Bishop Barron honored with Pieper Prize, amid praise and protests

(OSV News) -- A German foundation has awarded a prestigious scholarly prize to Word on Fire founder Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota -- although the move also sparked backlash among some.

On July 27, Bishop Barron received the 2025 Josef Pieper Prize from the Josef Pieper Foundation in Münster, Germany. Instituted in 2004, and conferred every five years for outstanding works upholding Christian anthropology, the prize furthers the legacy of Pieper.

The acclaimed 20th-century German Catholic social philosopher distilled the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and others into clear, accessible prose that earned the praise from the likes of poet T. S. Eliot. Pieper's work explored in particular the interconnectedness of virtue, happiness, morality, truth and reality.

Introducing Bishop Barron at the award ceremony, which took place July 27 in Münster, was Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, Germany.

Speaking in German, with an English translation posted online by Word on Fire, Bishop Oster described Bishop Barron as being "like Josef Pieper himself … a master of presenting complex content in understandable and beautiful language."

In addition, Bishop Oster -- who makes regular use of social media in his own ministry -- noted that Bishop Barron had been an early and skilled adopter of new media for evangelization purposes.

"He used YouTube videos for the first time twenty-five years ago to enter into a conversation with contemporary culture like almost no other churchman," said Bishop Oster.

Bishop Barron's extensive training in philosophy and Scripture, and his willingness to engage "with figures of all political and ecclesiastical persuasions," also advance the proclamation of the Gospel, Bishop Oster said.

But, the prelate added, "far more important is that he is a praying man," adding, "in my view, it is the decisive factor."

"He constantly calls us as Christians, especially those who are involved in preaching, to the 'holy hour,' the daily hour with the Lord, by the Liturgy of the Hours, by reading the Scriptures, by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament," said Bishop Oster. "If you ask me where Bishop Barron receives the ability to ignite (others to faith) … the all-important source is here!"

In an interview with German Catholic television station K-TV -- which was auto-dubbed in English by the station -- Bishop Barron said that receiving the Josef Pieper Prize "means a great deal to me."

"I've always felt [Pieper is] one of the best kind of introductory writers in terms of Thomas Aquinas," said the bishop. "He's a model of good writing. He writes very deeply, but also simply. His writing isn't weighed down by all sorts of academic jargon. It's more straightforward; I appreciate that about him. And I think he's one of the clearest writers in the 20th-century in the Catholic tradition. So to receive the award in his name is a great honor to me because he's someone I've tried to imitate in my own writing."

However, the awarding of the prize was protested by the Münster chapter of a German Catholic women's group, Katholische Frauengemeinschaft Deutschlands. On its website, the group said the selection of Bishop Barron for the honor was "a fatal sign," due to "his hostility towards queer people, his closeness to President Trump, and his lack of criticism of his human rights violations."

In May, President Donald Trump named Bishop Barron and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York as members of his newly established Religious Liberty Commission. Four other bishops, a Catholic parish priest and other religious leaders were named to an advisory board for the commission.

Bishop Barron in his writings and addresses has emphasized the need for pastoral care and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals within the church but also has said the church must be clear about its own teaching, calling all individuals, including those with same-sex attraction, to conversion and a fullness of life that aligns with Catholic moral teaching.

KFD Münster held a July 27 vigil outside of the Church of St. Thomas the Baptist, where a service was led by Bishop Oster ahead of the actual award ceremony. The group said the vigil's 50 participants -- shown in pictures posted to the page -- represented several church and civil society groups, including the Catholic LGBT+ Committee.

Ahead of the award ceremony, the group had also issued a July 10 statement of protest.