Statement on the Health of Bishop Manuel D. Moreno
March 7, 2003

In 1997, Bishop Moreno reported to the people of the Diocese his need to undergo surgery for a non-cancerous prostate related condition and to be away from his office for recuperation. The condition had made it very difficult for him to preside at liturgies (worship services) and to make the long car trips necessary to be present at parishes outside the immediate Tucson area. That surgery required recuperation of about six weeks.

In 2001, because of continued symptoms, Bishop Moreno required additional surgery for the same prostate related condition. This surgery required recuperation of about six weeks.

Following this surgery, Bishop Moreno had to begin a medication regimen to treat continued and persistent symptoms of the prostate related condition.

Side effects of the medications have included vertigo and dryness of the mouth. These and other side effects and the persistent symptoms of the prostate related condition created additional challenges in respect to Bishop Moreno’s responsibilities to preside at liturgies and to make long car trips.

Additionally, in the past four years, Bishop Moreno has experienced the development of an arthritic condition in his back related to compressed discs.

This condition and the medications for it also made it very difficult for Bishop Moreno to stand for the periods of time necessary to preside at long liturgies. Of particular frustration to Bishop Moreno was his inability to stand for the time it takes to distribute the Eucharist to long lines of communicants.

These curtailments on his ministry as a priest and bishop became a cause of anxiety and frustration for Bishop Moreno, and it was because his health had so affected his ability to fulfill his responsibilities that in December of 2000, when he was 70, he decided to seek a coadjutor bishop to assist with the governance of the Diocese.

It had been Bishop Moreno’s fervent hope to serve as Bishop of Tucson until age 75, the mandatory age at which a bishop must submit his resignation for retirement to the Pope.

However, in the time that passed from his request for a coadjutor, to the appointment in late 2001 of Bishop Kicanas as coadjutor and through the completion in 2003 of Bishop Kicanas’ first year as coadjutor, additional health issues have arisen for Bishop Moreno.

Bishop Moreno’s physicians informed him late last year that symptoms he has experienced indicate the development of Parkinson’s disease and prostate cancer. He has been informed that neither of these conditions is life threatening at this time. He has begun treatment for these conditions. He is prayerfully optimistic.

It was this information from his physicians that prompted Bishop Moreno in December of last year to request the Pope’s permission to retire as Bishop of Tucson.

That permission, with the effective date of March 7, 2003, was received four weeks ago.

Bishop Moreno did not include specific information about his health in the letter announcing his retirement. His reasons for that are his own, but his closest staff and friends know him to be a person of great modesty and privacy regarding personal health matters. After he shared these latest health concerns with his closest staff at the middle of this week, they encouraged him to provide this information publicly for three reasons: so that he publicly could join his suffering to all those similarly afflicted; so that he could bring attention to these diseases and the need to support understanding of the importance of detection and treatment; and so that he could be open, honest and transparent about his reasons for requesting retirement.

His staff also told him that many people care greatly for him and would want to know what he was experiencing so that they could pray for him.