LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz is planning for retirement after sending a required resignation to the Vatican.

Kurtz, who turned 75 Wednesday, announced that he sent a resignation letter to Pope Francis. He has served as head of the Archdiocese of Louisville since 2007. Roman Catholic Bishops are required to send in their resignation at age 75.

Kurtz, a Pennsylvania native, will retain the title of archbishop when he leaves the archdiocese, spokeswoman Cecelia Price told the Courier Journal.

Joseph Kurtz was born in Mahanoy City, the son of George and Stella Kurtz.

One of five children, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1964, from where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s in divinity. Kurtz was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph McShea on March 18, 1972, and did his postgraduate work at Marywood University in Scranton, earning a master’s in social work.

During his priestly ministry in the Diocese of Allentown, Kurtz served as a high school and college teacher, an administrator, and a pastor in Catasauqua and Bethlehem.

He was raised to the rank of Monsignor in 1986. Prior to becoming Archbishop (with his brother’s death) he had a close bond with his brother George. George would have a large impact on him and his church community forming relationships with staff and parishioners.

“Usually an archbishop will stay in the diocese until a successor is appointed by the Holy Father, which may take a number of months,” Price said.

Kurtz is a former bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, and served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2013 to 2016.

Kurtz succeeded former Louisville Archbishop Thomas Kelly, who led the archdiocese for 25 years and through a clergy abuse scandal. The archdiocese reached a $25 million settlement with more than 240 victims in 2003.

In 2019, Kurtz underwent months of treatment for bladder cancer. He has been in remission since January 2020.

The archdiocese includes 24 Kentucky counties and counts more than 200,000 Catholics as members.