Bernard Griffin
Encyclopedia
Bernard William Griffin (1899–1956) was an English
Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Westminster
from 1943 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1946 by Pope Pius XII
.
to William and Helen (née Swadkins) Griffin. His father was a carpenter
turned city council
lor and justice of the peace
.
They were a devoted family and were under the watchful eye of their parish priest. One day, both twins went to confession. When they came out the brothers found that Father O’Hagan had asked them both the same question; ‘What are you going to be?’. They had both answered, ‘I want to be a priest’. Both boys were clever and won scholarships to the local grammar school but Bernard’s desire to be a priest led him to transfer to Cotton College
in Staffordshire
.
When the First World War broke out in 1914 both Bernard and Basil joined the Royal Navy Air Service and served as an air-raid warden
in the Royal Naval Air Service
during World War I
.
During this time he suffered a heart attack but concealed it from doctors
in order to avoid a discharge
which he feared would prevent his acceptance for the priesthood.
After the war Bernard went to Oscott College in Birmingham to train to be a priest. Ordained
to the priesthood
on 1 November 1924, he finished his studies at the Venerable English College
in Rome
in 1927. Griffin then worked as private secretary
to Archbishop John McIntyre
of Birmingham
until 1937. From 1929 to 1938, he served as diocesan chancellor
of Birmingham, director of studies of the Catholic Evidence Guild
, Catholic representative on the BBC
's religious advisory committee, and administrator of diocesan
charitable homes
.
On 26 May 1938, Griffin was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Birmingham and Titular Bishop
of Appia. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following 30 June from Archbishop Thomas Leighton Williams
, with Bishops John Barrett
and William Lee
serving as co-consecrators
, in St. Chad Cathedral. Pope Pius XII
raised Griffin to Archbishop of Westminster
, and thus ranking prelate in the Catholic Church in England and Wales, on 18 December 1943. At his installation Mass in Westminster Cathedral
, he defended the sanctity of marriage
.
Griffin was created Cardinal-Priest
of Ss. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio
by Pius XII in the consistory
of 18 February 1946. At age 46, he was the youngest cardinal to be appointed at the ceremony, to which he wore the tailored cappa magna
of his predecessor in Westminster, the late Cardinal Arthur Hinsley
. He acted as papal legate
to the centennial celebration of the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England
in 1950.
As Cardinal, Griffin took a keen interest in the rebuilding of post-war Britain arguing especially for the provision of Catholic schools. He was seen by some as liberal
in areas of social principles
. He also supported Sir William Beveridge
.
Griffin upheld the perpetual virginity of Mary
, and was once a president on The Council of Christians and Jews
.
Griffin died from a heart attack
in New Polzeath
, at age 57. He is buried at Westminster Cathedral
.
His coat of arms is blazoned 'Gules issuant from a barrulet enarched in base a sweet william plant in pale Or supported by a Saint Bernard dog dexter and a griffin wings addorsed sinister Or', thus representing his full name.
On the 22 October 1960, Bernard's twin brother Basil, laid the foundation stone of Cardinal Griffin Catholic High School in Cannock
, Staffordshire
.
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...
Cardinal
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 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 1943 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 1946 by 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....
.
Biography
Bernard and his twin brother Basil, were born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to William and Helen (née Swadkins) Griffin. 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....
turned city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
lor and justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
They were a devoted family and were under the watchful eye of their parish priest. One day, both twins went to confession. When they came out the brothers found that Father O’Hagan had asked them both the same question; ‘What are you going to be?’. They had both answered, ‘I want to be a priest’. Both boys were clever and won scholarships to the local grammar school but Bernard’s desire to be a priest led him to transfer to Cotton College
Cotton College
Cotton College was a Roman Catholic boarding school AT in Cotton near Oakamoor, North Staffordshire, England, also known as Saint Wilfrid's College. It closed in 1987 and the site is now derelict....
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
When the First World War broke out in 1914 both Bernard and Basil joined the Royal Navy Air Service and served as an air-raid warden
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
in the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
During this time he suffered a heart attack but concealed it from doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in order to avoid a discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
which he feared would prevent his acceptance for the priesthood.
After the war Bernard went to Oscott College in Birmingham to train to be a priest. 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 1 November 1924, he finished his studies at the Venerable English College
Venerable English College, Rome
The Venerable English College, commonly referred to as the English College, is a Roman Catholic seminary in Rome, Italy, for the training of priests for England and Wales...
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...
in 1927. Griffin then worked as private secretary
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
to Archbishop John McIntyre
John McIntyre
John McIntyre may refer to:* John McIntyre , Roman Catholic archbishop of Birmingham* John McIntyre , bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland in Australia...
of Birmingham
Archdiocese of Birmingham
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham is one of the principal Latin-rite Catholic administrative divisions of England and Wales in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church....
until 1937. From 1929 to 1938, he served as diocesan chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of Birmingham, director of studies of the Catholic Evidence Guild
Catholic Evidence Guild
The Catholic Evidence Guild is a loose international association of Roman Catholic lay volunteers which seeks to research and present clear and compelling explanations of the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. The organisation was founded in the Diocese of Westminster, England towards the end...
, Catholic representative on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's religious advisory committee, and administrator of diocesan
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
charitable homes
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
.
On 26 May 1938, Griffin was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Birmingham and 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 Appia. He 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 June from Archbishop Thomas Leighton Williams
Thomas Leighton Williams
Thomas Cuthbert Leighton Williams was a Roman Catholic archbishop of Birmingham, England.He was born on 20 March 1877 in Handsworth, the eldest of the nine children of James Anthony Williams , a Commercial Traveller, and his wife, Emma Mary , the daughter of Thomas Patrick Leighton and his wife,...
, with Bishops John Barrett
Bishop of Plymouth
The Bishop of Plymouth is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth in the Province of Southwark, England.The diocese covers an area of and consists of the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset...
and William Lee
Bishop of Clifton
The Bishop of Clifton is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton in the Province of Birmingham, England.The see is in the suburb of Clifton in the city of Bristol where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul...
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 St. Chad Cathedral. 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....
raised Griffin to 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...
, and thus ranking prelate in the Catholic Church in England and Wales, on 18 December 1943. At his installation Mass in 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...
, he defended the sanctity of marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
.
Griffin 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 Ss. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio
San Gregorio Magno
San Gregorio Magno al Celio, also known as San Gregorio al Celio or simply San Gregorio, is a church in Rome, Italy, which is part of a monastery...
by Pius XII in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 18 February 1946. At age 46, he was the youngest cardinal to be appointed at the ceremony, to which he wore the tailored cappa magna
Cope
The cope is a liturgical vestment, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour....
of his predecessor in Westminster, the late Cardinal Arthur Hinsley
Arthur Hinsley
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.-Biography:...
. He acted as papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
to the centennial celebration of the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England
Universalis Ecclesiae
Universalis Ecclesiae is the incipit of the papal bull of 29 September 1850 by which Pope Pius IX recreated the Roman Catholic diocesan hierarchy in England, which had been extinguished with the death of the last Marian bishop in the reign of Elizabeth I. New names were given to the dioceses, as...
in 1950.
As Cardinal, Griffin took a keen interest in the rebuilding of post-war Britain arguing especially for the provision of Catholic schools. He was seen by some as liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
in areas of social principles
Catholic social teaching
Catholic social teaching is a body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state...
. He also supported Sir William Beveridge
William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge KCB was a British economist and social reformer. He is best known for his 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services which served as the basis for the post-World War II welfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945.Lord...
.
Griffin upheld the perpetual virginity of Mary
Perpetual virginity of Mary
The doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary, expresses the Virgin Mary's "real and perpetual virginity even in the act of giving birth to Jesus the Son of God made Man"...
, and was once a president on The Council of Christians and Jews
The Council of Christians and Jews
The Council of Christians and Jews, or CCJ, is a voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom. It is composed of Christians and Jews working together to counter anti-semitism and other forms of intolerance in Britain. Their patron is Queen Elizabeth II....
.
Griffin 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 New Polzeath
New Polzeath
New Polzeath is a coastal settlement immediately north-east of Polzeath in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately five miles north-northwest of Wadebridge at ....
, at age 57. He is 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...
.
His coat of arms is blazoned 'Gules issuant from a barrulet enarched in base a sweet william plant in pale Or supported by a Saint Bernard dog dexter and a griffin wings addorsed sinister Or', thus representing his full name.
On the 22 October 1960, Bernard's twin brother Basil, laid the foundation stone of Cardinal Griffin Catholic High School in Cannock
Cannock
Cannock is the most populous of three towns in the district of Cannock Chase in the central southern part of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.