Joseph Devine
Encyclopedia
Joseph Devine is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell
in Scotland
.
He was educated at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch
, St. Mary's College, and St. Peter's College
, Cardross
. He was ordained priest on 29 June 1960 at the Pontifical Scots College
in Rome
. He received his Ph.D.
in 1964 from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
He was private secretary to the Archbishop of Glasgow
from 1964-65. He was assistant priest at St. Robert Bellarmine, Pollok
, Glasgow
(1965-67) and at St. Joseph's, Helensburgh
(1967-72). He was on staff at St. Peter's College, Cardross (1967-74).
He served on the staff of the Episcopal Vicar for the Lay Apostolate from 1974-83. He was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop
on 5 May 1977, aged 39. He was ordained Bishop by Thomas Joseph Winning, Archbishop of Glasgow
in St. Francis' Church, Gorbals
, Glasgow on 31 May 1977. He was translated to the Diocese of Motherwell
on 13 May 1983, aged 45.
supported the call.
and Secularism
, Devine drew controversy when he spoke about a perceived "gay lobby" attending Holocaust memorials "to create for themselves the image of a group of people under persecution." He idenitified this as part of a "giant conspiracy". Devine explained, "Like Mel Gibson
, who said, 'I'm going to pick a fight', so am I...The homosexual lobby has been extremely effective in aligning itself with minority groups. It is ever present at the service each year for the Holocaust memorial, as if to create for themselves the image of a group of people under persecution."
Devine went on to criticise the decision to honour Sir Ian McKellen
for his work for equality and, by way of illustrating the advances made in equality for gays, pointed out that Oscar Wilde
had been jailed for homosexual offences. He also took the opportunity to give advice to parents of gay children. "This must be a nightmare moment for any parent. I would try to handle it with a degree of compassion. But I would not tolerate that kind of behaviour. I would not condemn but I would not tolerate it."
Critics of Bishop Devine cite that between 5,000 and 15,000 gay men were held in concentration camps by the Nazis as members of an "anti-social group." Historians estimate that 60% of them died while incarcerated.
In 2007, Bishop Devine stated that he would close the Roman Catholic adoption agencies rather than help same-sex couples to adopt children, and earlier in the year suggested that homosexual men and women would not be fit to teach in classrooms.
in order to build a new residence at an estimated cost of £650,000. This occasioned criticism from many among his flock in the diocese, and from beyond. His purchase of the now demolished house also caused controversy in the tabloid press, who claimed that he had considered the acquisition of a property with a swimming pool. This was denied by Bishop Devine.
Bishop of Motherwell
The Bishop of Motherwell is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell in the Province of Glasgow.The diocese covers an area of 1,178 km². The see is in the town of Motherwell where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
He was educated at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch
St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch
St. Ninian's High School is a Roman Catholic co-educational comprehensive secondary school, located in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Admissions:...
, St. Mary's College, and St. Peter's College
St. Peter's Seminary (Cardross)
St. Peter's Seminary is a disused Roman Catholic seminary near Cardross, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Designed by the firm of Gillespie, Kidd and Coia, it has been described by the international architecture conservation organisation DOCOMOMO as a modern "building of world significance"...
, Cardross
Cardross
Cardross is a large village with a population of 2,351 in Scotland, on the north side of the Firth of Clyde, situated halfway between Dumbarton and Helensburgh. Cardross is in the historic geographical county of Dunbartonshire but the modern political local authority of Argyll and Bute...
. He was ordained priest on 29 June 1960 at the Pontifical Scots College
The Scots College (Rome)
The Scots College in Rome was established by Clement VIII in 1600, when it was assigned the revenue of the old Scots' hospice...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He received his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1964 from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
He was private secretary to the Archbishop of Glasgow
Archbishop of Glasgow
The Bishop of Glasgow, from 1492 Archbishop of Glasgow, was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Glasgow and then, as Archbishop of Glasgow, the Archdiocese of Glasgow...
from 1964-65. He was assistant priest at St. Robert Bellarmine, Pollok
Pollok
Pollok is a large district on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It was built to house families from the overcrowded inner city...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(1965-67) and at St. Joseph's, Helensburgh
Helensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
(1967-72). He was on staff at St. Peter's College, Cardross (1967-74).
He served on the staff of the Episcopal Vicar for the Lay Apostolate from 1974-83. He was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
on 5 May 1977, aged 39. He was ordained Bishop by Thomas Joseph Winning, Archbishop of Glasgow
Archbishop of Glasgow
The Bishop of Glasgow, from 1492 Archbishop of Glasgow, was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Glasgow and then, as Archbishop of Glasgow, the Archdiocese of Glasgow...
in St. Francis' Church, Gorbals
Gorbals
The Gorbals is an area on the south bank of the River Clyde in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. By the late 19th century, it had become over-populated and adversely affected by local industrialisation. Many people lived here because their jobs provided this home and they could not afford their own...
, Glasgow on 31 May 1977. He was translated to the Diocese of Motherwell
Diocese of Motherwell
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell is an ecclesiastical diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland.The diocese, which was erected on 25 May 1947 from the Archdiocese of Glasgow, is led by the Bishop of Motherwell currently the Right Reverend Joseph Devine.In 2004 the Catholic population,...
on 13 May 1983, aged 45.
Public views on denominational education
In September 2002 Bishop Devine said "Denominational education is an enabler of sectarianism", also ""Roman Catholic schooling is divisive - sometimes it's a price worth paying". He justified the remarks by saying "The Catholic community believes that with denominational schooling comes the creation of a common set of values - a coherent system that has the academic curriculum and moral and spiritual life in tandem".Public views on sectarianism
In February 2008 he called for an audit of police officers to combat sectarian discrimination against Catholics. The discrimination includes denying promotion to Catholics above a certain rank. Anti-sectarianism charity Nil by MouthNil by Mouth (charity)
Nil by Mouth is a registered Scottish anti-sectarian charity based in Glasgow and working across Scotland. It was established in 2000 by David Graham, Louise Cumming and Cara Henderson Nil by Mouth is a registered Scottish anti-sectarian charity based in Glasgow and working across Scotland. It was...
supported the call.
Public views on homosexuality
In March 2008, as part of a public lecture on SectarianismSectarianism
Sectarianism, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.The ideological...
and Secularism
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
, Devine drew controversy when he spoke about a perceived "gay lobby" attending Holocaust memorials "to create for themselves the image of a group of people under persecution." He idenitified this as part of a "giant conspiracy". Devine explained, "Like Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
, who said, 'I'm going to pick a fight', so am I...The homosexual lobby has been extremely effective in aligning itself with minority groups. It is ever present at the service each year for the Holocaust memorial, as if to create for themselves the image of a group of people under persecution."
Devine went on to criticise the decision to honour Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
for his work for equality and, by way of illustrating the advances made in equality for gays, pointed out that Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
had been jailed for homosexual offences. He also took the opportunity to give advice to parents of gay children. "This must be a nightmare moment for any parent. I would try to handle it with a degree of compassion. But I would not tolerate that kind of behaviour. I would not condemn but I would not tolerate it."
Critics of Bishop Devine cite that between 5,000 and 15,000 gay men were held in concentration camps by the Nazis as members of an "anti-social group." Historians estimate that 60% of them died while incarcerated.
In 2007, Bishop Devine stated that he would close the Roman Catholic adoption agencies rather than help same-sex couples to adopt children, and earlier in the year suggested that homosexual men and women would not be fit to teach in classrooms.
Financial Controversies
In November 2008, Bishop Devine attracted controversy when he demolished his home in Hamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
in order to build a new residence at an estimated cost of £650,000. This occasioned criticism from many among his flock in the diocese, and from beyond. His purchase of the now demolished house also caused controversy in the tabloid press, who claimed that he had considered the acquisition of a property with a swimming pool. This was denied by Bishop Devine.