Paul-Émile Léger (April 26, 1904 – November 13, 1991) was a Canadian
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
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. He served as
Archbishop of Montreal from 1950 to 1967, and was elevated to the
cardinalate
The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are appoi ...
in 1953 by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
.
Early life and education
Paul-Émile Léger was born April 26, 1904 in
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Regional County Municipality of Beauharnois-Salaberry.
The population as of 2019 was 42,410. Situated on Grande-Île, an island in the Saint Lawrence River, it is bordere ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
to Ernest Léger, a general merchant, and Alda Beauvais. He grew up in
Saint-Anicet, where he served as an altar boy with his brother,
Jules
Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of:
People with the name
*Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer
*Jules Abadie (1876–195 ...
, and attended elementary school. He studied at
Petit Séminaire de Sainte-Thérèse from 1916 to 1925, which was interrupted due to illness for almost four years beginning in January 1920. From 1925 to 1929 he studied theology at the
Grand Séminaire de Montréal
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and commu ...
. Léger entered the
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
novitiate
The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
at
Sault-au-Récollet
Sault-au-Récollet (English: Recollet Rapids) is a neighbourhood in Montreal. It is located in the eastern edge of the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, bordering the Rivière des Prairies. Autoroute 19 connects Sault-au-Récollet to Laval. T ...
, but was regarded as too emotional to continue in that
order. Léger was transferred to the Valleyfield diocese after becoming ordained as a priest on May 25, 1929.
Léger's first assignment was as a priest in the
parish of Notre-Dame in Montreal. After joining the
Society of Saint-Sulpice
The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (french: Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice), abbreviated PSS also known as the Sulpicians is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, ...
in September 1929 he was sent to its
noviciate in
Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called ''Isséens'' in French. It is one of Paris' entrances and is located from Notre-Dame Cath ...
for his period of solitude in 1929–1930. He then spent a year at the
Institut Catholique de Paris
The Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP), known in English as the Catholic University of Paris (and in Latin as ''Universitas catholica Parisiensis''), is a private university located in Paris, France.
History: 1875–present
The Institut Catholiq ...
studying canon law. Léger then taught this for a year after earning his bachelor's degree in 1931. He then become assistant
master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
at the noviciate the following year.
Japan mission
Léger returned to Canada to visit his parents in 1933. Later that year he left Montreal for
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
, Japan, to set up a grand séminaire for educating indigenous clergy. Léger rapidly became established as a preacher and spent his first year mastering Japanese. After ten months of being in Japan, he became curé of the cathedral in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. He left that post, drained, in August 1935. The goal of the mission remained the same, but Léger faced a number of major obstacles. Although the diocese was founded in 1927 and had less than 10,000 Catholics, nothing was organized. He returned to Canada from December 1935 to October 1936 to advertise his missionary work. He remained in Japan until the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Appointments and posts
He was
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
of
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
in Montreal and professor of
apologetics
Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
at the
Pius XI Institute from 1939 to 1940.
In 1940 Léger became the
vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the
Diocese of Valleyfield, and the parish priest at
St. Cecilia Cathedral. He had to temporarily leave the Society of Saint-Sulpice. He held these posts until 1947 when he was named
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the
Canadian Pontifical College in Rome.
He was affectionately received by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
due to the aid Gold Cross, a Quebec charity Léger founded, was providing to Rome after the war.
Léger was appointed archbishop of Montreal on March 25, 1950 by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
,
and was raised to the rank of
Monsignor
Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
on September 29, 1942. He was appointed a cardinal on November 29, 1952,
one of the youngest in recent history.
On January 12, 1953 he was given the honor of wearing the red
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
, the first in Montreal. In this capacity he would perform the duties of the
papal legate
300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the pope's legate.
A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title ''legatus'') is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic ...
in Lourdes, France (1954), at St Joseph's Oratory in Montreal (1955), and in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (1958). Léger was named a member of the
Central Preparatory Commission The Central Preparatory Commission was the body that co-ordinated the preparation of the schemas for the Second Vatican Council. It was established by Pope John XXIII on June 5, 1960. It had 120 members, including cardinals and bishops, amongst the ...
on June 15, 1960.
Later career
Léger put emphasis on the importance of love over procreation. He was also concerned with fathers being responsible. His most compelling speeches are collected in ''Trente textes du cardinal Léger qui ont marqué l'Église au concile et au Québec''. Léger argued for more freedom of opinion. His views aligned with
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
, who advocated for
aggiornamento
''Aggiornamento'' () is an Italian word meaning "bringing up to date", "updating". It was made famous by pope John XXIII, and was one of the key words at the Second Vatican Council, used by both bishops and the media.
John XXIII
In his speech o ...
. His work on the Central Preparatory Commission led to close affiliations with other cardinals leading edge of modernization in the Church. In August 1962, Léger, disappointed in the preparatory schemata of the first conciliar period, petitioned John XXIII along with six of the leading European cardinals.
Léger stood out as a leader during the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
(1962–1965) even though his positions cost him some friendships and made him some enemies. His activity mainly focused on
ecumenism
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
; family, including procreation and marriage; freedom of thought within the Church; the liturgy; religious freedom; and the place of the Holy Scriptures in the Church. Despite his prominence and popularity at the Council, his rigid stances created rivalries, including with some that supported secularization, liberalization and modernization of the Church.
From late December 1963 to early January 1964 Léger returned to his missionary work, travelling to Africa.
After returning to Canada, he wanted to help
leprosaria
A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. ''M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East Afr ...
with his ''Fame Pereo'' charity. He began to divest some personal belongings to help the poor. He even went as far as to propose he leave his
see
See or SEE may refer to:
* Sight - seeing
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Music:
** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals
*** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See''
** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho
* Television
* ...
in Montreal to apply himself to missionary work, but Paul VI rejected it.
Léger with the Quebec bishops and
Archbishop Roy delicately negotiated with the government, resulting in major institutional revamping in education, health, and social services. Notably, Bill 60 led to the Department of Education's establishment in 1964. Léger saved the Church contention with the government of Quebec by adopting conservative and equitable stances.
After the Council ended, Léger returned to the norm of overseeing his archdiocese. He faced resistance from
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution (french: Révolution tranquille) was a period of intense socio-political and socio-cultural change in French Canada which started in Quebec after the election of 1960, characterized by the effective secularization of govern ...
forces when trying to implement aggiornamento. It was difficult to work with the clergy in his archdiocese, and his relationships with fellow bishops were strained. Léger engaged in Church administration as a member of the
Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, the
Sacred Congregation of Rites
The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by '' Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it had its functions reassigned by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 1969.
The Congregation was charged with the ...
, the
Sacred Consistorial Congregation, the
Fabric of Saint Peter
The Fabric of Saint Peter (, ) is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church responsible for the conservation and maintenance of St. Peter's Basilica and exercising vigilance over its sacred character and the organization of visitors. While it i ...
, the
Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Code of Canon Law, and the first assembly of the
Synod of Bishops (1967). By 1967 Archbishop Roy took Léger's spot as
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 ...
's special Canada representative.
On November 9, 1967 Léger announced his resignation as archbishop of Montreal with the intent to devote himself to working among the African lepers.
This decision caused an uproar in the media surprised the public. Léger was enthralled with Africa. There were challenges and complexities with the changing landscape of Church in Montreal, including increased population and lack of proportional increase of staff and implementation of the Vatican's directives.
Léger left Montreal on December 11, 1967 making some short stops, visiting leprosaria supported by Fame Pereo, before settling in the archdiocese of Yaoundé, Cameroon. There he established around 40 aid projects. Until 1979 he dedicated himself almost completely to his ministry, interrupted by two trips back to Montreal. He served on the Pontifical Commission for Migrants and Tourism (1972–79) and on the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (1972–84).
Death
In July 1984 Léger was admitted to Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice and spent his last two years confined to a wheelchair before dying at age 87 on November 13, 1991.
He was the last surviving cardinal created by Pius XII.
Views
Role during the Second Vatican Council
The cardinal was a leading
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
force at the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
(1962–1965). With the assistance of Cardinals
Antonio Caggiano and
Norman Gilroy
Sir Norman Thomas Gilroy (22 January 1896 – 21 October 1977) was an Australian bishop. He was the first Australian-born cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.
Early life and priestly ministry
Gilroy was born in Sydney, to working-class par ...
, he delivered one of the closing messages of the council on December 8, 1965.
Religious liberty
He supported
religious liberty
Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
at the council.
Birth control
He was one of the council fathers who, in a speech delivered on October 29, 1964 concerning the document later promulgated as the Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, ''Gaudium et Spes'', raised the question of a possible change in the Church's teaching on
birth control
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
. In the same speech, he urged that the document place more emphasis on conjugal love as an end or purpose of
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
.
Antisemitism
He believed that the council fathers needed to issue a stronger declaration against
antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
as a "necessary act of a
renewed Church".
Ecumenism
A
cardinal elector in the
1963 papal conclave, Léger spoke at a session of the
Faith and Order Commission
The Faith and Order Commission is an assembly group within the World Council of Churches founded in 1948 which has made numerous and significant contributions to the ecumenical movement.
The commission has been successful in working toward cons ...
in September 1963.
Honours
*
Grand Cross of the
Order or Merit,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
(1965)
*
Companion of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
, Canada (1968)
*
Grand Officer of the
National Order of Quebec
The National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as ''l'Ordre national du Québec'', and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is an order of merit in the Canadian province of Quebec. Instituted in 1984 when Lieutenant Gove ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada (1969)
* Received the Loyola Medal from
Loyola College, one of
Concordia University
Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...
's founding institutions (1967)
*
Grande Croix of the
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
, France (1958)
*
Pearson Peace Medal The Pearson Medal of Peace is an award given out annually by the United Nations Association in Canada to recognize an individual Canadian's "contribution to international service". Nominations are made by any Canadian for any Canadian, excluding sel ...
(1969)
* Prix Maisonneuve,
Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society (french: Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste) is an institution in Quebec dedicated to the protection of Quebec francophone interests and to the promotion of Quebec sovereignism. It is known as the oldest patriotic assoc ...
of Montréal (1983)
References
External links
Pearson Medal of Peace – Cardinal Paul-Émile Cardinal Léger
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leger, Paul-Emile
1904 births
1991 deaths
Cardinals created by Pope Pius XII
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
Roman Catholic archbishops of Montreal
Canadian cardinals
Grand Officers of the National Order of Quebec
Companions of the Order of Canada
People from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Canada
Amateur radio people
Members of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation
Sulpician bishops