Philip Pocock

Philip Francis Pocock (2 July 1906 – 6 September 1984) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto from 1971 to 1978.

For other uses, see Philip Pocock (disambiguation).

Early years

Born St. Thomas, Ontario, and studied at St. Peter's Seminary, London, Ontario. In 1933 he left his parish to study canon law in Rome (graduating with a doctorate in canon law from the Angelicum University in 1934). He was ordained a priest in 1930 and became a professor at St. Peter's Seminary in London, Ontario, teaching moral theology and canon law.

He was appointed Bishop of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1944 and Apostolic Administrator of Winnipeg and Titular Archbishop of Aprus in 1951. The following year he succeeded as Archbishop of Winnipeg.

Later years

In 1961, Pocock left Winnipeg and became Coadjutor Archbishop of Toronto and Titular Archbishop of Isauropolis to assist the then ailing archbishop, Cardinal James Charles McGuigan.

He succeeded as Archbishop of Toronto in 1971 and served until he resigned in 1978.

Return to parish work

He resigned as archbishop in 1978 and returned to life as a parish priest at St Mary's Parish in Brampton, Ontario. At St. Mary's, Pocock remained active as a priest, celebrating mass, confirmations, and visiting a senior citizens' home. He was later given the title of Archbishop Emeritus of Toronto.

He died on September 6, 1984 and was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Thornhill, Ontario.

Legacy

During his time as archbishop, Pocock established several institutions and charities:

  • Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and the Senate of Priests
  • improved Catholic education standards
  • create Sharelife - replacing the Council of Catholic Charities due to opposition to United Way's support of Planned Parenthood clinics
  • lobbying for legislation against pornography
  • encouraging interfaith relations and activities

He encouraged the laity to become involved in church decisions, the liturgy, and charitable works. He helped consecrate two auxiliary bishops; Thomas B. Fulton and Aloysius Ambrozic, with the latter becoming archbishop of the diocese.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Gerald C. Murray		 Bishop of Saskatoon
1944–1951		 Succeeded by
Francis Joseph Klein
Preceded by
Arthur Hughes		 Titular Archbishop of Aprus
1951–1952		 Succeeded by
Antonios Grigorios Voutsinos
Preceded by
Arthur Alfred Sinnott		 Archbishop of Winnipeg
1952–1961		 Succeeded by
George Bernard Flahiff
Preceded by
Jean-Baptiste Urrutia		 Titular Archbishop of Isauropolis
1961–1971		 Vacant
Preceded by
James Charles McGuigan		 Archbishop of Toronto
1971–1978		 Succeeded by
Gerald Emmett Carter
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.