Harry Joseph Flynn | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis | |
_(cropped).jpg) Archbishop Flynn in 2009 | |
| Archdiocese | Saint Paul and Minneapolis |
| Appointed | February 22, 1994 (Coadjutor) |
| Installed | September 8, 1995 |
| Term ended | May 2, 2008 |
| Predecessor | John Roach |
| Successor | John Nienstedt |
| Previous post(s) | Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana 1989 to 1994 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 28, 1960 by William Scully |
| Consecration | June 24, 1986 by Howard James Hubbard,Philip Matthew Hannan,Gerard Louis Frey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1933-05-02)May 2, 1933 Schenectady, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 2019(2019-09-22) (aged 86) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Siena College |
| Motto | Come Lord Jesus |
| Styles of Harry Joseph Flynn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
Harry Joseph Flynn (May 2, 1933 – September 22, 2019) was an Americanprelate of theCatholic Church who served as archbishop of theArchdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from 1995 to 2008. He previously served as bishop of theDiocese of Lafayette from 1989 to 1994.
Harry Flynn was born inSchenectady, New York, on May 3, 1933, to William and Margaret Mahoney Flynn. Orphaned when he was age 12, he was primarily raised primarily by two aunts.[1] Flynn attended fromSiena College in Loudonville, New York, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in English. He then attendedMount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland,
Flynn wasordained to the priesthood by BishopWilliam Scully on May 18, 1960, for theDiocese of Albany.[2] After his ordination, Flynn taught English atCatholic Central High School in Troy, New York and held pastoral positions in several parishes. In 1965, Flynn went to Maryland to become a faculty member and dean at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary. Flynn was promoted to vice-rector in 1968 and rector in 1970.[3] After returned to Albany in 1979, he was appointed director of clergy continuing education and as pastor of St. Ambrose Parish inLatham, New York.[3]
One day in 1986, Flynn's secretary inAlbany, New York, received a phone call from thepapal nuncio for the United States. When she told Flynn to call him back, he realized that the pope was going to appoint him as a bishop. In an attempt to dodge the conversation with the nuncio, Flynn drove to a family cabin onShroon Lake in New York. CardinalJohn O'Connor sent aNew York state trooper to bring Flynn back to Albany to call the papal nuncio.[4] Flynn later remarked "If I had 100 lives, I'd live every one of them as a priest - and none as a bishop!"[5]
Pope John Paul II appointed Flynn ascoadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana on April 19, 1986. BishopHoward Hubbard consecrated Flynn on June 24, 1986.[6] Flynn succeeded BishopGerard Frey, who resigned on May 12, 1989.[7] Following the recommendation of Rev.Thomas P. Doyle, Flynn served under Frey for three years before taking over the position due to the fallout from theGilbert Gauthe child sexual abuse scandal.
However, upon arriving in Lafayette, Doyle referred Flynn to local lawyer Ray Mouton, an expert in the Gauthe case, to discuss the scandal and explore ways to support victims. Mouton later claimed that Flynn never contacted him. Another local lawyer, Anthony Fontana, reached out to Flynn regarding a different priest accused of sexual abuse, Gilbert Dutel. Flynn responded by saying that Dutel had been "cured" and that he needed to keep him due to a priest shortage.
Flynn recruited Sister Bartholomew DeRouen to speak with the parents of the children abused by Gauthe. He later testified that he felt uncomfortable meeting with the families himself and believed that a woman could communicate more effectively. However, Flynn did not provide DeRouen with the names of the victims, so she had to find them on her own.
Additionally, Flynn reportedly told a parent of a child molested by Gauthe that the Church was wrong to keep Gauthe in ministry and that it had mishandled the situation, but there was nothing he could do about it.[8]
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On February 22, 1994, Flynn was appointed by John Paul II as thecoadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. He became archbishop on September 8, 1995, upon the resignation of ArchbishopJohn Robert Roach.[9]
In 1996, Flynn testified in asexual abuse lawsuit brought against the archdiocese by Dale Scheffler. The plaintiff claimed that he had been sexually abused by Robert Kapoun, an archdiocese priest, in the 1970s and 1980s, and that the archdiocese had covered up his alleged crimes. During the trial, Kapoun admitted to abusing three boys, and records revealed that the archdiocese had made secret settlements to other victims of Kapoun. When questioned in court, Flynn could not recall any details of the case.[10] Although Scheffler won the case, it was overturned on appeal. Flynn only removed Kapoun from the ministry after the court case had started, and the archdiocese subsequently sent Scheffler a bill for its legal costs.[11]
In 2002, Flynn led the committee at theUS Conference of Catholic Bishops that wrote the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" and the "Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons". These two documents would set policy in the United States for dealing with sexual abuse allegations against priests, deacons and other clergy, with the notable exception of bishops.[12]
In May 2005, Flynn publicly criticizedMinnesota GovernorTim Pawlenty in theStar Tribune for what he perceived as irresponsible tax policies.[13] Flynn was an outspoken opponent of thewar in Iraq.[14]
After serving as archbishop for 12 years, Flynn requested that the pope assign him a coadjutor archbishop. On April 24, 2007,Pope Benedict XVI appointed BishopJohn Nienstedt as Flynn's coadjutor.[15]
In January 2008, Flynn, citing a Vatican instruction from 2004, ordered an end to the practice oflay preaching at Mass. He said:
"There has to be that kind of training and theological background that even a person with a master's degree in theology would not have. The church does not want people just standing up there and giving opinions or even things they've read in books."[16]
On May 5, 2008,Pope Benedict XVI accepted Flynn's resignation and Nienstedt succeeded him as archbishop.[17][18] Flynn continued to assist in the archdiocese after his retirement, administeringconfirmations, leading retreats, and other liturgies.
In November 2010, theLittle Sisters of the Poor honored Flynn with their St. Jeanne Jugan Award on the 50th anniversary of his ordination.[19] He resigned from the board of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul on October 14, 2013.[20] Harry Flynn died on September 22, 2019, frombone cancer inSaint Paul, Minnesota at the age of 86.[21] He was buried atResurrection Cemetery.[22]
In a 1996 pastoral letter titled "Abortion and a Failure of Community", Flynn talked about the need to provide support to pregnant women who choose not terminate their pregnancy with anabortion.[24] He said:
I want our local church to say loudly and clearly: "No woman should feel so alone that abortion seems her only alternative. No man need feel so trapped or fearful that he believes there is no other answer." I want us to be able to say to any woman: "Come to any Catholic parish in this archdiocese and you will find help."[24]
On September 12, 2003, Flynn released a pastoral letter titledIn God's Image, in which he called for the parishes in the archdiocese to work on endingracism and promote diversity and harmony, and in so doing, to makeGod's love more present to the rest of the world[25][9] He said:
Racism is a serious moral evil. It is a sin. This has been the clear message from the moral teaching of the Church. Both the Scriptures and contemporary Church teaching help us to understand why racism is such a serious violation of God's will.[25]
In 2005, Flynn sent a letter to theRainbow Sash Alliance telling them that anyone wearing a rainbow sash to church in the archdiocese would be denied communion.[26] He said:
"The criterion for reception of the Eucharist is the same for all – recipients must be in a state of Grace and free from Mortal sin. While the decision for that judgment rests with an individual Catholic's conscience, it has never been nor is it now acceptable for a communicant to use the reception of Communion as an act of protest."[26]
In 2009, theUniversity of St. Thomas renamed Selby Hall to Flynn Hall to recognize Flynn.[27]
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| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis 1995–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana 1986–1995 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
