James Vernon Weisgerber, SOM

Saskatchewan Order of Merit

The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Johnson, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Grant Devine, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...

 (born May 1, 1938) is 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 is the sixth and current 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...

.

Early life and education

Weisgerber was born in Vibank

Vibank, Saskatchewan

-External links:*-Footnotes:...

, Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

, to Jack and Catherine Weisgerber. Following his schooling at Vibank, he attended St. Peter's College

St Peter's College, Muenster

St Peter's College was established by Benedictine monks of St. Peter's Abbey in 1921. The St. Peter's Abbey was founded in 1903 on the same site as the college. From 1921 until 1972 the College also offered a boys high school program. Today the college offers the first two years of the...

 at Muenster

Muenster, Saskatchewan

- Education :Muenster is home to St. Peter's College, an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan. It was originally founded by the Benedictine monks of St. Peter’s Abbey in 1921. The college offers a full first year of Arts and Sciences classes and senior classes in several disciplines...

 and then St. Paul's University

Saint Paul University

Saint Paul University is a Catholic Pontifical university federated with the University of Ottawa. It is located on Main Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and has been entrusted for more than a century to the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...

 in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, where he obtained licence degrees

Licentiate

Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...

 in Philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 and Theology

Theology

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...

.

Priesthood

He 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....

 a priest

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....

 at Holy Rosary Cathedral

Holy Rosary Cathedral (Regina)

Holy Rosary Cathedral at 13th Avenue and Garnet Street in Regina, Saskatchewan, is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina...

 in Regina

Regina, Saskatchewan

Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...

 on June 1, 1963, and named a Prelate of Honour

Monsignor

Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...

 on October 16, 1991.

Weisgerber was Dean

Dean (education)

In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...

 of Arts

The arts

The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...

 at Notre Dame College

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame

- History :In 1920, the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis opened the Notre Dame of the Prairies Convent and St. Augustine's residential elementary and high school for boys and girls at Wilcox, Saskatchewan; a small town on the Canadian prairies south of Regina – the provincial capital.Father Athol...

 in Wilcox

Wilcox, Saskatchewan

Wilcox is a small village in Saskatchewan, Canada. Located approximately 41 kilometers south of Regina, Wilcox is best known for being the home of the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a boarding school for students in grades 9-12. The village is also home to the Notre Dame Hounds ice hockey...

, where he taught philosophy, religious studies

Religious studies

Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...

, and French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

. He worked several years in the Archbishop of Regina

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina is a Roman Catholic archdiocese comprising the southern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, as far north as the 30th township, or about 51°30' lat, that includes the suffragan dioceses of Prince-Albert, and Saskatoon...

's office

Curia (Roman Catholic Church)

In Roman Catholicism, a curia consists of a group of officials who assist in the governance of a particular Church. These curias range from the relatively simple diocesan curia, to the larger patriarchal curias, to the Roman Curia, which is the central government of the Catholic Church.Other...

 serving as the director of the pastoral and social justice offices. He served as Rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 of Holy Rosary Cathedral and Pastor

Pastor

The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

 of Holy Trinity Parish, both in Regina, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Fort Qu'Appelle

Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan

These figures do not include the substantial population living along the shores of the Fishing Lakes.-Origins:The current site is the third Fort Qu'Appelle. The first was a North West Company trading post , also in the valley but near what is now the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border...

, which included pastoral ministry with neighboring aboriginal

Aboriginal peoples in Canada

Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....

 communities.

In 1990 he was elected General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is the national assembly of the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Canada. It was founded in 1943 and was officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. Since the Second Vatican Council, it became part of a worldwide network of Episcopal Conferences,...

.

Episcopal career

On March 7, 1996, Weisgerber was appointed the fifth Bishop of Saskatoon

Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Regina. Bishop Donald Bolen is currently the Bishop of the diocese.-Ordinaries:*Gerald C. Murray, C.SS.R...

 by Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II

Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

. 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 3 from Archbishop Peter Mallon

Peter Joseph Mallon

Peter Joseph Mallon was an archbishop in the Archdiocese of Regina from June 9, 1995 until his retirement on March 30, 2005. He retired in 2005, at the age of 75, due to the Roman Catholic church's mandatory retirement policy. He died in 2007....

, with Archbishop Joseph MacNeil

Joseph Neil MacNeil

Joseph Neil MacNeil, is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.Joseph Neil MacNeil was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and was ordained a priest on May 23, 1948....

 and Bishop Joseph MacDonald 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...

.

Weisgerber was later named the sixth 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...

 on June 7, 2000. He succeeded Leonard James Wall, and was
installed

Enthronement

An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...

 at St. Mary’s Cathedral on August 24, 2000. In 2005, he received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit

Saskatchewan Order of Merit

The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Johnson, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Grant Devine, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...

.

In addition to his duties as Archbishop, he currently serves as the 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 Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Development and Peace

Bishop Weisgerber has claimed that there is no evidence of abortion involvement on the part of groups funded by the bishops’ official development arm, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace.

Euthanasia

Bishop Weisgerber has spoken against plans to legalize euthanasia in Canada

Euthanasia in Canada

Legislation on euthanasia in Canada distinguishes between passive and active euthanasia, although the procedure remains illegal. In recent years, several public cases of active euthanasia have re-opened the debate on what Canadian society considers to be socially and morally acceptable in terms of...

, saying that it was the antithesis of what should be at the heart of human civilization : trust, respect, concern and solidarity, based on reverence for all human life.