Edward Bede Clancy

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Styles of
Edward Cardinal Clancy
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Sydney (emeritus)


Edward Bede Cardinal Clancy AC (born 13 December 1923) is an Australian ecclesiastic. He was the seventh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, from 1983 to 2001. He was made Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Vallicella in 1988.

Clancy was born in Lithgow. He has stated that he wanted to be a priest from an early age, and that he celebrated his first Mass while still a child, to the amusement of his brother and sisters. After completing his studies at Marist Brothers' College, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1949, the same year as Australian Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy. He continued his education, eventually earning his Doctorate in Theology in 1965. He then started as a teacher, and later accepting the position of Chaplain at the University of Sydney. He also served as the official spokesperson for the archdiocese at this time, and became very well known on that basis.

On 19 January 1974, he was ordained titular Bishop of Árd Carna, and on 24 November 1978, appointed Archbishop of Canberra (and Goulburn). On 12 February 1983 he was appointed Archbishop of Sydney, and on 28 June 1988 he was elevated to Cardinal. He also continued his education career throughout this time, becoming the Chancellor of Australian Catholic University in 1992.

Major work on St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney took place under his episcopacy. In 1999 a substantial new pipe organ was built by Orgues Létourneau Ltée of Montreal, Québec. In the year 2000 the spires of the Cathedral were finally completed.

It was also under his watch that the tridentine neo-Gothic diocesan seminary of St Patrick at Manly (founded by Cardinal Patrick Moran in 1889) was closed, and a new modern seminary, called "Good Shepherd Seminary" built to replace it.

His tenure was not without controversy. After it had discovered that Clancy and other priests at his instruction had used the third rite of confession in circumstances other than "grave necessity", as required by Vatican guidelines, the Vatican issued a negative, public rebuke of Clancy and the Australian church. Clancy responded by saying that the lack of priests in Australia and the dominant opinion of sin as a communal matter in Australia should have been taken into account before the rebuke was issued.

After his retirement as Archbishop, in the period from 21 October (when George Pell was made Cardinal) until his own 80th birthday on 13 December 2003, there were three Australian Cardinal electors (had a Papal election become necessary) including George Pell and Edward Idris Cassidy.

[edit] References

  • "Edward Bede Clancy", Biography Resource Center Online. Gale Group, 2001.

[edit] External links


Preceded by
James Cardinal Freeman		 7th Catholic Archbishop of Sydney
1983 – 2001		 Succeeded by
George Pell
v • d • e
Roman Catholic Archbishops of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Polding • Vaughan • Moran • Kelly • Gilroy • Freeman • Clancy • Pell