John George Vlazny

Vlazny was the tenth archbishop of Portland in Oregon, serving from 1997–2013. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago (1983–1987) and Bishop of Winona (1987–1997). On January 29, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced the acceptance of his resignation, with Bishop Alexander King Sample to succeed him in Portland.

John Vlazny was born in Chicago, Illinois, to John and Marie (née Brezina) Vlazny, who were of Czech ancestry. His father was originally married to the sister of Vlazny's mother, Hattie Brezina, who died when their daughter, Marcella, was 13. In addition to his half-sister, John Vlazny has a younger sister, Marion. His father, who died from cancer when Vlazny was 18, owned a pharmacy in a three-story building at the corner of 18th and Throop Streets.

On January 29, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced the acceptance of Vlazny's resignation, with Bishop Alexander King Sample to succeed him in Portland.

In January 2010, Vlazny defended his loan of money to Angel Armando Perez, an archdiocese priest, to cover legal expenses, Perez had been indicted in Marion County, Illinois, on first-degree sexual abuse and abuse of a child in the display of sexually explicit conduct. While condemning the alleged criminal actions. Vlazny expressed a need to help a beloved fellow priest.

In April 2010, Vlazny called for parishioners to cancel their subscriptions to The Oregonian, declaring it guilty of "Catholic bashing." The newspaper's editors, he said, "arrogantly scolded the church for its past failures in handling this matter of child sexual abuse." The newspaper had run an editorial, an editorial cartoon and a syndicated column by E.J. Dionne on how the church had dealt with sexual abuse crime.

In July 2004, the Archdiocese of Portland became the first American Catholic diocese to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in response to the Catholic sex abuse cases. Vlazny described his actions by saying, "This is not an effort to avoid responsibility. It is, in fact, the only way I can assure that other claimants can be offered fair compensation."

During the 2004 presidential election, Vlazny said Catholic politicians who supported abortion rights, such as Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, should refrain from receiving Communion.

On October 10, 2000, the Archdiocese of Portland settled a lawsuit by 22 men who had been sexually abused as altar boys by Maurice Grammond, a parish priest in the archdiocese. The victims lived in Portland, Seaside, Oregon and in Oakridge, Oregon. Vlazny issued a statement of apology that was delivered in masses throughout the archdiocese.

In 1998, when the first legal assisted suicide occurred in Oregon, Vlazny declared that the death "can only bring anguish to those who have resisted the public policy initiatives that changed the law in Oregon."

On October 28, 1997, John Paul II appointed Vlazny as the tenth Archbishop of Portland in Oregon. He was installed and consecrated on December 19, 1987, succeeding Archbishop Francis George.

As a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Vlazny was elected chairman of the Committee on Evangelization in 1993. In 1994, he asked Catholics to consider ending gambling as a source of revenue for parishes and schools.

On May 19, 1987, John Paul II appointed Vlazny as the sixth Bishop of Winona in Minnesota. He was installed and consecrated on July 29, 1987.

On October 18, 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed Vlazny as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and Titular Bishop of Stagnum. He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 13 from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, with Bishops Alfred Abramowicz and Nevin Hayes, O. Carm., serving as co-consecrators, at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. He took as his episcopal motto: "Go and Make Disciples" (Matthew 28:19).

From 1976 to 1977, Vlazny was president of the Presbyteral Senate for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He also served as a diocesan consultor and member of the Diocesan Clergy Personnel Board. He was appointed rector of Niles College Seminary in 1981.

Following his return to the United States, he served on the faculty of Quigley Preparatory North, later Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, in Chicago from 1963 to 1979. He was also Dean of Studies at Quigley North from 1969 to 1979.

In addition to his academic duties, Vlazny served as an associate pastor at St. Paul of the Cross Church in Park Ridge, Illinois, from 1962 to 1963. He then served at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park, Illinois, from 1963 to 1968, and earned a Master of Arts degree in the Classics from the University of Michigan in 1967. Vlazny became an associate pastor at St. Aloysius Church in the Wicker Park section of Chicago in 1968, and served as its pastor from 1979 to 1981. During this time, one of his seminarian assistants would go on to become Bishop Robert Barron. In 1972, he earned a Master of Education degree in School Administration from Loyola University Chicago.

On December 20, 1961, Vlazny was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Martin J. O'Connor in Rome at St. Peter's Basilica.

Vlazny continued his studies in Rome, where he attended the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University. He there earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1960 and a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1962.

Vlazny received his early education at the parochial school of St. Gall Church in Chicago After attending Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, he studied at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958.

John George Vlazny (born February 22, 1937) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.