Thomas Morris,

D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...

KC*HS (16 October 1914 – 16 January 1997), was the Catholic Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland from 1959 to 1988.

Biography

Morris was born in Kilkennybeg, in parish of Killenaule,

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

, and was educated first at Killenaule, and then by the Christian Brothers in

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles (Roman Catholic parish), Thurles. The cathedral ch ...

. He entered

St Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...

in September 1932 where he took a first class Honours degree in English in 1935 before embarking on theological studies. He was one of six Cashel and Emly students ordained to the priesthood on 18 June 1939 and proceeded to the Dunboyne Institute for postgraduate studies which culminated in a doctorate in theology in June 1941. He taught at Glenstal Abbey for a few months, moving to

St. Patrick's College, Thurles Mary Immaculate College, (MIC) Thurles is a third level college of education in Thurles, County Tipperary. Formerly a seminary, the college specialises in humanities courses in accounting, business studies, Irish and religious studies. History M ...

, in January 1942, where he taught theology until 1960 when he became archbishop. Aside from his seminary teaching he was appointed part-time secretary to Archbishop Kinane in 1947 and vice-president of the seminary in 1957. It is reported he often spent his holidays in the

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

in Ballyferriter where he became deeply steeped in Irish literature and culture. In April 1954 he was chosen to preach (in Irish) at the first Mass celebrated in Cormac's Chapel on the

Rock of Cashel The Rock of Cashel ( ga, Carraig Phádraig ), also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site located at Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland. History According to local legends, the Rock of Cashel originated in the ...

since the Reformation.

Archbishop of Cashel and Emly

The

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

chose him as

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of Cashel and Emly on 21 December 1959 and he was consecrated on 28 February 1960. The

Principal Consecrator 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, ...

was Archbishop Cardinal D'Alton; his Principal Co-Consecrators were

Denis Moynihan Denis may refer to: People * Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris * Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure * Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), baron in the Kingdom of Hungary * Denis the Carthusian (1402– ...

the Bishop of Kerry. Dr Morris attended 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) ...

, where he became familiar with the Archbishop of Kracow, and future pope

Karol Wojtyla 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 was the only Irish member of the

Pontifical Commission on Birth Control The Pontifical Commission on Birth Control was a committee within the Roman Curia tasked with analyzing the modern impact of birth control on the Roman Catholic Church. The disagreements within the commission ultimately led to the publication of t ...

that preceded

Humane Vitae ''Humanae vitae'' (Latin: ''Of Human Life'') is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and dated 25 July 1968. The text was issued at a Vatican press conference on 29 July. Subtitled ''On the Regulation of Birth'', it re-affirmed the teaching o ...

where predictably he voted against any change. During his period as archbishop he was responsible for the restoration of

Holy Cross Abbey Holy Cross Abbey ''(Mainistir na Croise Naofa)'' was a Cistercian monastery in Holycross near Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland, situated on the River Suir. It takes its name from a relic of the True Cross or Holy Rood. History A supposed fra ...

where he continued to work as a priest after retirement. He served as the first Grand Prior of the newly established Lieutenancy of Ireland of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a centuries-old Order of Chivalry dedicated to supporting the Christians of the Holy Land.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Thomas 1914 births Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Roman Catholic archbishops of Cashel Pontifical Lateran University alumni 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Ireland Pontifical Irish College alumni 1997 deaths Irish Roman Catholic archbishops