| The Most Reverend Denis Hurley |
|
|---|---|
| Archdiocese of Durban | |
| Diocese | Durban |
| Predecessor | Inaugural appointment |
| Successor | Wilfrid Napier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 November 1915 Cape Town, South Africa |
| Died | 13 February 2004 |
| Buried | Lady Chapel, Emmanuel Cathedral,Durban |
| Nationality | South African |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
The Right Reverend Denis Eugene Hurley (9 November 1915 – 13 February 2004) was born in Cape Town to Irish parents, spending his early years on Robben Island, where his father was the lighthouse keeper. He joined the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in 1931 and in the following year was sent to Ireland for his novitiate.
In 1933, he was sent to the Angelicum University (now known as Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas) in Rome to study philosophy and theology. He received the degree Licentiate of Philosophy from the Angelicum in 1936 and started studying at the Gregorian University.
Hurley was ordained as a priest in Rome on 9 July 1939 and was awarded his license in Theology in 1940. Later he was appointed curate at Emmanuel Cathedral, Durban, where he stayed until 1943, when he was appointed Superior at Saint Joseph's Scholasticate, then based in Prestbury, Pietermaritzburg. He stayed in this position until 12 December 1946 when, aged 31, was named Vicar Apostolic of Natal and Bishop of Durban. He was the youngest Roman Catholic bishop in the world at that time.[1] He chose as his motto Ubi Spiritus, ibi libertas, which means "Where the Spirit is, there is liberty". On 11 January 1951, the Vicariate Apostolic of Natal was elevated to the Archdiocese of Durban and Hurley became Archbishop, also the youngest in the world at the time.
In the following year, Hurley became President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, a post he held until 1961. He was again President of this body from 1981 until 1987. In 1961, he was appointed to the Central Preparatory Commission for the Second Vatican Council.
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In 1961, the Archbishop was appointed to the Central Preparatory Commission for the Second Vatican Council. He attributed this to the fact that Rome had out of date information stating he was still President of the Southern African Bishops Conference, when in fact it was Archbishop Owen McCann who was President.[2] At the council itself, Hurley was elected to the Commission for Seminaries, Studies and Catholic Education. During the council he gave ten speeches and made four written submissions.
In 1975, Archbishop Hurley was elected chair of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), a post to which he was reelected until 1991.
Hurley was an outspoken opponent of apartheid and in 1984 was charged with contravenening the South African police act by publishing information which the government alleged to be untrue about atrocities committed in Namibia by the South African military unit known as Koevoet. The state withdrew the charges later and settled a claim by the Archbishop for damages out of court, paying him R 25,000. Due to his commitment to social justice, the Denis Hurley Peace Initiative, an associate body of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, was named in his honour.[3]
A lawsuit, known as The Hurley Case, managed to secure the release of a political opponent of the ruling National Party detained under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act. Hurley became actively involved, turning up in black communities the day they were due to be forcibly removed. On hearing that children had died shortly after one such removal, Hurley counted their graves and recorded their names and ages. Then he released the details to the press, much to the fury of the state. In response to the weak response of South Africa's churches to apartheid, Hurley founded an ecumenical agency, Diakonia, dedicated to social justice. Hurley said his greatest struggle was convincing South African Roman Catholics that social justice was integral to their faith rather than an optional extra.[4] Hurley was nicknamed Mhlwemamba (Eyes of the Mamba) by appreciative Zulus.
Hurley played a key role in supporting Chris Hurley (his brother) and Robin Savory in founding Thomas More College. His brother Chris later became the second headmaster of the school. Archbishop Hurley also wrote the school song, "God Our Maker". There is a memorial garden dedicated to him located on the school grounds.
On retiring as Archbishop of Durban in 1992, Hurley became a parish priest for ten years at Emmanuel Cathedral, Durban, where he had officiated so many year earlier as a curate.
In 2002 he retired to write his memoirs. He also spent his time writing letters to The Times debating the finer points of cricket, and composing the words for new hymns.[4]
Archbishop Hurley received the following honours during his lifetime:
| Year | Honorary Degrees | Civilian Honour |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Doctor of Laws, Notre Dame University, Indiana | |
| 1972 | Civic Honours, City of Durban | |
| 1975 | Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (Légion d'honneur) France | |
| 1978 | Doctor of Laws, University of Natal, Durban | |
| 1982 | Doctor of Humane Letters, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC | |
| 1986 | Doctor of Laws, De Paul University, Chicago | |
| 1986 | Doctor of Sacred Theology, Santa Clara University, California | |
| 1987 | Doctor of Humane Letters, Georgetown University, Washington, DC | |
| 1988 | Doctor of Social Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town | |
| 1988 | Doctorate, University of Leuven, Belgium | |
| 1992 | Freedom of the City of Durban | |
| 1992 | Freedom of the City of Pietermaritzburg | |
| 1993 | Doctorate, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago | |
| 1996 | Doctorate, Saint Paul's University, Ottawa | |
| 1992 | Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Onorificenza de Grande Ufficiale) | |
| 1992 | Order of Meritorious Service (1st Class), South Africa |