Tag: Shepherd

The Providence, R.I., shepherd often uses Twitter to weigh in on political and moral debates. PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Speaking out on political issues is not only a right, but a duty, for religious leaders, said Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, R.I., in a recent interview. “Now, some people will like it, some people won’t like it; some will agree, some will not. “So sometimes I’m accused of being too conservative, and sometimes I’m accused of being a raging liberal.” However, he said, it is important to preach the Gospel no matter how people respond. One tool the bishop has been using to weigh in on political and moral debates is Twitter. In February, the prelate opened an account, @bishoptjt, which now has more than 1,300 followers. Because he alone controls the subject of his tweets, he said “there’s no filter there,” unlike his Facebook account, which is managed by someone in his office. “I thought, if the president can do it and the Pope can do it, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be doing it,” he said. “I’ve also put some things up about the Steelers and about my dog and about some political things and about the weather and April Fools Day.” Bishop Thomas J. Tobin. Credit: Jim Forest via Flickr CC BY NC ND 2.0.