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Harry Joseph Flynn

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His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Harry Joseph Flynn
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Archbishop Flynn in 2009
ArchdioceseSaint Paul and Minneapolis
AppointedFebruary 22, 1994 (Coadjutor)
InstalledSeptember 8, 1995
Term endedMay 2, 2008
PredecessorJohn Roach
SuccessorJohn Nienstedt
Previous post(s)Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana
1989 to 1994
Orders
OrdinationMay 28, 1960
by William Scully
ConsecrationJune 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.
DiedSeptember 22, 2019(2019-09-22) (aged 86)
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Alma materSiena College
MottoCome Lord Jesus
Styles of
Harry Joseph Flynn
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleArchbishop

Harry Joseph Flynn (May 2, 1933 – September 22, 2019) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from 1995 to 2008. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette from 1989 to 1994.

Biography

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Early life

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Harry Flynn was born in Schenectady, 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 from Siena College in Loudonville, New York, earning bachelor and master degrees in English. He then attended Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland,

Priesthood

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Flynn was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop William Scully on May 18, 1960 for the Diocese of Albany.[2] After his ordination, Flynn taught English at Catholic 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 in Latham, New York.[3]

One day in 1986, Flynn's secretary in Albany, New York, received a phone call from the papal 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 on Shroon Lake in New York. Cardinal John O'Connor sent a New 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]

Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana

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Pope John Paul II appointed Flynn as coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana on April 19, 1986. Flynn was consecrated by Bishop Howard Hubbard on June 24, 1986.[6] Flynn succeed Bishop Gerard Frey when he resigned on May 12, 1989.[7]

Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

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Flynn celebrating Mass in 2004, with Michael Izen serving as deacon (right)

On February 22, 1994, Flynn was appointed by John Paul II as the coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. He became archbishop on September 8, 1995, with the resignation of Archbishop John Robert Roach.[8]

In 1996, Flynn testified in a sexual 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 1970's and 1980's, and that the archdiocese had covered up his alleged crimes. On trial, Kapoun admitted to abusing three boys and records showed that the archdiocese had made secret settlements to other victims of Kapoun. When questioned in court, Flynn could not recall any detail on the case. Scheffler won the case, but it was overturned on appeal. Flynn only removed Kapoun from ministry when the court case started. The archdiocese sent Scheffler a bill for its legal costs.[9]

In 2002, Flynn led the committee at the US 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.[10]

In May 2005, Flynn publicly criticized Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty in the Star Tribune for what he perceived as irresponsible tax policies. Flynn was an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq. [citation needed]

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 Bishop John Nienstedt as Flynn's coadjutor.[citation needed]

In January 2008, Flynn, citing a Vatican instruction from 2004, ordered an end to the practice of lay 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."[11]

Retirement

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On May 5, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Flynn's resignation and Nienstedt succeeded him as archbishop.[12][13] Flynn continued to assist in the archdiocese after his retirement, administering confirmations, leading retreats, and other liturgies.

In November 2010, the Little Sisters of the Poor honored Flynn with their St. Jeanne Jugan Award on the 50th anniversary of his ordination.[14] He resigned from the board of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul on October 14, 2013.[15] Harry Flynn died on September 22, 2019, from bone cancer in Saint Paul, Minnesota at the age of 86.[16]

Appointments

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Viewpoints

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Abortion

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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 an abortion.[18] 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."[18]

Racism

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On September 12, 2003, Flynn released a pastoral letter titled In God's Image, in which he called for the parishes in the archdiocese to work on ending racism and promote diversity and harmony, and in so doing, to make God's love more present to the rest of the world [19][8] 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.[19]

LGBT rights

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In 2005, Flynn sent a letter to the Rainbow Sash Alliance telling them that anyone wearing a rainbow sash to church in the archdiocese would be denied communion.[20] 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."[20]

Legacy

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In 2009, the University of St. Thomas renamed Selby Hall to Flynn Hall to recognize Flynn.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Obituary for Archbishop Harry J. Flynn". TheCatholicSpirit.com. September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  2. ^ "Meet Archbishop Flynn". Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Archived from the original on February 23, 2008. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
  3. ^ a b "Most Reverend Harry Joseph Flynn, Retired Archbishop, Dies at Age 86". Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. September 23, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  4. ^ "Retired Archbishop Flynn stressed prayer, people". TheCatholicSpirit.com. September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  5. ^ "The priest as an image of Christ". TheCatholicSpirit.com. January 11, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  6. ^ "Bishop Harry Flynn". Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana.
  7. ^ Goodstein, Laurie (June 22, 2003). "Healer Bishops Are Sent to Ease Churches' Pain". New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Harry J., Flynn (September 12, 2003). "In God's Image" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
  9. ^ Radio, Minnesota Public; Baran, Madeleine. "For abusive priest, retirement income came with a premium". Minnesota Public Radio News. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  10. ^ CNA. "McCarrick, the bishops, and unanswered questions". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  11. ^ Wiering, Maria (May 13, 2008). "Directive from Archbishop Flynn ends lay preaching at Mass". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  12. ^ Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 02.05.2008, Rinunce e nomine, Rinuncia e successione dell'Arcivescovo di St. Paul and Minneapolis (U.S.A.)[permanent dead link‍] (in Italian)
  13. ^ Archdiocesan Website Archived January 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "Little Sisters of the Poor honor Archbishop Harry Flynn with award". The Catholic Spirit. November 3, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  15. ^ Roewe, Brian (November 4, 2013). "St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese faces clamor for leadership change". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  16. ^ "Archbishop Harry Flynn dies at 86". Catholic News Agency. September 23, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Dillon, Sam (April 20, 2002). "Bishops Replace Head of Sexual Abuse Panel and Name New Members". New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  18. ^ a b "Abortion and a Failure of Community". Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. October 6, 1996. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  19. ^ a b "In God's Image: Pastoral Letter on Racism". Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. September 12, 2003. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  20. ^ a b CNA. "Archbishop Flynn will not allow communion to become 'battleground'". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  21. ^ "Flynn Hall – Residence Life – University of St. Thomas – Minnesota". Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
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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
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