Denis Hart

Last updated


Denis Hart
Archbishop Emeritus of Melbourne
Denishartarchbishop b.jpg
Church Roman Catholic Church
ArchdioceseMelbourne
SeeMelbourne
Appointed22 June 2001
Installed1 August 2001
Term ended29 June 2018
Predecessor George Pell
Successor Peter Comensoli
Orders
Ordination22 July 1967
by Arthur Francis Fox
Consecration9 December 1997
by George Pell
Personal details
Born
Denis James Hart

(1941-05-16) 16 May 1941 (age 82)
East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia]
Residence Saint Patrick's Cathedral
Previous post(s)
Alma mater
MottoConstant in Faith
Ordination history of
Denis Hart
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained by Arthur Francis Fox (Sale)
Date22 July 1967
Place St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecrator George Pell
Co-consecrators Frank Little
Hilton Deakin
Date9 December 1997
Place St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by Denis Hart as principal consecrator
Mark Coleridge 19 June 2002
Christopher Prowse 19 May 2003
Peter Elliott 30 April 2007
Timothy Costelloe 15 June 2007
Les Tomlinson 17 June 2009
Vincent Long Van Nguyen 23 June 2011
Paul Bird 16 October 2012
Terence Curtin 17 December 2014
Mark Stuart Edwards 17 December 2014
Patrick O'Regan 26 February 2015
Styles of
Denis James Hart
Mitre plain 2.png
Reference style The Most Reverend
Spoken style Your Grace or My Lord Archbishop
Religious style Archbishop

Denis James Hart (born 16 May 1941) is a retired Australian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Melbourne from 2001 to 2018.

Contents

Early years and background

Hart was born in East Melbourne, Victoria, the eldest of the three children of Kevin and Annie Hart. He was educated at St John's Marist Brothers in Hawthorn and Xavier College in Kew. He studied for the priesthood at Corpus Christi College from 1960 to 1967.

Ordained at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, in 1967, Hart served as a hospital chaplain, an assistant parish priest and then master of ceremonies at St Patrick's Cathedral. He supervised the preparation of the books used in worship, including the lectionary for Mass. He was liturgy director and assistant master of ceremonies for the 1986 papal visit to Australia. [1] In 1987 Hart became a parish priest and in 1996 he became vicar general and moderator of the archdiocese's curia. He has served in the parishes of North Balwyn, North Richmond and West Brunswick. In 1997, he was consecrated a bishop and made an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. [1]

Archbishop

In 2001, Hart was appointed Archbishop of Melbourne, replacing George Pell who became the Archbishop of Sydney. On 29 June 2001, he received the pallium from Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Square. [1]

Within the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, he was a member of the permanent committee from 2002, chairman of the Bishops' Commission for Administration and Information (2002–2012), member of the Bishops' Commission for Liturgy (1998–2012) and vice president of the conference (2010–2012). He has been chair of the ad hoc committee for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross since 2010. [2] In May 2012, he was elected president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for two years. [3] He has been a member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy since 2003 and its vice president (2010–2014). He took part in the Oceania Synod and ad limina visits in 1998, 2004 and 2011. In 2007, Hart expressed that he was troubled by the remarks of St Patrick's Cathedral priest Geoff Baron. [4]

During 2016, Hart urged schools to be sensitive and respectful to students who want to invite a same-sex date to school dance nights. "These are quite often emotional situations and it's very important that we always have respect for the dignity of the human being involved", he said when Fairfax asked for his response to a previously unreported case at the Academy of Mary Immaculate in Fitzroy. [5]

He was appointed a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. [6]

Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 29 June 2018. [7]

Hart requested a Melbourne parish priest stand down while the priest was investigated by civil authorities for allegedly violating child safety laws. [8]

Controversies

In 2009 during a court case, Hart was accused of having told a woman to "Go to hell, bitch" when she had knocked on his door in the middle of the night in 2004. [9] [10] On the ABC on 14 November 2013, Hart acknowledged making the comment, then immediately asserting that he always followed the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. He apologised for it and described it as unfortunate. [11]

In May 2013, Hart appeared at a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse. He commented, in regard to why it took 18 years to have a priest laicised for sexually abusing children, "Better late than never." [12]

On 15 August 2017, Hart stated that if the law was changed to require clergy to report child sexual abuse learned of during confessionals, he would break the law and not report such abuse. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York</span> Archdiocese of the Catholic Church

The Archdiocese of New York is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the State of New York. It encompasses the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island in New York City and the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester to the north of the city. It does not include the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn or Queens, which are part of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore</span> Archdiocese of the Catholic Church; premier see of the United States

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in northern and Western Maryland in the United States. It is the metropolitan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of Baltimore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Pell</span> Australian Catholic cardinal (1941–2023)

George Pell was an Australian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as the inaugural prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy between 2014 and 2019, and was a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers between 2013 and 2018. Ordained a priest in 1966 and bishop in 1987, he was made a cardinal in 2003. Pell served as the eighth Archbishop of Sydney (2001–2014), the seventh Archbishop of Melbourne (1996–2001) and an auxiliary bishop of Melbourne (1987–1996). He was also an author, columnist and public speaker. From 1996, Pell maintained a high public profile on a wide range of issues, while retaining an adherence to Catholic orthodoxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph</span> Diocese of the Catholic Church

The Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in northwestern Missouri in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona–Rochester</span> Ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in southern Minnesota, United States

The Diocese of Winona–Rochester is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in Southern Minnesota in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne</span> Catholic ecclesiastical territory

The Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin Rite metropolitan archdiocese in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was elevated in 1874 as an archdiocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Melbourne and is the metropolitan for the suffragan dioceses of Sale, Sandhurst, Ballarat, and the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Ss Peter and Paul. The Archdiocese of Hobart is attached to the archdiocese for administrative purposes. St Patrick's Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne, currently Peter Comensoli, who succeeded Denis Hart on 1 August 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Fisher</span> Catholic Archbishop of Sydney

Anthony Colin FisherOP is an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church and a friar of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). Since 12 November 2014, he has been the ninth Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. He served as the third Bishop of Parramatta from 4 March 2010 to 12 November 2014, having previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Shehan</span> Catholic cardinal (1898–1984)

Lawrence Joseph Shehan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland from 1961 to 1974 and was made a cardinal in 1965. Shehan previously served as an auxiliary bishop of Baltimore from 1945 to 1953 as bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport in Connecticut from 1953 to 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Little (bishop)</span> Catholic archbishop of Melbourne, Australia

Sir Thomas Francis Little KBE was an Australian bishop. He was the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne. He was appointed by Pope Paul VI on 1 July 1974 and retired in 1996; he was succeeded by the Most Reverend George Pell. On retirement he was styled Archbishop Emeritus in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that Little had led a culture of secrecy in the Melbourne archdiocese designed to hide complaints against several priests and protect the church's reputation from scandal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide</span> Catholic ecclesiastical territory

The Archdiocese of Adelaide is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Adelaide, South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Australia

The Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church. Its episcopal see is Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba</span> Catholic diocese in Queensland, Australia

The Diocese of Toowoomba is a Latin Rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, established in 1929, covering the Darling Downs and south west regions of Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle</span> Latin Catholic diocese in Australia

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is a suffragan Latin Church diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1847 initially as the Diocese of Maitland and changed to the current name in 1995. The diocese covers the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales in Australia. The bishop of the diocese is Michael Kennedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Wilson (bishop)</span> Australian Roman Catholic archbishop (1950–2021)

Philip Edward Wilson was an Australian Roman Catholic prelate who was the eighth Archbishop of Adelaide from 2001 to 2018. He was President of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference from 2006 to 2010. From 1996 to 2001 Wilson was bishop of the Diocese of Wollongong, where he gained a reputation as a "healing bishop" for handling child-abuse scandals.

The Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Victoria is part of the Catholic clerical sexual abuse in Australia and the much wider Catholic sexual abuse scandal in general, which involves charges, convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. The Catholic Church in Victoria has been implicated in a reported 40 suicides among about 620 sexual abuse victims acknowledged to the public after internal investigations by the Catholic Church in Victoria.

Catholic sexual abuse cases in Australia, like Catholic Church sexual abuse cases elsewhere, have involved convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests, members of religious orders and other personnel which have come to light in recent decades, along with the growing awareness of sexual abuse within other religious and secular institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Anthony Libasci</span> Catholic bishop (born 1951)

Peter Anthony Libasci is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Manchester since 2011. Libasci previously served as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre from 2007 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Costelloe</span> Australian prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1954)

Timothy John Costelloe SDB is an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the ninth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Perth, appointed in February 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Comensoli</span> Catholic archbishop of Melbourne

Peter Andrew Comensoli is an Australian Catholic prelate who was named the ninth Archbishop of Melbourne on 29 June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick O'Regan (bishop)</span>

Patrick Michael O'Regan is a prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been the Archbishop of Adelaide since 25 May 2020. Prior to that, he had been the Bishop of Sale since 2015.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Biography of Archbishop Denis J. Hart". Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. 2010. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  2. "Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Church in Melbourne, Australia Archbishop Biography". www.cam.org.au.
  3. Link text
  4. "Swearing priest suspended". 31 July 2007.
  5. Dobbin-Thomas, Marika (22 January 2016). "Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart gives green light to gay couples at Catholic school formals" via The Age.
  6. "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va.
  7. "Pope replaces Australian prelate who opposes sex abuse norm". uk.news.yahoo.com. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. "Parish priest stood down over child safety concerns". 12 June 2018.
  9. McKenzie, Nick (11 August 2009). "Sex abuse victim told to 'go to hell'". The Age. Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  10. Lauder, Simon (11 August 2009). "Archbishop told abuse victim to 'go to hell': report". AM (ABC radio). Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  11. "Archbishop apologises for Catholic Church's handling of sexual abuse", Lateline, ABC website, 14 November 2013.
  12. "Better late than never", The Australian newspaper.
  13. "Why an archbishop and a priest wouldn't report a confession to police". ABC. 15 August 2017.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Archbishop of Melbourne
2001–2018
Succeeded by