Brendan O'Brien (bishop)

The Most Reverend Brendan Michael O'Brien
Archbishop of Kingston
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Kingston
In office	June 3, 2007—present
Predecessor	Anthony Giroux Meagher
Successor	incumbent
Orders
Ordination	June 1, 1968
Personal details
Born	September 28, 1943 Ottawa, Ontario
Previous post	Bishop of Pembroke, Archbishop of St. John's
Coat of arms

Styles of Brendan Michael O'Brien
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Grace
Religious style	Archbishop

Brendan Michael O'Brien (born September 28, 1943) is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Kingston, having previously served as Archbishop of St. John's and Bishop of Pembroke.

Early life and ministry

Brendan Michael O'Brien was born in Ottawa, the oldest of the seven children of Redmond and Margaret (née Foran) O'Brien. He attended the University of Ottawa and St. Paul University, from where he earned his licentiates in philosophy and theology, before being ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 1968 at St George's Church (Ottawa).

Father O'Brien then did pastoral work in Ottawa and served as Co-Director of the Diocesan Synod. In 1971 he went to Rome, where he studied at the Pontifical Lateran University's Accademia Alfonsianum, from which he obtained a doctorate in moral theology. O'Brien, upon his return to Canada in 1975, taught at his alma mater of St. Paul University and served as pastor of an Ottawa parish.

Episcopate

On May 6, 1987, O'Brien was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa and Titular Bishop of Numana by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 29 from Archbishop Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, with Bishops John Beahen and Gilles Bélisle serving as co-consecrators. O'Brien was later named Bishop of Pembroke on May 5, 1993, and Archbishop of St. John's on December 4, 2000.

Pope Benedict XVI, on June 3, 2007, named O'Brien to succeed the late Anthony G. Meagher as Archbishop of Kingston. O'Brien's installation as Kingston's ordinary took place on July 25, 2007.

Same-sex marriages

In 2003 Archbishop O'Brien censured a Newfoundland priest for supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage.^[1] The Canadian cleric spoke again on the matter of same-sex marriage in 2006, when he criticized Prime Minister Paul Martin for suggesting to remove the notwithstanding clause from the Constitution.^[2]

Trivia

• He was once State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus in Ontario.
• From 2003 to 2005, he was President of the Canadian Episcopal Conference, of which he currently sits on the Social Affairs Commission.

References

1. CBC News. Archbishop censures priest on same-sex sermon August 18, 2003
2. LifeSite. Archbishop Criticizes PM Martin for Threat to Remove Notwithstanding Clause January 10, 2006

External links

• Archdiocese of St. John's