James Darcy Freeman

Sir James Darcy Freeman KBE (19 November 1907 – 16 March 1991) was an Australian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Freeman was the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney and Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia. He was ordained a priest of the Sydney archdiocese on 13 July 1930, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney on 9 December 1956 and ordained Titular Bishop of Hermopolis. In 1973 he was elevated to the cardinalate.

Sir James Freeman KBE
6th Catholic Archbishop of Sydney
Church	St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
Archdiocese	Sydney
In office	9 July 1971 – 12 February 1983
Predecessor	Norman Thomas Gilroy
Successor	Edward Bede Clancy
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia mare
Orders
Ordination	13 July 1930 by Bartolomeo Cattaneo
Consecration	9 December 1956 by Norman Thomas Cardinal Gilroy
Created cardinal	5 March 1973 by Paul VI
Personal details
Birth name	James Darcy Freeman
Born	19 November 1907 Annandale, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died	16 March 1991 (aged 83) Lewisham, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Buried	Crypt of St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
Nationality	Australian
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Occupation	Prelate
Education	Sisters of Charity, Elizabeth Bay St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney
Alma mater	St Columba's, Springwood St Patrick's Seminary, Manly Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda Fide
Motto	Per ipsum ipsa duce With Him, under her leadership[1]

Styles of James Freeman
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Sydney

Early life and priesthood

Freeman was born on 19 November 1907 in Annandale, to Robert Freeman, a tramway driver and his wife Margaret Smith. He was educated at the Sisters of Charity, Elizabeth Bay, and the St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney where he was regarded as a good student who enjoyed literature, music and sport.

He attended seminary at St Columba's Springwood and St Patrick's Seminary Manly; and furthered his studies at the Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda Fide, Rome.[1] He was ordained on 13 July 1930 by Archbishop Bartolomeo Cattaneo and incardinated in the Archdiocese of Sydney.[2]

He served as an assistant priest in Grafton, Murwillumbah, Strathfield, Mosman and at St Mary's Cathedral. From 1941 - 1946 he became the private secretary to the archbishop and chaplain to the Christian Brothers College of St Patrick's College, Strathfield. He also served as administrator of Haymarket parish and parish priest of Stanmore.

Episcopate

Freeman was elected in partibus infidelium as Bishop of Hermopolis and auxiliary of Sydney on 9 December 1956. He was consecrated on 24 January 1957 at St Mary's Cathedral by Cardinal Norman Gilroy and spent twelve years as a loyal auxiliary to the man he has served as secretary. In October 1969 he was appointed Bishop of Armidale for 3 years after the death of Bishop Doody in 1968. He led the celebrations of the centenary of the Armidale Diocese, 1869 to 1969. [3]

On the retirement of Norman Thomas Gilroy in July 1971, Freeman's appointment as Archbishop of Sydney was announced.

Freeman participated in the elections of Pope John Paul I and Pope John Paul II in Rome in 1978.

Cardinalate and character

On 5 March 1973 Freeman was appointed Cardinal Priest of the Title of Our Lady of Peace of Ostia by Pope Paul VI. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1977.[4]

In May 2016, to mark the 25th anniversary of his death, his former secretary, Peter Ingham preached at an anniversary Mass, recalling "the widespread honour, affection and respect with which he was held in the communities where he was known." He further recalled that he sometimes called him "'the reluctant cardinal' – he never sought honours yet they came to him anyway."[5]

Retirement and death

Freeman retired as Archbishop of Sydney on 12 February 1983, to St John Vianney Villa, Randwick. He died on 16 March 1991 at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, at the age of 83 and was buried in the crypt of St Mary's Cathedral.[1]

Legacy

Freeman is the Patron of the Freeman Catholic College at Bonnyrigg Heights, which opened in 1985 and has a student population of 1,220 and a teaching and support staff of 114. In 1987, the Cardinal Freeman Centre was established at Granville as part of the St Vincent de Paul Society to provide accommodation and support for the homeless men in the western suburbs of Sydney who have been affected by drug- and alcohol-related problems. The Cardinal Freeman Village in Ashfield is a retirement home providing accommodation to 380 people. Freeman House in Armidale, continues in honour of his time and service in the diocese of Armidale. [6]

Protection of pedophile priest

In 2016, Freeman and Sydney auxiliary bishop Edward Kelly were faulted for shielding "predator priest" Roger Flaherty from potential prosecution when he was sexually abusing three altar boys in the 1970s and 1980s.[7] Flaherty had pleaded guilty to the abuse in September 2015 and was later sentenced to two years and two weeks in prison in February 2016.[7] However, Flaherty's advanced age and poor health made him eligible for parole six months into his sentence.[7]

References

1. Cullen, Michael P. (2014). "Freeman, Sir James Darcy (Jimmy) (1907–1991)" (published online 2014). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
2. Cheney, David M. (28 April 2018). "James Darcy Cardinal Freeman". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
3. http://armidale.catholic.org.au/previous-bishops/
4. "FREEMAN, James Darcy: The Order of the British Empire - Knights Commander (Civil) (Imperial)". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 11 June 1977. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
5. Ingham, Peter (18 May 2016). "Remembering Cardinal James Freeman". The Catholic Weekly. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
6. https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Find_Help/NSW/Housing/Freeman_House_-_Armidale/
7. https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/paedophile-catholic-priest-aged-72-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison-20160225-gn3bq7.html

External links

• "Honour shared by all: 12 October 2003" The Catholic Weekly Online. Accessed 23 May 2008.
• "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Sydney" GCatholic.org. Accessed 23 May 2008.
• "Bishops of Australia". AustOceaniaBishops.org Accessed 23 May 2008.
• "Archdiocese of Sydney". Sydney.Catholic.org.au. Accessed 23 May 2008.
• "Patron His Eminence Cardinal Sir James Freeman". Freeman Catholic College Web Site Accessed 23 May 2008.
• "Cardinal Freeman Village". Aevum Limited Accessed 23 May 2008.
• "Cardinal Freeman Centre" St Vincent de Paul Society Accessed 23 May 2008.