Leo Joseph Suenens
Léon- Joseph Cardinal Suenens (* July 16, 1904 in Ixelles / Elsene, Belgium; † 6 May 1996 Brussels, Belgium) was Archbishop of Mechelen.
Life
Léon- Joseph Suenens received on 4 September 1927 in Mechelen, the sacrament of Holy Orders by Jozef -Ernest van Roey. In the summer of 1940, he was a military priest of the Ninth Artillery Regiment of the Belgian Army before he became Vice- Rector of the University of Louvain. In June 1944, he was briefly in German captivity. On November 12, 1945, Pope Pius XII. him titular bishop of Isinda and Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General in Mechelen. The bishop He was ordained on 16 December of the same year by Jozef -Ernest van Roey. His motto is In Spiritu Sancto.
On 24 November 1961, he was named by Pope John XXIII. at the same time as Archbishop of Mechelen and the Belgian military bishop.
On March 19, 1962, he was accepted as a cardinal priest with the titular church of St. Peter in Chains in the College of Cardinals.
Suenens played as one of the four council - moderators ( along with Grégoire -Pierre Agagianian, Giacomo Lercaro and Julius Dopfner ) play a decisive role at the Second Vatican Council. So he sat by the rule that bishops must submit a letter of resignation after completion of their 75th year of life. Also, during the pontificate of Paul VI. his role was significant, he participated in the three general assemblies of the Synod of Bishops in part at the Vatican, which were 1971, 1974 and 1977 held.
For his contribution to the dialogue between science and religion, he received the 1976 Templeton Prize.
He participated in the conclave of 1963, as well as at both conclaves 1978. In the election of John Paul I. He was one of the papabili and was instrumental in the collection of Cardinal Luciani to the papal throne. On 4 October 1979 he resigned for reasons of age from his offices. End of 1985, he appeared as a special guest at a Synod of Bishops at the Vatican. At thrombosis suffering, died Cardinal Suenens eleven years later at age 91.
Positions
Cardinal Suenens belonged to the liberal reformers in the Catholic Church. He suggested, for example, the right to appoint laymen to Apostolic Nuncios and to reform the Church's marriage laws and criticized in 1969 in an interview publicly the conservative attitude of Paul VI. This interview caused different reactions: While other cardinals " painfully surprised " had said the newspaper Témoignage chrétien of a significant event.
In addition, Cardinal Suenens 1967 was in favor of the right to transfer to papal election of the Synod of Bishops.
Publications (selection )
- Théologie de l' apostolat: Commentaire de la promesse doctrinal légionnaire. Desclée de Brouwer, Bruges 1951. Translation: theology of the apostolate of the Legion of Mary. As healer, Vienna 1952.
- Translation: the apostolate and motherhood of Mary. The promise of the Legion of Mary in the light of Church teaching. Canisius, Fribourg / Switzerland and Others 1964.