Frederick Henry (bishop)
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Frederick Henry (born April 11, 1943) is the seventh and current Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese of Calgary, in the province of Alberta, Canada. Bishop Henry is known as an outspoken critic of various trends in government, whether the rather libertarian policies of Alberta's Conservatives which often seem to leave the less fortunate behind, or the tendency of certain Canadian federal politicians to claim Catholic identity at election time while advocating abortion or same sex marriage.
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[edit] History
Henry was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1968. He holds an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and a licentiate in theology from Gregorian University in Rome. From 1973-1986 he served as associate professor of Theology and Philosophy at St. Peter's Seminary. In 1986 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of London and titular bishop of Carinola, Italy. In 1995 he was installed as the fifth bishop of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and on March 19, 1998 he was installed as the seventh bishop of Calgary.
Among his Calgary flock, Henry has become popular with both liberals and conservatives. His outspoken advocacy of the homeless and disadvantaged and tendency to side with workers against large companies have endeared him to the Catholic left, while his calling to task nominally Catholic politicians who vote for abortion or same sex marriage has delighted conservatives.
[edit] Controversy
Henry has created controversy on several occasions in which he has argued that politicians who are also Catholics should act in accordance with Catholic principles and doctrine as a matter of religious duty. Most of the issues on which his comments have been made surround the topics of abortion, same-sex marriage, and homosexuality in general.
On July 30, 2003, in an interview with the Globe and Mail, Henry stated that Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, a Roman Catholic, was risking his eternal salvation by supporting legislation in favour of same-sex marriage.
- "He's putting at risk his eternal salvation. I pray for the Prime Minister because I think his eternal salvation is in jeopardy. He is making a morally grave error and he's not being accountable to God... He doesn't understand what it means to be a good Catholic."
Henry also described comments by former Tory leader and fellow Catholic Joe Clark as "scandalous", after Clark described himself as pro-choice.
On January 16, 2005, in a letter to be read in southern Alberta churches, Henry stated that "since homosexuality, adultery, prostitution and pornography undermine the foundations of the family, the basis of society, then the state must use its coercive power to proscribe or curtail them in the interests of the common good."
While some commentators have condemned Henry's remarks as an unwelcome attempt to foist religious dogma upon a secular institution, others maintain that he has every right to present a religious viewpoint in the public square.
Henry's views on these topics appear to enjoy significant support from Catholics, other Christians and conservatives. It should also be noted that he is a strong advocate for the homeless and the marginalized in society, and has not been reluctant to criticize the Conservative Government of Alberta's Ralph Klein.
[edit] Subject of Human Rights Complaint
On March 31, 2005, the Calgary Herald announced that Bishop Henry was the object of two human rights complaints, stemming from a pastoral letter reaffirming traditional Catholic teaching on homosexuality that he wrote to the Catholics of his Diocese. It was also posted on the diocesan website. In a surprising development, the Alberta Human Rights Commission agreed to hear the complaint. The event created a significant controversy in Calgary with an editorial in the Herald supporting the Bishop's freedom to teach. Conservative Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Mormon leaders came to the defence of Henry, while the former Moderator of the United Church of Canada, the Very Reverend Bill Phipps, was sharply critical of him, saying, "If you're going to use freedom of speech, you've got to take the consequences of what you are saying".
[edit] Quotes
- "If one happens to be a Catholic, there cannot be a split between one's internal kind of views and thoughts ... and what one says publicly. One has a duty, whether he likes it or not, to preach the word of God. This is part of the very mission of the Church, which is not confined to guys like myself who wear this funny Roman collar...."
- "(Pope John Paul II) was a holy man, when I saw him I felt like Moses must have felt before the burning bush. I wanted to tear off my sandles, throw down my staff and bow to him."
