Pope taps Evansville bishop to become Indianapolis archbishop

Pope Francis has named Monsignor Charles Thompson as the new archbishop of Indianapolis, the Vatican announced Tuesday.

Thompson, a canon lawyer, replaces Cardinal Joseph Tobin, whom Francis moved to Newark, New Jersey, last year. Thompson, a 56-year old native of Louisville, has been bishop of Evansville since 2011. Thompson also has taught canon law at the Saint Meinrad School of Theology, where he studied.

Tobin served as archbishop of Indianapolis for four years. The church leader, who in 2015 attracted headlines for defying Gov. Mike's Pence's ban on resettling Syrian refugees in Indiana, was one of three Americans to be named cardinals by the pope in 2016.

In Newark, Tobin succeeded Archbishop John Myers, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. Myers had been accused of mishandling sex-abuse cases and overspending on a lavish retirement home.