Early life and education

Jaime Soto was born on December 31, 1955, at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, California. He is the eldest of seven children of a Mexican family.^[1][2] His father, Oscar Soto, was a telephone company engineer. In 1956, the Soto family moved to Stanton, California, where he attended St. Polycarp School as a child. He also played Mass in his backyard with his siblings, knowing he wanted to be a priest as early as the second grade.^[3] Soto graduated from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, in 1974^[4] and he entered St. John's Seminary College in Camarillo, California. He obtained a Bachelor of Philosophy degree there in 1978 and a Master of Divinity degree in 1982.

Priesthood

Soto was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Orange by Bishop William Robert Johnson on June 12, 1982. After his ordination, Soto was appointed as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Santa Ana. In 1984, he went to New York City to attend the Columbia University School of Social Work, graduating in 1986 with a Master of Social Work degree.

After returning to Orange County, Soto was named associate director of Catholic Charities for the diocese. Later that year, he was appointed director of immigration and citizenship services within the local Catholic Charities. Soto was involved with the implementation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 as well.

Soto was appointed episcopal vicar for the Hispanic community in the diocese on March 3, 1989. He was raised by the Vatican to the rank of honorary prelate in 1990. In addition to his work with the Hispanic community, Soto was named diocesan vicar for charities on March 1, 1999.

Auxiliary Bishop of Orange

On March 23, 2000, Soto was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Oranges and titular bishop of Segia by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on May 31, 2000, from Bishop Tod Brown, with Bishops Michael Driscoll and Norman McFarland serving as co-consecrators. On June 11, 2003, Soto served as a principal co-consecrator for Auxiliary Bishop Dominic Mai Luong.^[5] Soto attended World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, Germany, joining nine other American bishops in leading catechetical sessions.^[6]

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Sacramento

Soto was named as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento on October 11, 2007, being installed on November 19, 2007, in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. He automatically became bishop of Sacramento on November 30, 2008, on the retirement of his predecessor, Bishop William Weigand.

Soto believes that the Catholic Church in America is in a "dire need" for a greater number of Spanish-speaking clergy.^[2] He is in favor of a larger role for Latinos in the church community. His self-proclaimed greatest achievements have been counseling Hispanics diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, leading monthly services for inmates at the Orange County Jail, and promoting such Hispanic rituals and events as the Procession of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Day of the Dead.^[7]

USCCB committee positions

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Soto is chair of the USCCB Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, a member of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, and a consultant to the Committee on International Justice and Peace. He is also the chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC).^[8]

On November 17, 2010, Soto was appointed as the head of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), a USCCB agency. The CCHD faced allegations that it funded groups advocating abortion rights, contraception rights and contraception and same-sex marriage. These reports led a coalition of conservative Catholic and anti-abortion groups to launch a boycott of the national collection. At least ten American bishops announced support for the boycott.^[9] Soto's appointment came one day after Archbishop Timothy Dolan was elected USCCB president.

LGBT rights

In 2008, Soto spoke at a conference for the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries, saying that the "homosexual lifestyle" is sinful. Soto stated:

"Sexual relations between people of the same sex can be alluring for homosexuals but it deviates from the true meaning of the act and distracts them from the true nature of love to which God has called us all. For this reason, it is sinful."

Premarital sex and contraception

In the same speech, Soto spoke against premarital sex stating:

"Sexual intercourse, outside of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman, can be alluring and intoxicating but it will not lead to that liberating journey of true self-discovery and an authentic discovery of God. For that reason, it is sinful."^[10]

Soto said that contraception has become “the unquestioned default mode of marriage.”^[11]

Abortion

Soto has officially endorsed the Sacramento Helpers of God's Precious Infants group and has led prayer vigils outside clinics providing abortion services to women.

Immigration

Soto believes that comprehensive immigration reform, if done properly taking into account the concerns of all affected parties, would benefit the country as a whole.^[12]