Sir James Darcy Freeman (19 November 1907 – 16 March 1991) was an Australian

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

of the Roman Catholic Church. Freeman was the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and Cardinal-Priest of

Santa Maria Regina Pacis a Ostia Lido Santa Maria Regina Pacis a Ostia Lido is a 20th-century parochial church and titular church in Ostia, southwest of Rome, dedicated to Mary, Queen of Peace. History In 1916, it was suggested to Vincenzo Vannutelli, Bishop of Ostia, to const ...

. He was ordained a priest of the Sydney archdiocese on 13 July 1930, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney on 9 December 1956 and ordained Titular Bishop of Hermopolis. In 1973 he was elevated to the cardinalate.

Early life and priesthood

Freeman was born on 19 November 1907 in , to Robert Freeman, a tramway driver, and his wife Margaret Smith. He was educated at the Sisters of Charity, Elizabeth Bay and

St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney , motto_translation = To Do and To Teach , location = Cathedral Road , city = Sydney central business district , state = New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Systemic secondar ...

, where he was regarded as a good student who enjoyed literature, music and sport. He attended seminary at St Columba's Springwood and

St Patrick's Seminary St Patrick's Seminary, Manly is a heritage-listed former residence of the Archbishop of Sydney and Roman Catholic Church seminary at 151 Darley Road, Manly, Northern Beaches Council, New South Wales, Australia. The property was also known as ...

, Manly; and furthered his studies at the Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda Fide, Rome. He was ordained on 13 July 1930 by Archbishop

Bartolomeo Cattaneo Bartolomeo Cattaneo (26 September 1866 – 14 May 1943) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He became an archbishop in 1917 and was Apostolic Delegate to Australia from 1917 to 1933. ...

and incardinated in the Archdiocese of Sydney. He served as an assistant priest in Grafton, Murwillumbah, Strathfield, Mosman and at St Mary's Cathedral. From 1941 – 1946 he became the private secretary to the archbishop and chaplain to the Christian Brothers College of St Patrick's College, Strathfield. He also served as administrator of

Haymarket Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

parish and parish priest of

Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, which ...

Episcopate

Freeman was elected '' in partibus infidelium'' as Bishop of Hermopolis and auxiliary of Sydney on 9 December 1956. He was consecrated on 24 January 1957 at St Mary's Cathedral by Cardinal Norman Gilroy and spent 12 years as a loyal auxiliary to the man he has served as secretary. In October 1969 he was appointed Bishop of Armidale for three years after the death of Bishop Doody in 1968. He led the celebrations of the centenary of the Armidale diocese, 1869 to 1969. On the retirement of Cardinal Gilroy in July 1971, Freeman's appointment as Archbishop of Sydney was announced. Freeman participated in the elections of Pope John Paul I and Pope John Paul II in Rome in 1978.

Cardinalate and character

On 5 March 1973, Freeman was appointed Cardinal Priest of the Title of Our Lady of Peace of Ostia by Pope

Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

. He was appointed a

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(KBE) in 1977. In May 2016, to mark the 25th anniversary of his death, his former secretary, Peter Ingham , preached at an anniversary Mass, recalling "the widespread honour, affection and respect with which he was held in the communities where he was known." He further recalled that he sometimes called him "'the reluctant cardinal' – he never sought honours yet they came to him anyway."

Retirement and death

Freeman retired as Archbishop of Sydney on 12 February 1983, to St John Vianney Villa, Randwick. He died on 16 March 1991 at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, at the age of 83 and was buried in the

crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...

of St Mary's Cathedral.

Legacy

Freeman is the patron of the

Freeman Catholic College Freeman Catholic College is a Catholic Roman Catholic co-educational secondary school located in Bonnyrigg Heights, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The school was founded in 1985 and named after Cardinal Sir James F ...

Bonnyrigg Heights Bonnyrigg Heights is a suburb of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. Its name originates from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland. Bonnyrigg Heights is located on the traditional indigenous lands of the Dharug Nation. Geography The elevation ...

, which opened in 1985 and has a student population of 1,220 and a teaching and support staff of 114. In 1987, the Cardinal Freeman Centre was established at Granville as part of the St Vincent de Paul Society to provide accommodation and support for the homeless men in the western suburbs of Sydney who have been affected by drug and alcohol-related problems. The Cardinal Freeman Village in

Ashfield Ashfield may refer to: People * Ashfield (surname) Places Australia * Ashfield, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Municipality of Ashfield, a former local government area in Sydney ** Electoral district of Ashfield, a former electoral dist ...

is a retirement home providing accommodation to 380 people. Freeman House in Armidale, continues in honour of his time and service in the Diocese of Armidale.

References

External links

"Honour shared by all: 12 October 2003"
''The Catholic Weekly Online''. Accessed 23 May 2008.

''GCatholic.org''. Accessed 23 May 2008.
"Bishops of Australia"
''AustOceaniaBishops.org'' Accessed 23 May 2008.
"Archdiocese of Sydney"
''Sydney.Catholic.org.au''. Accessed 23 May 2008.

''Freeman Catholic College Web Site'' Accessed 23 May 2008.
"Cardinal Freeman Village".
''Aevum Limited'' Accessed 23 May 2008.

''St Vincent de Paul Society'' Accessed 23 May 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, James Darcy 1907 births 1991 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Australia Participants in the Second Vatican Council Australian cardinals Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Roman Catholic archbishops of Sydney Burials at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney Cardinals created by Pope Paul VI Roman Catholic bishops of Armidale Australian Roman Catholic archbishops