George Flahiff
Encyclopedia
George Bernard Flahiff, CC
, CSB
(October 26, 1905—August 22, 1989) was a Canadian
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Winnipeg
from 1961 to 1982, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1969.
, Ontario
; his father was an inn
keeper. He attended St. Jerome's College
in Kitchener
from 1920 to 1921, and then studied at St. Michael's College
in Toronto
, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degre in 1926. One of his professor
s at St. Michael's was Lester B. Pearson
, the future Prime Minister
who encouraged Flahiff to follow a career in diplomacy
. Flahiff instead joined the Congregation of St. Basil
(also known as the Basilian Fathers) in 1926, making his first profession
on September 20, 1927.
at St. Basil's Seminary in Toronto, Flahiff was ordained
to the priesthood
by Archbishop Neil McNeil
on August 17, 1930. He then furthered his studies in France
at the University of Strasbourg
(1930–1931) and at the École des Chartes
(1931–1935). Upon his return to Canada
, Flahiff taught history
and art
at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies
from 1935 to 1954. During that time, he also served as a professor of history at the University of Toronto
(1940–1954) and Secretary
of the Institute of Mediaeval Studies (1943–1951).
Flahiff became a member of the general council of the Basilian Fathers on July 6, 1948. He was elected local superior
of the Basilians on July 1, 1951, and later superior general
of the entire congregation on July 6, 1954. Reelected as superior general on June 14, 1960, he also served as President
of the Canadian Religious Conference from 1959 to 1961.
by Pope John XXIII
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following May 31 from Cardinal James Charles McGuigan, with Archbishops Philip Francis Pocock
and Michael Cornelius O'Neill serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Michael's Cathedral.
He was created a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1969. In 1974, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
.
Flahiff was one of the Council Fathers at Vatican II and played a key role in the writing of several Conciliar
documents.
The Cardinal Flahiff Building, which is part of University of St. Michael's College
within the University of Toronto
, is named after him.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, CSB
Congregation of St. Basil
The Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of Saint Basil, is an international order of Catholic priests and students studying for the priesthood, who focus on education and ministering through oratories....
(October 26, 1905—August 22, 1989) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Archbishop of Winnipeg
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Manitoba. It is currently led by Archbishop James Weisgerber...
from 1961 to 1982, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1969.
Early life and education
One of nine children, George Flahiff was born in ParisParis, Ontario
Paris, Ontario is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. The town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.-History:The town was first settled in...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
; his father was an inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
keeper. He attended St. Jerome's College
St. Jerome's University
Saint Jerome's University is a public Roman Catholic university in Waterloo, Ontario. It is federated with the University of Waterloo.St. Jerome's, within the University of Waterloo, combines academics and a residence. Students may both reside at and take classes through St...
in Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
from 1920 to 1921, and then studied at St. Michael's College
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degre in 1926. One of his professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
s at St. Michael's was Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
, the future Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
who encouraged Flahiff to follow a career in diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. Flahiff instead joined the Congregation of St. Basil
Congregation of St. Basil
The Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of Saint Basil, is an international order of Catholic priests and students studying for the priesthood, who focus on education and ministering through oratories....
(also known as the Basilian Fathers) in 1926, making his first profession
Profession (religious)
The term religious profession is defined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church in relation to members of religious institutes as follows:By religious profession members make a public vow to observe the three evangelical counsels...
on September 20, 1927.
Priesthood
After three years' study of theologyTheology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at St. Basil's Seminary in Toronto, Flahiff was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Archbishop Neil McNeil
Neil McNeil
Neil McNeil was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver from 1910 to 1912 and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto from 1912 to 1934.-Early life:...
on August 17, 1930. He then furthered his studies in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the University of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
(1930–1931) and at the École des Chartes
École Nationale des Chartes
The École Nationale des Chartes is a grand établissement, an elite French university-level educational institution based in Paris. It provides education and training for archivists and librarians and forms part of the University of Paris.-History:...
(1931–1935). Upon his return to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Flahiff taught history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies
Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies
The Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies is a research institute in the University of Toronto that is dedicated to advanced studies in the culture of the Middle Ages....
from 1935 to 1954. During that time, he also served as a professor of history at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(1940–1954) and Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of the Institute of Mediaeval Studies (1943–1951).
Flahiff became a member of the general council of the Basilian Fathers on July 6, 1948. He was elected local superior
Superior (hierarchy)
In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position at a higher level in the hierarchy than another , and thus closer to the apex. It is often used in business terminology to refer to people who are supervisors and in the military to people who are higher in the...
of the Basilians on July 1, 1951, and later superior general
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
of the entire congregation on July 6, 1954. Reelected as superior general on June 14, 1960, he also served as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Canadian Religious Conference from 1959 to 1961.
Episcopal career
On March 10, 1961, Flahiff was appointed Archbishop of WinnipegRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Manitoba. It is currently led by Archbishop James Weisgerber...
by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following May 31 from Cardinal James Charles McGuigan, with Archbishops Philip Francis Pocock
Philip Francis Pocock
Philip Francis Pocock, , was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto from 1971 to 1978.-Early years:Born St. Thomas, Ontario and studied at St. Peter's Seminary, London, Ontario. In 1933 he left his parish to studied canon law in Rome . He became an ordained Priest in 1930 and became a professor...
and Michael Cornelius O'Neill serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at St. Michael's Cathedral.
He was created a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1969. In 1974, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Flahiff was one of the Council Fathers at Vatican II and played a key role in the writing of several Conciliar
Conciliar
Conciliar may refer to:*Conciliarity, conciliar authority*Conciliarism, a movement in Roman Catholicism emphasising Conciliarity...
documents.
The Cardinal Flahiff Building, which is part of University of St. Michael's College
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
within the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, is named after him.