St. Patrick's School and La Salle Institute, entering Mater Christi Seminary in 1956. He furthered his studies at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York, obtaining a Bachelor of Philosophy degree. He then attend the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Priesthood

While in Rome, Hubbard was ordained to the priesthood on December 18, 1963. He engaged in graduate study in the field of social services at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

After his ordination, Hubbard served as associate pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Schenectady, New York, and at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Albany, New York. Hubbard also founded Hope House (a drug rehabilitation center)[5] and Providence House (a crisis intervention center)and served as a "street priest" in Albany's South End.[6] He served as vicar general of the diocese from 1976 to 1977.

Bishop of Albany

On February 2, 1977, Hubbard was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Albany by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on March 27, 1977.He was the youngest bishop in the country at the time, and was dubbed "the boy bishop."

Hubbard served as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee for International Justice and Peace[8] and on the Subcommittees on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Church in Africa. He also served on other national bishops’ committees, including the Committees on Human Values, Marriage and the Family, Communication, Laity and North American College.[9] Hubbard was appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Vatican's Secretariat for Non-Christians (later known as the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue).[8] He is a supporter of the ecumenical movement, serving as Roman Catholic Co-chair of the Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation. Under his leadership as bishop, the Diocese of Albany maintained an active Catholic-Jewish dialogue.

During his tenure as bishop, Hubbard presided over a nearly $20 million renovation project at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.[6] He also led a parish consolidation process—known as "Called to BE Church"—that resulted in the closing of 33 parishes.

Hubbard had a reputation as a liberal bishop. He was known for progressive views on drug addiction and the prison population, and for advocacy of sometimes unpopular social justice issues.[6] He is also noted for his anti-poverty efforts. Upon becoming bishop, Hubbard sold a large bishop's residence where previous bishops had lived with a domestic staff. He also dispensed with having a car and a driver.[6] In 1992, he began living "in almost monastic simplicity in a nondescript, squat brick building" across the street from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.[6] As of 2013, Hubbard reportedly collected an annual salary of $33,508, the same salary as any diocesan priest with a similar number of years of service.[6] Hubbard once sued to prevent clinics providing abortion services to women from opening in Albany and Hudson, New York. He headed New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, a group opposing capital punishment.

Retirement

Hubbard submitted his required letter of resignation to Pope Francis on October 31, 2013, when he reached the age of 75.[24] On February 11, 2014, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had accepted Hubbard's resignation and appointed as his successor, Bishop Edward Scharfenberger.

Admissions on sexual abuse

In a July 2021 to the Albany Times Union, Hubbard admitted that diocese used to send priests accused of sexually abusing minor away for treatment without notifying the police. He expressed regret over this practice. Hubbard continued to deny all sexual abuse allegations directed at him personally.

In a 2021 legal deposition, he acknowledged covering up allegations of sexual abuse against children by priests. One of the reasons was to avoid scandal and protect the reputation of the diocese. Hubbard named several accused priests who were returned to ministry after treatment, without notification to the public. Records of the allegations were kept locked away, accessible only to top church officials. . He was asked in the deposition "“Bishop, why didn’t you, after he admitted to you having committed the felony of child sexual abuse, at his lips to your ears, why didn’t you call up the police and say, ‘I have a priest that just admitted a crime to me’?” Hubbard’s answer: “Because I was not a mandated reporter. I don’t think the law then or even now requires me to do it.”.[28] The diocese did not comment on the content of Hubbard's testimony.

Health

Hubbard suffered a heart attack in July 2015 and a stroke in July 2022

Courtesy--wikipedia
- Howard Hubbard

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