Henry William Cleary
Encyclopedia
Henry William Cleary, OBE
was the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand
(1910–1929).
, County Wexford
, Ireland
. His father, Robert Cleary, a farmer, came from County Wicklow
and settled in Wexford after marrying Susan Wall, a convert from Anglicanism
.
Despite a weak constitution Cleary had a brilliant scholastic career before entering the Royal College of St Patrick, Maynooth
, in 1878 to train for the priesthood. Two years later he was sent to study in Rome at the papal seminary, where academic success was achieved at the price of a breakdown in his health. This pattern was repeated in 1884 during his brief period at the Séminaire de Saint Sulpice
in Paris. After ordination in Ireland on 11 January 1885, Cleary commenced his priestly career at the House of Missions, Enniscorthy
. Parish work followed, then his appointment as professor of languages at St Peter's College, Wexford
.
Continuing health problems prompted a move to a warmer climate, and in late 1888 Cleary went to Australia with Bishop James Moore of Ballarat
on what was intended to be a temporary mission. Ten years of work in the backblocks of Victoria were accompanied by journalistic work refuting anti-Catholic propaganda. Cleary also published a book, The Orange Society. This activity impressed Michael Verdon
, Bishop of Dunedin
, New Zealand
, and in January 1898 he appointed Cleary editor of the Catholic weekly, the New Zealand Tablet.
and Sabbatarianism, which were carefully explained. Cleary answered accusations of an undue Catholic representation in the public service by publishing statistical surveys of employment by religion in the Railway Department
and the Post Office
.
In 1904 the Catholic hierarchy needed to formulate a public statement of opposition to the campaign for bible reading in the state primary schools. It turned to the talented editor, who drafted both of the joint episcopal declarations issued that year. Cleary carried on a lengthy correspondence in the daily press defending the Catholic position. In 1909 the management of the Otago Daily Times
encouraged him to publish in book form correspondence on the debate which had appeared in the newspaper's columns. Awarded a doctorate of divinity by the Pope in 1908, Cleary in 1910 undertook a lengthy tour to South America with the intention of establishing Catholic news agencies. While there he was selected to succeed Bishop Lenihan
as Bishop of Auckland. He was consecrated in Ireland on 21 August 1910.
He carefully managed the centenary commemoration of the 1798 Irish rebellion. Cleary refused to support fund-raising tours by Irish nationalists until the split caused by the fall of Charles Stewart Parnell
was healed. He then oversaw the visits of three successful delegations in 1906-1907, 1911 and 1914. A compilation of his articles about Ireland was published in 1909 as Impeached nation: being a study of Irish outrages.
Cleary's determination to present the loyal face of New Zealand Catholicism was best seen during the First World War. He went to Europe in mid 1916 intending to resign his see due to ill health, but instead chose to spend three months doing chaplaincy work in the Flanders trenches during the severe winter of 1916—17.
Returning to New Zealand in October 1917, Cleary was shocked by the extent and ferocity of sectarian conflict raging over the issues of papal neutrality in the war, the conscription of religious teachers, and the New Zealand Catholic Federation's campaign for state aid to Roman Catholic schools. The Tablet, under its fiery Irish editor, Father James Kelly, adopted an aggressive stance, particularly regarding Ireland. Cleary became a relentless opponent of the new policy and in July 1918 founded a rival Catholic paper, The Month.
By refusing to allow the advocacy of Sinn Féin
in his diocese and by attempting to curb Kelly's uncritical commitment to Irish politics, Cleary sacrificed his reputation as a patriotic Irishman. He banned the use of provocative Irish flags, emblems and mottoes in his diocese. Cleary reportedly opposed the identification of his church with any political party, whether in Ireland or New Zealand. Although he resisted a series of post-war legislative measures calculated to harm Catholic interests, Cleary kept up friendly correspondence with several prominent Reform Party
politicians, including the Ulster
-born prime minister William Massey
. His war service and his personal sacrifices during the Influenza epidemic|influenza epidemic]] were recognised in June 1919 by his being made an OBE.
Cleary was not concerned solely with the politics of New Zealand Catholicism. He took an active interest in Catholics in isolated rural areas, making long visits to them. He learned Māori
in order to teach Māori people in their own language, and was responsible for establishing St Peter's Rural Training School
for Māori boys. He took an active interest in the Star of the Sea Orphanage at Howick
and oversaw a substantial rise in the number of Catholic school pupils in his diocese. The steady increase in Auckland's Catholic population necessitated the appointment of a coadjutor bishop
, James Michael Liston
, in 1920. Personality clashes between the two, exacerbated by Liston's tendency to act independently of his bishop, caused Cleary in 1929 to attempt to have Liston replaced as his coadjutor.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
was the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand
Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Auckland is one of the two original dioceses in New Zealand. Although formally a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington, both were erected on 20 June 1848...
(1910–1929).
Early life
Henry William Cleary (baptised William Henry) was born on 15 January 1859 at OulartOulart
Oulart , is a small village in the southeastern corner of Ireland. It is situated in County Wexford just off the R741 regional road halfway between the towns of Gorey to the north and Wexford to the south.Oulart's population is 197....
, County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. His father, Robert Cleary, a farmer, came from County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
and settled in Wexford after marrying Susan Wall, a convert from Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
.
Despite a weak constitution Cleary had a brilliant scholastic career before entering the Royal College of St Patrick, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
, in 1878 to train for the priesthood. Two years later he was sent to study in Rome at the papal seminary, where academic success was achieved at the price of a breakdown in his health. This pattern was repeated in 1884 during his brief period at the Séminaire de Saint Sulpice
Saint-Sulpice (Paris)
Saint-Sulpice is a Roman Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of the Place Saint-Sulpice, in the Luxembourg Quarter of the VIe arrondissement. At 113 metres long, 58 metres in width and 34 metres tall, it is only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and thus the second largest church in...
in Paris. After ordination in Ireland on 11 January 1885, Cleary commenced his priestly career at the House of Missions, Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
. Parish work followed, then his appointment as professor of languages at St Peter's College, Wexford
St Peter's College, Wexford
St Peter's College, Wexford is an Irish secondary school and former seminary located in Summerhill, overlooking Wexford town. It is a single sex school for male pupils. Currently its school population is approximately 700. The current principal is Mr. Patrick Quigley and the current vice-principal...
.
Continuing health problems prompted a move to a warmer climate, and in late 1888 Cleary went to Australia with Bishop James Moore of Ballarat
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ballarat
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ballarat is a suffragan Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, erected in 1874, covering the west, Wimmera, and Mallee regions of Victoria, Australia.-History:...
on what was intended to be a temporary mission. Ten years of work in the backblocks of Victoria were accompanied by journalistic work refuting anti-Catholic propaganda. Cleary also published a book, The Orange Society. This activity impressed Michael Verdon
Michael Verdon
Michael Verdon was the 2nd Catholic Bishop of Dunedin .-Early life:Verdon was born in Liverpool, England on 19 December 1838 His father came from County Louth, Ireland and his mother came from County Kildare. He was a nephew of Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, and a first cousin of Cardinal...
, Bishop of Dunedin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunedin
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Dunedin is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. It was formed on 26 November 1869 from a portion of the territory in the Diocese of Wellington, before it was elevated to an archdiocese....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and in January 1898 he appointed Cleary editor of the Catholic weekly, the New Zealand Tablet.
Dunedin
As editor of the sole Catholic organ in New Zealand, Cleary was well placed to further the church's policy of gradualism and integration. He believed that Catholic rights would best be won by educating public opinion through moderate exposition and defence of Catholic beliefs. He was allowed generous space in the columns of the secular press for what he described privately as 'missionary work' on a host of issues, such as Roman Catholic views on gambling, mixed marriage, prohibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
and Sabbatarianism, which were carefully explained. Cleary answered accusations of an undue Catholic representation in the public service by publishing statistical surveys of employment by religion in the Railway Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
and the Post Office
New Zealand Post Office
The New Zealand Post Office was a New Zealand government department.As a Government Department, the New Zealand Post Office or N.Z.P.O., previously the Post and Telegraph Department or P & T, had as the political head the Postmaster General who was a member of Cabinet, and, when it was a separate...
.
In 1904 the Catholic hierarchy needed to formulate a public statement of opposition to the campaign for bible reading in the state primary schools. It turned to the talented editor, who drafted both of the joint episcopal declarations issued that year. Cleary carried on a lengthy correspondence in the daily press defending the Catholic position. In 1909 the management of the Otago Daily Times
Otago Daily Times
The Otago Daily Times is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand.-History:Originally styled The Otago Daily Times, the ODT was first published on November 15, 1861. It is New Zealand's oldest surviving daily newspaper - Christchurch's The Press, six months older, was a...
encouraged him to publish in book form correspondence on the debate which had appeared in the newspaper's columns. Awarded a doctorate of divinity by the Pope in 1908, Cleary in 1910 undertook a lengthy tour to South America with the intention of establishing Catholic news agencies. While there he was selected to succeed Bishop Lenihan
George Michael Lenihan
George Michael Lenihan OSB was fifth Catholic Bishop of Auckland .-Early life:George Michael Lenihan was born in 1858 in London to Irish parents who died while he was a child. Aged 14, he entered the Benedictine College at St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate under the Abbot Alcock whose associate was...
as Bishop of Auckland. He was consecrated in Ireland on 21 August 1910.
Bishop of Auckland
Cleary's appointment brought new life to an ageing Catholic hierarchy. With inexhaustible energy and a relentless sense of purpose Cleary immediately threw himself into the fight against a revived Bible in schools movement. Catholics feared the 'Protestantising' of the state education system and were relieved at the movement's failure in 1914 to secure legislation in its favour and to influence the result of that year's election. Cleary interpreted this as reward for his conscious courting of the secular press and a tribute to the fair-mindedness of the non-Catholic majority. By 1914 an impressive list of successes had been achieved by the Catholic Church: the state inspection of Catholic schools, free rail travel for teachers in Catholic religious orders and the right of Catholic pupils to compete for state secondary scholarships and, if successful, to take them out at Catholic schools.He carefully managed the centenary commemoration of the 1798 Irish rebellion. Cleary refused to support fund-raising tours by Irish nationalists until the split caused by the fall of Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
was healed. He then oversaw the visits of three successful delegations in 1906-1907, 1911 and 1914. A compilation of his articles about Ireland was published in 1909 as Impeached nation: being a study of Irish outrages.
Cleary's determination to present the loyal face of New Zealand Catholicism was best seen during the First World War. He went to Europe in mid 1916 intending to resign his see due to ill health, but instead chose to spend three months doing chaplaincy work in the Flanders trenches during the severe winter of 1916—17.
Returning to New Zealand in October 1917, Cleary was shocked by the extent and ferocity of sectarian conflict raging over the issues of papal neutrality in the war, the conscription of religious teachers, and the New Zealand Catholic Federation's campaign for state aid to Roman Catholic schools. The Tablet, under its fiery Irish editor, Father James Kelly, adopted an aggressive stance, particularly regarding Ireland. Cleary became a relentless opponent of the new policy and in July 1918 founded a rival Catholic paper, The Month.
By refusing to allow the advocacy of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
in his diocese and by attempting to curb Kelly's uncritical commitment to Irish politics, Cleary sacrificed his reputation as a patriotic Irishman. He banned the use of provocative Irish flags, emblems and mottoes in his diocese. Cleary reportedly opposed the identification of his church with any political party, whether in Ireland or New Zealand. Although he resisted a series of post-war legislative measures calculated to harm Catholic interests, Cleary kept up friendly correspondence with several prominent Reform Party
New Zealand Reform Party
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...
politicians, including the Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
-born prime minister William Massey
William Massey
William Ferguson Massey, often known as Bill Massey or "Farmer Bill" served as the 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925, and was the founder of the Reform Party. He is widely considered to have been one of the more skilled politicians of his time, and was known for the particular...
. His war service and his personal sacrifices during the Influenza epidemic|influenza epidemic]] were recognised in June 1919 by his being made an OBE.
Cleary was not concerned solely with the politics of New Zealand Catholicism. He took an active interest in Catholics in isolated rural areas, making long visits to them. He learned Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
in order to teach Māori people in their own language, and was responsible for establishing St Peter's Rural Training School
Hato Petera College, Auckland
Hato Petera College is an integrated, boarding and day co-educational college in Northcote Central, Auckland, New Zealand for students in Year 9 to Year 13. The school has a strong Catholic and Māori character...
for Māori boys. He took an active interest in the Star of the Sea Orphanage at Howick
Howick, New Zealand
Howick is an eastern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, forming part of what is sometimes called East Auckland. Due to the relatively numerous remaining heritage buildings and other historical remnants from its early European settlement past, it has been called "perhaps Auckland's most historically...
and oversaw a substantial rise in the number of Catholic school pupils in his diocese. The steady increase in Auckland's Catholic population necessitated the appointment of a coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
, James Michael Liston
James Michael Liston
James Michael Liston, CMG was the Seventh Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Early life:James Michael Liston was born in Dunedin on 9 June 1881, one of a family of five children of James Liston, a hotel-keeper, and his wife, Mary . His parents were both born in Ireland. He was educated at Kavanagh...
, in 1920. Personality clashes between the two, exacerbated by Liston's tendency to act independently of his bishop, caused Cleary in 1929 to attempt to have Liston replaced as his coadjutor.
Death
He died at Auckland on 9 December 1929 and was accorded a huge funeral. Warm tributes from the leaders of other denominations testified to his success in reducing sectarian tensions and in beginning to bring the Catholic Church firmly into the mainstream of New Zealand life.Sources
- E.R. Simmons, A Brief History of the Catholic Church in New Zealand, Catholic Publication Centre, Auckland, 1978.
- E.R. Simmons, In Cruce Salus, A History of the Diocese of Auckland 1848 - 1980, Catholic Publication Centre, Auckland 1982.
- Bishop Henry William Cleary, Catholic Hierarchy website (retrieved 12 February 2011)