Charles C. Thompson


Charles Coleman Thompson is a prelate of the Catholic Church in the United States. He is the Archbishop of Indianapolis. He served as the bishop of Evansville, Indiana, from 2011 to 2017.

Career

Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Bellarmine College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting. He earned a master of divinity degree at Saint Meinrad School of Theology and a licentiate in canon law at St. Paul University.
From his ordination in 1987 until 1990 he served as associate pastor at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral in Bardstown, Kentucky and as chaplain at Bethlehem High School. In 1992 he resumed work part-time as an associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi in Louisville. In 1993 he was named Metropolitan Vicar and Director of Tribunals. He administered St. Peter Claver in Louisville from 1994 to 1996 and also served as a chaplain for the Presentation Academy in Louisville from 1995 to 1997. In 1996 he was relocated to St. Augustine in Lebanon, Kentucky as pastor. He was named Defender of the Bond and Judge of the Diocesan Tribunal in 1998. He was transferred in 2002 to Holy Trinity in Louisville as pastor, around which time he became chaplain of Sacred Heart Academy. He was named Vicar General in 2008. Thompson served as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Louisville and pastored at Holy Trinity in Louisville.
In June 2019, Archbishop Thompson requested three Catholic high schools in his archdiocese not to renew contracts with teachers who had entered into same-sex civil marriages. When Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School failed to comply, Archbishop Thompson decided to strip the Jesuit school of its Catholic status. The decision was appealed to the Holy See by the Jesuits, and was temporarily rescinded while the appeal could be heard. The Roncalli teacher who was terminated sued the archdiocese for damages. Cathedral High School, also located within the Archdiocese, decided to comply with Thompson's directive in order to maintain its Catholic status and association with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Episcopacy

Bishop of Evansville

appointed Thompson as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Evansville on April 26, 2011. He was consecrated by Archbishop Joseph Edward Kurtz on June 29, 2011, at Roberts Municipal Stadium in Evansville. The principal co-consecrators were Archbishops Daniel M. Buechlein, OSB of Indianapolis, Thomas C. Kelly, OP, Archbishop Emeritus of Louisville and Bishop Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger, Bishop Emeritus of Evansville.

Archbishop of Indianapolis

named him Archbishop of Indianapolis on June 13, 2017. He was installed on July 28, 2017.