Humberto Sousa Medeiros

Humberto Sousa Medeiros Template:Post-nominals (October 6, 1915 – September 17, 1983) was a Portuguese-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of Boston in Massachusetts from 1970 until his death in 1983, and was created a cardinal in 1973. Medeiros previously serve as bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville in Texas from 1966 to 1970.

An ecclesiastical conservative, Medeiros was considered a champion of the immigrant worker, the poor and minorities.<ref name="nyt">Template:Cite news</ref> Medeiros was an outspoken opponent of capitalism, denouncing an economic system that "considers profit the key motive for economic progress, competition the maximum law of economics, and private ownership of the means of production an absolute right that carries no corresponding social obligations."<ref name="change" /> His appointment as Archbishop of Boston was controversial among Irish Catholics, who viewed the Portuguese as "third-class Catholics".<ref name="Lukas"></ref> The protests against the new Archbishop included vandalism against the local Catholic institutions and a burning cross on the lawn of the diocese's chancery.<ref name="Lukas" />

Medeiros criticized the American involvement in the Vietnam War and condemned the bombing of Hanoi in a 1972 Christmas homily.<ref name="redhat">Template:Cite magazine</ref>He strongly supported integration in the United States, but did not support the desegregation efforts via busing. He refused to let parents enroll their children in parochial schools as a means of avoiding it.<ref name="feeny2">Template:Cite magazine (Also available from EBSCOhost)</ref> His policies on the topic of sexual abuse were controversial. Medeiros transferred John Geoghan from parish to parish, despite multiple credible accusations of sexual abuse by Geoghan.<ref>Podles, Leon J. Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church. Baltimore, MD: Crossland Press, 2008. 148-149.</ref> He personally knew of dozens of sexual abuse accusations against Paul Shanley.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life

Humberto Sousa Medeiros was born on October 6, 1915, in the civil parish of Arrifes, on the island of São Miguel, Azores, a part of Portugal, to Antonio Medeiros and Maria de Jesus Sousa Massa Flor. He was baptized in the parish of Nossa Senhora da Saúde on November 1, 1915. His father raised vegetables and ran a small variety store. In 1931, the Medeiros family emigrated to the United States, settling in Fall River, Massachusetts.<ref name=change>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The family attended St. Michael's Parish in Fall River, a national parish for the Portuguese.<ref name="nyt" />

Forced to leave school at age 16, Humberto swept floors in a local textile mill for 62 cents a day, studying English in his spare time. He was able to return to school in 1935, when his younger brothers became old enough to work to support the family. After graduating first in his class from B.M.C. Durfee High School Fall River in 1937, he went to Washington, D.C. to attend the the Catholic University of America.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He became a naturalized American citizen<ref name=nyt/> and obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in 1942 and a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1946.<ref name=change/>

Priesthood

Medeiros was ordained to the priesthood in Fall River by Bishop James Edwin Cassidy on June 15, 1946.<ref name=hierarchy>Template:Cite news</ref> After his ordination, the diocese assigned Medeiros as an assistant pastor at St. John of God Parish in Somerset, Massachusetts.<ref>St. John of God Church, Somerset, Massachusetts</ref> In 1949, he returned to Catholic University to pursue his doctoral studies. He earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1952.<ref name=change/>

After returning to Fall River, Medeiros was assigned to Holy Name Parish in Fall River and named assistant chancellor of the diocese. He later served as vicar for religious, vice-chancellor, and finally chancellor. The Vatican elevated him to the title of monsignor in 1958. Medeiros was named pastor of St. Michael's Parish in 1960.

Episcopal ministry

Bishop of Brownsville

On April 14, 1966, Medeiros was appointed bishop of Brownsville by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal ordination on June 9, 1966, from Bishop James Louis Connolly, with bishops James Joseph Gerrard and Gerald Vincent McDevitt serving as co-consecrators, at St. Mary's Cathedral in Fall River.<ref name=hierarchy/>

Medeiros' appointment to Brownsville came at the time of a threatened farm workers' strike.<ref name=change/> Many of the lay faithful of the diocese were Mexican-American migrant workers. At the beginning of his tenure as bishop, Medeiros sold the episcopal limousine and converted most of the episcopal residence into a dormitory for visiting priests. He frequently traveled with migrant workers to celebrate mass in the fields during the harvest season.<ref name="change" /> Medeiros spent Christmas and Easter visiting prisoners in Texas jails.<ref name="nyt" /> He also served as the chaplain of the Texas state council of the Knights of Columbus.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Archbishop of Boston

Medeiros was appointed archbishop of Boston on September 8, 1970. He was installed on October 7th, 1970.<ref name=hierarchy/> The appointment of Medeiros, a Portuguese-American, surprised Irish Catholics in Boston, as they had long dominated the local clergy. Some Irish Catholics in Boston considered the Portuguese to be "third-class Catholics".<ref name=Lukas>Template:Cite book</ref> In the days leading up to and following Medeiros' arrival, local Catholic institutions were targeted by vandals. In one instance a cross was burned on the lawn of the diocese's chancery.<ref name=Lukas/>

Pope Paul VI created Medeiros as cardinal priest of the Church of Santa Susanna in Rome during the consistory of March 5, 1973.<ref name="hierarchy" /> Medeiros in 1974 pleaded with the Vatican to lift the excommunication of Reverend Leonard Feeney, who disobeyed church authority and took a strict interpretation of the doctrine of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus.<ref name="feeny">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Medeiros served as a special papal envoy to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal in May 1977.<ref name=cardinals>Template:Cite news</ref>He participated in the conclaves of August and October 1978, that selected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II, respectively.

Medeiros transferred Reverend John Geoghan from parish to parish despite multiple credible accusations of sexual abuse.<ref>Podles, Leon J. Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church. Baltimore, MD: Crossland Press, 2008. 148-149.</ref> He knew of dozens of sexual abuse accusations against Paul Shanley.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Death

Medeiros died on September 17, 1983, from heart failure during open heart surgery in Boston, at age 67.<ref name="nyt"></ref> He was interred by request with his parents in Saint Patrick's Cemetery in Fall River. Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis described Medeiros as a "gentle, compassionate man".Template:Citation needed

Legacy

• The Cardinal Medeiros Towers is a federal housing development for the elderly and disabled in Fall River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Cardinal Medeiros Residence for retired priests is located in Fall River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Cardinal Medeiros Trust fund was created in 1981 by the Texas Knights of Columbus State Council Charities to provide educational grants to families of Knights.
• Boston College named the freshman honors dormitory "Medeiros" in his honor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Cardinal Medeiros Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is named after him.
• The main auditorium of the Catholic University of Portugal's campus in Lisbon is named in his honor.
• A statue on his honor was inaugurated in his home parish of Arrifes on 10 June 2000, at the Portugal Day.

Viewpoints

Abortion

In 1971, Medeiros described abortion as "the new barbarism".<ref name="abortion">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1974, Medeiros refused to allow the baptism in the archdiocese of the child of a Marlboro, Massachusetts, woman who supported the establishment of an abortion-information clinic.<ref name="morreale">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Before the primaries for the 1980 US congressional elections, Medeiros issued a pastoral letter that stated, "Those who make abortion possible by law cannot separate themselves from the guilt which accompanies this horrendous crime and deadly sin."<ref name="house">Template:Cite magazine</ref> His words were considered to be directed at pro-choice candidates for congress James Michael Shannon and Barney Frank. Medeiros was criticized by some as violating the separation of church and state.

Capitalism

Medeiros' pastoral letter "Man's Cities, God's Poor" for Boston in 1972 reflected his passion for the poor.

Medeiros was an advocate of workers, supporting their demands for a minimum wage at $1.25 an hour. He also became known as an outspoken opponent of capitalism, denouncing an economic system that "considers profit the key motive for economic progress, competition the maximum law of economics, and private ownership of the means of production an absolute right that carries no corresponding social obligations."<ref name="change" />

Race

Medeiros strongly supported racial integration in the United States, but not desegregation via busing. He refused to let parents enroll their children in parochial schools as a means of avoiding it.<ref name="feeny2" /> In May 1976, he spoke out against the racism in South Boston, but apologized the following week.<ref name="southie">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

War

An opponent of American involvement in the 1965 to 1975 Vietnam War, Medeiros condemned the 1972 bombing of Hanoi in what was then North Vietnam in a 1972 Christmas homily.<ref name="redhat" />

Honors

• File:PRT Order of Christ - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand-Cross of the Order of Christ, Portugal (3 March 1972)
• File:PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand-Cross of the Order of Prince Henry, Portugal (21 May 1972)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville Template:Webarchive
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston