Léon Arthur Elchinger

Léon-Arthur Elchinger,1980.

Léon-Arthur Elchinger (2 July 1908, Soufflenheim - 30 June 1998 Strasbourg) was the Archbishop of Strasbourg from 1967 to 1984

Diploma

• Ph.D in Theology and in Scholasticism philosophia
• Bachelor of Arts

Career in the Order

• 1931 : Ordained catholic Priest in April in Strasbourg, then nominated professor and director at the theological seminary of Strasbourg
• 1938 : Military chaplain in Strasbourg
• 1941 : Nominated Senior of the theological seminary of Strasbourg which was actually withdraw back to Clermont-Ferrand during the World War II
• 1945 : Nominated Diocesan director of the catholic pedagogy of Strasbourg
• 1947 : Nominated Canon of the Strasbourg Cathedral
• 1958 : Nominated ancillary Bishop and coadjutor Mgr Weber
• 1962-1965 : participate at the Second Vatican Council meeting there Pope John XXIII, Paul VI and the future John Paul II. His intervention were pretty noted at that time : they concerned mainly the rehabilitation of Galileo Galilei
• 1967 : Nominated Archbishop of Strasbourg
• 1984 : He resigned to his charge of Archbishop of Strasbourg, being replaced by Mgr Charles-Amarin Brand
• 1984-1998 : Very active during his retirement, he wrote several book and were also present quite often in media. He died two days before his 90th birthday.

Bibliography

• By Léon-Arthur Elchinger :
  • Urgence du vrai, Cri d'un évêque - Mame, collection Religion
  • Je plaide pour l'homme - Fayard, collection Religion
  • Liberté d'un Evêque - Centurion
  • David contre Goliath aujourd'hui - Fayard, collection Christianime
  • Risquer la vérité, les racines de l'avenir - Fayard, collection Christianime
  • L'âme de l'Alsace et son avenir - La Nuée Bleue
  • Paroles pour la France - Salvator

Controversy

In April 1981, Elchinger remarked at a press conference, 'I consider homosexuality a sickness'. This prompted the concentration camp deportee, Pierre Seel, to write an open letter to the Bishop on 18 November, and to speak publicly for the first time about his experiences and wartime abuses he had faced as a homosexual.

See also

• Archbishops of Strasbourg

External links

• (French) Mgr Elchinger by Yeshoua RASH 1979
• (French) Mgr ELCHINGER by the Grand Rabbi René GUTMAN, 1998