Remi Joseph De Roo
Encyclopedia
Remi De Roo is a retired Canadian Roman Catholic bishop. Ordained a priest on June 8, 1950, and a bishop on December 14, 1962, he was the Bishop of Victoria until he retired on March 18, 1999. This makes him Canada’s longest-serving Catholic bishop.
De Roo has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin philosophy from the Collège de Saint-Boniface (University of Manitoba
) and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Angelicum University in Rome. He also has several honourary degrees and is an Enneagram of Personality
teacher.
De Roo attended all four sessions of Vatican II. This experience deeply affected him and he still refers to himself as "a pilgrim of the Second Vatican Council". He describes attending the sessions as "a voyage of discovery that would radically alter my whole outlook on reality" and "it was indeed a time of euphoria".
Since his retirement, De Roo continues to travel and lecture about Vatican II and gave the keynote address, Rebuild my church – a Vatican Council Father Shares an Inspired Vision, at a Call to Action
conference in 2008.
During his tenure as diocesan bishop, De Roo was known as a strong proponent of social action and liberation theology
and was a critic of capitalism
. He was the main force behind the 1983 Canadian bishops' statement Ethical Reflections on the Economic Crisis. That document stated that the "goal of serving the human needs of all people in our society must take precedence over the maximization of profits and growth."
De Roo, however, was at the centre of a financial scandal that left his diocese nearly bankrupt. Over a 15-year period, he made a series of large investments in real estate and in a horse-breeding ranch, all without submitting any records of these to an external audit. When the ventures failed, the diocese was left with a debt of over $12 million. Other references say the figure was $17 million.
De Roo was not accused of fraud, but did not obtain Vatican approval for any of these transactions. Vatican approval is required for transactions over $3.5 million.
In May 2000, De Roo issued an apology to all Catholics in his former diocese which was printed in parish bulletins. In the apology he wrote that "I am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness."
The diocese sold off assets and issued bonds to clear the debt.
De Roo has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin philosophy from the Collège de Saint-Boniface (University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
) and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Angelicum University in Rome. He also has several honourary degrees and is an Enneagram of Personality
Enneagram of Personality
The Enneagram of Personality is a model of human personality which is principally used as a typology. Principally developed by Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo, it is also partly based on earlier teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff...
teacher.
De Roo attended all four sessions of Vatican II. This experience deeply affected him and he still refers to himself as "a pilgrim of the Second Vatican Council". He describes attending the sessions as "a voyage of discovery that would radically alter my whole outlook on reality" and "it was indeed a time of euphoria".
Since his retirement, De Roo continues to travel and lecture about Vatican II and gave the keynote address, Rebuild my church – a Vatican Council Father Shares an Inspired Vision, at a Call to Action
Call to Action
Call to Action is an organization that advocates for a variety of liberal causes to change the Catholic Church. Call to Action's goals include women's ordination, an end to mandatory priestly celibacy, a change in the church's teaching on a variety of sexual matters, and a change to the way the...
conference in 2008.
During his tenure as diocesan bishop, De Roo was known as a strong proponent of social action and liberation theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
and was a critic of capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. He was the main force behind the 1983 Canadian bishops' statement Ethical Reflections on the Economic Crisis. That document stated that the "goal of serving the human needs of all people in our society must take precedence over the maximization of profits and growth."
De Roo, however, was at the centre of a financial scandal that left his diocese nearly bankrupt. Over a 15-year period, he made a series of large investments in real estate and in a horse-breeding ranch, all without submitting any records of these to an external audit. When the ventures failed, the diocese was left with a debt of over $12 million. Other references say the figure was $17 million.
De Roo was not accused of fraud, but did not obtain Vatican approval for any of these transactions. Vatican approval is required for transactions over $3.5 million.
In May 2000, De Roo issued an apology to all Catholics in his former diocese which was printed in parish bulletins. In the apology he wrote that "I am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness."
The diocese sold off assets and issued bonds to clear the debt.