Keeler, William Heinrich

Early life and priestly ministry

William Heinrich Keeler was born March 4, 1931 in San Antonio , Texas , the son of Thomas Keeler and Margaret (nee Conway) Keeler. Soon the family moved to Lebanon, Pennsylvania , where Keeler attended the Virgin Mary School and the Lebanese Catholic School. He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and reached the title of Eagle Scout.

Keeler received a bachelor's degree from St. Carlo Borromeo Seminary in Winnwood, Pennsylvania, in 1952 . While studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome , he was ordained a priest on July 17, 1955 by Luigi Traglia - the titular archbishop of Cesarea di Palestine, the vice-viceroy of Rome.

He received both degrees in licentiated sacred theology ( 1956 ) and a doctor of canon law ( 1961 ) from the Pontifical Gregorian University, and after performing pastoral and curiae work in the Harrisburg Diocese (secretary of the diocesan tribunal), he served as a peritus or expert, and Secretary of Bishop George Lich at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) . Later he continued his pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Harrisburg - the protector of marriage bonds, from 1965 Vice-Chancellor and later Chancellor of the Diocesan Curia.

On November 9, 1965, Keeler was promoted to the rank of Chaplain of His Holiness , and then, on May 8, 1970 , became the Honorary Prelate of His Holiness .

Bishop

On July 24, 1979 , Keeler was appointed auxiliary Bishop of Harrisburg and a Titular Bishop of Ulcinium. He received his episcopal consecration on September 21 , at St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Harrisburg . He was ordained by Bishop Joseph Daley - Bishop of Harrisburg, with Francis Gossman - Bishop of Raleigh and Martin Lomuller - Titular Bishop of Ramsbiria, ancillary Bishop of Philadelphia acting as co-secretaries. Keeler took his episcopal motto: Opus Fac Evangeliste (" At the work of the Evangelist "). On November 10, 1983, he was named Seventh Bishop of Harrisburg, and then, on April 11, 1989 , the fourteenth Metropolitan Archbishop of Baltimore . As the archbishop of Baltimore, Keeler was the head of the oldest American diocese and the de facto Primate of the United States .

He was elected chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the United States of America in November 1992 . He was elected vice-chairman of the conference in November 1989 , when he hosted the bicentennial celebration of the foundation of the diocese of Baltimore. He is also Chairman of the Maryland Catholic Conference, Chairman of the Board and Chancellor of St. Mary’s Seminary and University of Baltimore, as well as Mount St. Mary’s University.

Although the chairman of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of the United States of America, Archbishop Keeler, chaired the World Youth Day in 1993 in Denver , Colorado .

Keeler developed the reputation of effectively building interfaith ties, in particular for further Catholic-Jewish dialogue, and acts as a moderator of Catholic-Jewish relations for the USCCB . As chairman of the US Bishops Committee on Ecumenical and Interfaith Cases from 1984 to 1987 , he helped organize the Pope’s meetings with Jewish leaders in Miami and Protestant leaders in Columbia , South Carolina .

Cardinal

Keeler was elevated to the rank of cardinal priest with the title of the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri by Pope John Paul II at the consistory on November 26, 1994 . He was appointed to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity in the summer of 1994 and the Congregation for the Affairs of the Eastern Churches in November 1994 . From 1998 to 2001, and again from November 2003 , he served as Chairman of the Committee for Action “In Defense of Life” . Keeler was one of the electoral cardinals who participated in the 2005 Papal Conclave . Cardinal Keeler retained the right to participate in any future Papal Conclaves, which could begin before his 80th birthday on March 4, 2011 .

One of the priorities of Keeler was to strengthen the Catholic school system. .

Pope Benedict XVI accepted Cardinal Keeler’s resignation on July 12, 2007 , when it was announced that Edwin O'Brien was appointed to inherit Keeler as Archbishop of Baltimore. ^[2]

On March 4, 2011, Cardinal Keeler turned 80 and lost the right to participate in the Conclaves .

He died on March 23, 2017 ^[3] .

Eagle Scout Keeler is the recipient of the Silver Beaver Awards, the Silver Antelope and the Outstanding Eagle Scout of the Boy Scouts of America. ^[four]

He received honorary degrees from the Lebanese Valley College, Gettysburg College, Susquehanna University and Gannon University.

On embryonic stem cell research

As chairman of the United States Bishops Committee on Life Protection , he criticized Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist ’s statement that he would support federal-funded stem cell research, which requires the destruction of human embryos. ^[five]

On ecumenism

At the annual general meeting of the National Council of Churches, he assured the delegates that the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope are firmly ecumenical. ^[6]

Terry Schiavo case

Cardinal Keeler mourned the death of Terri Schiavo , who died after a controversial legal struggle for the right of her relatives to turn off her artificial food apparatus. ^[7]

• Archdiocese of Baltimore
• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Queen
• Coat of arms of Cardinal William Heinrich Keeler