Thomas Christopher Collins (born January 16, 1947) is 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 Catholic Church. He has been the

Archbishop of Toronto The Archdiocese of Toronto ( la, Archidioecesis Torontina) is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Ontario. Its archbishop is also the ecclesiastical provincial for the dioceses of Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, ...

since 2007. He was previously Bishop of Saint Paul in Alberta from 1997 to 1999 and Archbishop of Edmonton from 1999 to 2006. He was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

on February 18, 2012.

Early life and education

Collins was born in

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...

, Ontario, the son of George Collins, circulation manager of '' The Guelph Mercury'', and his wife, Juliana ( Keen), a

legal secretary A legal secretary is a particular category of worker within the legal profession. Background In the practice of law in the United States, a legal secretary is a person who works in the legal profession, typically assisting lawyers. Legal secretar ...

."Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins: 'Being a Christian isn't for sissies'"
thestar.com. Accessed April 24, 2022. He has two older sisters. As a child, he was an

altar server An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helps bring up the gifts, brings up the bo ...

at the Our Lady Immaculate Church. He attended St. Stanislaw's Elementary School and Bishop Macdonell High School, where he was inspired by one of his English teachers to join the priesthood. After earning a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in English from St. Jerome College,

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...

in 1969, Collins was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the

diaconate A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

on May 14, 1972. In 1973, he received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in English from the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...

and a Bachelor of Theology degree from St. Peter's Seminary,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Priesthood

Collins was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario, by Bishop Paul Reding on May 5, 1973."Thomas Cardinal Collins", Archdiocese of Edmonton
/ref> He then served as

associate pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

at Holy Rosary Parish in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

and at Christ the King Cathedral, as well as an English teacher and chaplain at Cathedral Boys' High School. He furthered his studies in Rome, specializing in sacred scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, from which he obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture in 1978. Upon his return to Ontario in 1978, Collins served as a

lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...

in English at

King's College King's College or The King's College refers to two higher education institutions in the United Kingdom: *King's College, Cambridge, a constituent of the University of Cambridge *King's College London, a constituent of the University of London It ca ...

and in Scripture at St. Peter's Seminary, where he later became

spiritual director Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the di ...

(1981) and

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

of Scripture (1985). Returning to Rome, he completed a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

in 1986. His doctoral dissertation was entitled: ''"Apocalypse 22:6–21 as the Focal Point of Moral Teaching and Exhortation in the

Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...

."'' After becoming associate editor of ''Discover the Bible'' in 1989, Collins returned to St. Peter's Seminary as Dean of

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and vice-

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 ...

in 1992. He later served as rector of St. Peter's from 1995 to 1997.

Episcopal ministry

Diocese of Saint Paul, Alberta

On March 25, 1997, Collins was appointed

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

of Saint Paul in Alberta by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 14, from Bishop Anthony Tonnos, with Bishops Raymond Roy and

John Sherlock John Sherlock ( – 25 July 1794) was a Spanish brigadier general in the Ultonia Regiment. He successfully defended Melilla during a 100-day siege by Moroccan troops. John was the son of Peter Sherlock, who had been made a baronet and knight b ...

serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

, at the Cathedral of Christ the King in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. He selected as his episcopal

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

: ''"Deum Adora"'', meaning, ''"Worship God"'' (). Collins succeeded Bishop Roy as the fifth Bishop of Saint Paul in Alberta upon the latter's retirement on June 30, 1997. He became a member of the National Commission of Theology of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) that same year.

Archdiocese of Edmonton

Collins was promoted to Coadjutor Archbishop of

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

on February 18, 1999, and later succeeded Archbishop

Joseph MacNeil Joseph Neil MacNeil (April 15, 1924 – February 11, 2018) was a Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church. MacNeil was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and was ordained a priest on May 23, 1948. MacNeil was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Saint J ...

as the sixth Archbishop of Edmonton on the following June 7. He served as president of the Conference of Bishops of Alberta. In Edmonton Collins initiated monthly lectio divina sessions at St. Joseph's Cathedral Basilica. He also established St. Benedict's Chapel in a vacant store in Edmonton's City Centre Mall for ministry to downtown shoppers and office workers. Within the CCCB, he served as Chairman of the National Commission of Theology (1999–2001) and Chairman of the National Commission on Christian Unity (2001–2003). He was also a member of the organizing committee for

World Youth Day 2002 The 17th World Youth Day 2002 (french: Journées mondiales de la jeunesse 2002) was a Catholic youth festival held July 23 to 28, 2002, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. World Youth Day is a celebration of faith begun by Pope Saint John Paul II held ...

, which was held in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. From 1999 to 2007, he was President of the Alberta Conference of Catholic Bishops. In addition to his duties as

ordinary Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (Every Little Thing album) (2011) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016) * "Ordinary" (Wayne Brady song) (2008) * ...

of the Edmonton Archdiocese, he was

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

of Saint Paul in Alberta from March 16 to September 8, 2001.

Archbishop of Toronto

Collins was named the tenth

on December 16, 2006. He succeeded

Aloysius Ambrozic Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic (born Alojzij Matej Ambrožič; January 27, 1930 – August 26, 2011) was a Roman Catholic cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Toronto, Archbishop of Toronto. He was made a cardinal on ...

there and was installed at St. Michael's Cathedral on January 30, 2007. He served as Chancellor of the

University of St. Michael's College St Michael's College, officially the University of St. Michael's College, is a constituent college of the University of Toronto. It was founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil and retains its Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate ...

and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto. He is heavily involved in the

pro-life movement Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...

. Collins was elected president of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2008. Collins was the apostolic visitor to the

Archdiocese of Cashel The Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly ( ga, Ard-Deoise Chaisil agus Imligh) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in mid-western Ireland and the metropolis ...

in Ireland following the publication of the Ryan and Murphy Reports in 2009. Collins is a member of the

Pontifical Council for Social Communications The Pontifical Council for Social Communications ( la, Pontificium Consilium de Communicationibus Socialibus) was a dicastery of the Roman Curia that was suppressed in March 2016 and merged into the Secretariat for Communications (now "Dicaste ...

. He has also served as the Delegate of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith for ''Anglicanorum Coetibus'' (providing for personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church). On February 18, 2012, he was created Cardinal-Priest of

San Patrizio San Patrizio a Villa Ludovisi is a Roman Catholic parish, titular church, and national church of the United States in Rome. History It was the national churches of Ireland until 2017 when it became the national church of the United States of Amer ...

. In addition to his other duties in the Roman Curia, Collins was appointed a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education. He was one of the

cardinal electors A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

who participated in the

2013 papal conclave The 2013 papal conclave was convened to elect a pope to succeed Pope Benedict XVI following his resignation on 28 February 2013. After the 115 participating cardinal-electors gathered, they set 12 March 2013 as the beginning of the conclave. On ...

that elected

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

Honours

Scholastic

; Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector and fellowships ;Honorary degrees

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Thomas 1947 births Roman Catholic archbishops of Toronto Canadian anti-abortion activists Living people People from Guelph Roman Catholic archbishops of Edmonton Pontifical Gregorian University alumni University of Western Ontario alumni University of Waterloo alumni Members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI Canadian cardinals 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Canada Pontifical Biblical Institute alumni St. Peter's Seminary (Diocese of London, Ontario) alumni Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Canadian Roman Catholic archbishops