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| archdiocese = [ Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide]
| archdiocese = [[Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide]]
| enthroned = 19 June 1985
| enthroned = 19 June 1985
| ended = 3 December 2001
| ended = 3 December 2001

Revision as of 17:47, 7 May 2018

The Most Reverend

Leonard Faulkner
Archbishop Emeritus of Adelaide
ArchdioceseCatholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
Installed19 June 1985
Term ended3 December 2001
PredecessorJames William Gleeson
SuccessorPhilip Wilson
Other post(s)Bishop of [ Catholic Diocese of Townsville] (1967–1983)
Orders
Ordination1 January 1950
Consecration28 November 1967
Personal details
Born(1926-12-05)5 December 1926
Died6 May 2018(2018-05-06) (aged 91)
NationalityAustralian

Leonard Anthony Faulkner (5 December 1926 – 6 May 2018) was an Australian Roman Catholic clergyman and the seventh[1] Archbishop of Adelaide. Born in rural South Australia, Faulkner served as an Adelaide parish priest and Bishop of Townsville before being appointed Archbishop of Adelaide in 1985. Upon retiring in 2001, he became Archbishop Emeritus of Adelaide.

Early life

Faulkner was born in Booleroo Centre, South Australia in 1926.[2] The son of a farm labourer and the eldest of ten siblings, Faulkner did not begin to attend school until he was seven years old, as until then he was considered too young to walk the four kilometres from his house to the local school.[3] Faulkner was ordained on New Year's Day, 1950 in Rome, along with twelve other priests from around the world.[4] His first posting was to the parish of Woodville, Seaton, Royal Park and Albert Park in Adelaide, South Australia. He served as a chaplain within the Young Christian Workers movement until his consecration as Bishop of Townsville.[3]

Episcopacy

On 28 November 1967, Faulkner was consecrated as the Bishop of Townsville in Queensland.[2] In 1983 he returned to Adelaide to assist the ailing Archbishop James Gleeson, and in 1985 he was installed as Gleeson's successor.[4] During his tenure as Archbishop, Faulkner declined to live in the bishop's quarters, instead choosing to reside in a plain house in the Adelaide suburb of Netley.

Controversy regarding communal confession

In 1999, Faulkner caused controversy when he defied Vatican pressure to cease the practice of communal confession, wherein a priest may grant absolution without hearing individual confessions.[5] Following a meeting with Australian bishops in late 1998, Pope John Paul II sent a letter to all Australian bishops outlining concerns with the relaxed nature of Australian Catholicism. In particular, he formally requested that the bishops eliminate the use of communal confession.[6] While the dioceses of most other capital cities in the country abandoned the practice, Faulkner refused, allowing communal confession during Lent of 1999.[5][7] In June 1999, Faulkner sent a pastoral message to all parishes in the Archdiocese of Adelaide allowing communal confession, but requiring prior approval from the Archbishop.[8] This made Adelaide one of the few places in Australia where communal confession was still practised.[8]

Retirement

In November 2000, Pope John Paul II appointed the Bishop of Wollongong, Philip Wilson to the position of coadjutor Archbishop of Adelaide, in doing so naming him as Faulkner's successor.[9] On 3 December 2001, two days before his seventy-fifth birthday, Faulkner retired as Archbishop, and Wilson was installed as his successor.[10] As a retired Archbishop, Faulkner retained the title of Archbishop Emeritus. An autobiographical book based on his edited memories, A Listening Ministry, appeared in 2016.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Archdiocese of Adelaide - History". Archdiocese of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b Schriever, Jordanna (12 November 2007). "Archbishop to mark 40 years as `shepherd'". The Adelaide Advertiser. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ a b Harris, Samela (6 January 2000). "A love of life". The Adelaide Advertiser. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ a b King, Melissa (20 January 2000). "Golden age for a man and his church". The Adelaide Advertiser. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ a b Abraham, Matthew (1 March 1999). "Papal police get confession under duress". The Australian. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ Abraham, Matthew (20 March 1999). "Vatican talks tough on Easter confession". The Australian. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  7. ^ Fowler, Andrew (8 March 2009). "The Vatican's Verdict". Four Corners. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  8. ^ a b Abraham, Matthew (2 June 1999). "Parishes told third rite is all right". The Australian. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ James, Colin (1 December 2000). "Pope appoints Adelaide's new Archbishop". The Adelaide Advertiser. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  10. ^ Harris, Samela (4 December 2001). "Man of people shares welcome mass with 7000". The Adelaide Advertiser. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  11. ^ M. Costigan, Review of A Listening Ministry, Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society 37 (2), 2016, 261-265.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Archbishop of Adelaide
1985 — 2001
Succeeded by