Arthur Hinsley
Encyclopedia
Arthur Hinsley was an English
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Westminster
from 1935 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1937.
near Selby
, to Thomas and Bridget (née Ryan) Hinsley. His father was a carpenter
and his mother Irish
. He studied at Ushaw College
in Durham
and thence the English College in Rome
. Hinsley's education was sponsored by his pastor
, who was also one of the Duke of Norfolk
's chaplain
s at Carlton Towers
Ordained
to the priesthood
on 23 December 1893, Hinsley taught at Ushaw College until 1897. He took up pastoral
ministry in Westminster
in 1898, and served as headmaster
of St. Bede's Grammar School
(which he also founded) from 1900 to 1904. In 1917, after another period of pastoral work, Hinsley became a Domestic Prelate of His Holiness
(14 November) and the rector
of the English College in Rome, a post in which he remained until 1928.
On 10 August 1926, he was appointed Titular Bishop
of Sebastopolis in Armenia by Pope Pius XI
. Hinsley received his episcopal consecration
on the following 30 November from Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val, with Archbishop Giuseppe Palica
and Bishop Peter Amigo
serving as co-consecrators
, in the chapel
of the English College. He was later named Apostolic Visitor
to British
Africa
on 10 December 1927. While in Africa, he suffered a bout of paratyphoid fever
.
Pius XI, on 9 January 1930, made Hinsley Titular Archbishop
of Sardis and Apostolic Delegate
to the British missions
in Africa that were not under the jurisdiction of the apostolic delegations of Egypt
, Belgian Congo
, and South Africa
. After retiring as Apostolic Delegate due to ill health on 25 March 1934, he was appointed a canon
of St. Peter's Basilica
four days later, on 29 March. Surprisingly named the fifth Archbishop of Westminster
on 1 April 1935, Hinsley thus became the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
He was created Cardinal-Priest
of S. Susanna
by Pope Pius XI
in the consistory
of 13 December 1937. The delay in elevation, as Westminster's archbishop is traditionally a cardinal, was most likely the result of his comments during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
, describing the Pope as a "helpless old man". In his capacity of cardinal, Hinsley served as one of the electors
in the 1939 papal conclave
, which selected Pope Pius XII
. A supporter of ecumenism
, Hinsley founded the multi-denominational 'Sword of the Spirit
' in October 1940 to rally his fellow English clergy
men (including non-Catholics) against totalitarianism
. He defended Alfred Noyes
in his argument with the Vatican
. The English prelate also condemned Hitler
and other Fascist
leaders during World War II
.
Hinsley, nearly blind and deaf, died from a heart attack
in Buntingford
, at age 77. He was buried at Westminster Cathedral
, and Archbishop William Temple
of Canterbury
described him as "a most devoted citizen of his country...[and] a most kindly and warmhearted friend".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Archbishop of Westminster
Archbishop of Westminster
The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the Metropolitan of the Province of Westminster and, as a matter of custom, is elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and therefore de facto spokesman...
from 1935 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1937.
Biography
Hinsley was born in CarltonCarlton, Selby
Carlton is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south east of the town of Selby on the A1041.According to the 2001 UK census, Carlton parish had a population of 1,829....
near Selby
Selby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
, to Thomas and Bridget (née Ryan) Hinsley. His father was a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
and his mother Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He studied at Ushaw College
Ushaw College
Ushaw College was a Roman Catholic seminary near Durham, England that closed in 2011. Ushaw was the principal seminary in the north of England for the training of Catholic priests.-History:...
in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and thence the English College in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Hinsley's education was sponsored by his pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, who was also one of the Duke of Norfolk
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Baron Maltravers until 1856 and Earl of Arundel and Surrey between 1856 and 1860, was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist...
's chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
s at Carlton Towers
Carlton Towers
Carlton Towers is in Carlton , North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade I listed Victorian gothic country house designed by Edward Welby Pugin. It is the Yorkshire home of the Duke of Norfolk....
Ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on 23 December 1893, Hinsley taught at Ushaw College until 1897. He took up pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
ministry in Westminster
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in England. The archdiocese consists of all the London boroughs north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, together with the towns southwest of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames and...
in 1898, and served as headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
of St. Bede's Grammar School
St. Bede's Grammar School
St. Bede's Grammar School, in Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire is a Roman Catholic boys' Secondary school and specialist science college close to Bradford city centre.-School history:...
(which he also founded) from 1900 to 1904. In 1917, after another period of pastoral work, Hinsley became a Domestic Prelate of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
(14 November) and the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the English College in Rome, a post in which he remained until 1928.
On 10 August 1926, he was appointed Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Sebastopolis in Armenia by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. Hinsley received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following 30 November from Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val, with Archbishop Giuseppe Palica
Giuseppe Palica
Giuseppe Palica was an italian Archbishop.Born on 8 October 1869 in Rome, he was ordained priest on 18 December 1892.On 25 April 1917 he was appointed vice-gerent of Rome and titular archbishop of Philippi....
and Bishop Peter Amigo
Peter Amigo
Peter Emmanuel Amigo was a Roman Catholic bishop in the Catholic Church in England and Wales.He studied at St Edmund's College, Ware, and St. Thomas's, Hammersmith. He was ordained priest on 25 February 1888...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, in the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of the English College. He was later named Apostolic Visitor
Apostolic visitor
In the Catholic Church, an apostolic visitor is a papal representative with a transient mission to perform a canonical visitation of relatively short duration...
to British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
on 10 December 1927. While in Africa, he suffered a bout of paratyphoid fever
Paratyphoid fever
Paratyphoid fevers or Enteric fevers are a group of enteric illnesses caused by serotypic strains of the Salmonella genus of bacteria, S. Paratyphi....
.
Pius XI, on 9 January 1930, made Hinsley Titular Archbishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Sardis and Apostolic Delegate
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to the British missions
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in Africa that were not under the jurisdiction of the apostolic delegations of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. After retiring as Apostolic Delegate due to ill health on 25 March 1934, he was appointed a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
four days later, on 29 March. Surprisingly named the fifth Archbishop of Westminster
Archbishop of Westminster
The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the Metropolitan of the Province of Westminster and, as a matter of custom, is elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and therefore de facto spokesman...
on 1 April 1935, Hinsley thus became the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
He was created Cardinal-Priest
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of S. Susanna
Santa Susanna
The Church of Saint Susanna at the baths of Diocletian is a Roman Catholic parish church on the Quirinal Hill in Rome, with a titulus associated to its site that dates back to about 280...
by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 13 December 1937. The delay in elevation, as Westminster's archbishop is traditionally a cardinal, was most likely the result of his comments during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
, describing the Pope as a "helpless old man". In his capacity of cardinal, Hinsley served as one of the electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 1939
The following were the cardinal electors in the 1939 papal conclave. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically...
in the 1939 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 1939
The Papal conclave of 1939 was convoked on the brink of World War II with the death of Pope Pius XI on 10 February that year in the Apostolic Palace. With all 62 living cardinals in attendance, the conclave to elect Pius' successor began on 1 March and ended a day later, on 2 March, after three...
, which selected Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. A supporter of ecumenism
Catholic Church and ecumenism
The Catholic Church has been heavily involved in the ecumenical movement since the Second Vatican Council .- Before the Second Vatican Council :...
, Hinsley founded the multi-denominational 'Sword of the Spirit
Sword of the Spirit
Sword of the Spirit was a forerunner of the Catholic Institute of International Relations, now Progressio, founded by Cardinal Hinsley in August 1940...
' in October 1940 to rally his fellow English clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
men (including non-Catholics) against totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
. He defended Alfred Noyes
Alfred Noyes
Alfred Noyes was an English poet, best known for his ballads, "The Highwayman" and "The Barrel-Organ".-Early years:...
in his argument with the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. The English prelate also condemned Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and other Fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
leaders during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Hinsley, nearly blind and deaf, died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Buntingford
Buntingford
Buntingford is a small market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England. It lies on the River Rib and on the Roman road Ermine Street. As a result of its location, it grew mainly as a staging post with many coaching inns and has an 18th...
, at age 77. He was buried at Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
, and Archbishop William Temple
William Temple (archbishop)
William Temple was a priest in the Church of England. He served as Bishop of Manchester , Archbishop of York , and Archbishop of Canterbury ....
of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
described him as "a most devoted citizen of his country...[and] a most kindly and warmhearted friend".