WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Father Robert F. Christian, OP, as the new auxiliary
bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

The appointment was publicized in Washington on March
28, 2018 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United
States.

Father Christian was born December 2, 1948 in San
Francisco. He entered the Order of Preachers
at St. Albert Priory in Oakland in 1970 and made his Solemn Profession as a
Dominican in 1974.

He was ordained a priest in Oakland on June 4,
1976.

Father Christian has a B.A. in English from the
University of Santa Clara (1970) and a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Albert
College, Oakland (1973). In 1977, he
received a Master of Divinity degree from the Dominican School of Philosophy
and Theology in Oakland. In 1981, he
earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology (S.T.L) from the Pontifical University
of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in
Rome. In 1984, he earned his doctorate
in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) also from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas
Aquinas (Angelicum).

Assignments after ordination included: teacher at
Dominican College in San Rafael (1976-1979); conventual lector (parochial
ministry) at Blessed Sacrament in Seattle and Director of the Newman Center at
the University of Washington (1984-1985); Professor (Sacraments and
Ecclesiology) at the Angelicum, Rome
(1985-1997); Socius and Vicar,
Western Dominican Province, acting administrator during absence of Provincial,
and lecturer in theology at the Graduate Theological Union (1997-1999); vice dean
and professor at the Angelicum
(1999-2014); delegate to provincial chapters (years 1981, 1983, 1994, 1999,
2001, 2003, 2007, 2011); Socius to Provincial
Chapter (1983, 1999); Sabbatical (2014-2015); Master of Students, Western
Dominican Province (2015-present).

Other appointments include: Peritus at the 1990 Synod of Bishops on Priestly Formation; Prior
of the 75-member resident community of friars at the Angelicum; member of Anglican-Roman Catholic International
Commission; Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
(2013-present).

The Archdiocese of San Francisco comprises 1,016
square miles. It has a total population of 1,776,095 people of which 441,736 or
25 percent, are Catholic. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone is the current
Archbishop of San Francisco.

—
Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Pope
Francis, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, Father
Robert Christian, O.P., Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, Archdiocese of San
Francisco

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops