Adrianus Johannes Cardinal Simonis
Encyclopedia
Adrianus Johannes Simonis (born 26 November 1931) is a Dutch
Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Utrecht
from 1983 to 2007, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1985.
, South Holland
, the eldest of eleven children. He studied at the Seminary
of Hageveld from 1945 to 1951, and at the Major Seminary of Warmond
from 1951 to 1957. He was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Martien Jansen on 15 June 1957, and then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Rotterdam
until 1959, serving as curate
at the parish of Saint Victor in Waddinxveen
and later at the parish Holy Martyrs Gorinchem in Rotterdam
.
From 1959 to 1966, he furthered his studies in Rome
at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas and the Pontifical Biblical Institute
, from where he obtained a doctorate
cum laude in biblical exegesis with a thesis
entitled: "Jesus
as the Good Shepherd
in the Gospel of Saint John
". Following his return to the Netherlands, he served as pastor
of the parish of Blessed Sacrament in The Hague
(1966–1970) and chaplain
in the Red Cross Hospital. He became a canon
of the cathedral
chapter
of Rotterdam in March 1969.
He was named Bishop of Rotterdam
on 29 December 1970. The appointment of a conservative priest as a bishop in the then staunchly progressive Dutch Catholic Church caused a lot of turmoil, and Simonis had to devote himself to promoting harmony
and unity in his community. Simonis became Archbishop of Utrecht
on 3 December 1983. A former president of the Dutch Bishops' Conference, Simonis was a major supporter of the Pope John Paul II's eventful visit to the Netherlands in 1985.
He was elevated to the College of Cardinals
during the Consistory
of 25 May 1985, as Cardinal-Priest of Basilica of San Clemente, making him the seventh cardinal of the Dutch Church. He is a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
, and of the Congregation for Catholic Education
and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
. He will hold these memberships until his 80th birthday on 26 November 2011.
Cardinal Simonis was one of the cardinal electors
who participated in the 2005 papal conclave
that selected Pope Benedict XVI
.
Cardinal Simonis sent his letter of resignation as Archbishop of Utrecht to Pope Benedict on 13 November 2006, and the Pope accepted it on 14 April 2007, two months before Simonis celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest on 15 June. Simonis continued to govern the archdiocese as Apostolic Administrator
until his successor, Wim Eijk
, who was appointed on 11 December of the same year, took possession of the see.
According to Radio Netherlands World:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Archbishop of Utrecht
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht
The Archdiocese of Utrecht is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. The archdiocese is the metropolitan for 6 suffragans, the dioceses of Breda, Groningen-Leeuwarden, Haarlem-Amsterdam, Roermond, Rotterdam, and 's-Hertogenbosch....
from 1983 to 2007, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1985.
Biography
Simonis was born in LisseLisse
Lisse is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 16.11 km² of which 0.41 km² is water. Its population is 21864...
, South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
, the eldest of eleven children. He studied at the Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Hageveld from 1945 to 1951, and at the Major Seminary of Warmond
Warmond
Warmond is a village and former municipality in the western Netherlands, north of Leiden in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of 14.42 km² of which 4.42 km² is water, and had a population of 4,977 in 2004. Together with Sassenheim and Voorhout, it became...
from 1951 to 1957. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Martien Jansen on 15 June 1957, and then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Rotterdam
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rotterdam
The Diocese of Rotterdam is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. It was erected on July 16, 1955 from the territory of the Diocese of Haarlem with Martien Jansen being made its first bishop. Since 2011 the bishop has been Hans van den Hende...
until 1959, serving as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at the parish of Saint Victor in Waddinxveen
Waddinxveen
Waddinxveen is a town and municipality along the Gouwe river in the western Netherlands in the province of South Holland near Gouda. The municipality had a population of 26,304 in 2004, 25.328 on new year's eve of 2010. and covers an area of 29.39 km² .In Waddinxveen, there's the so-called...
and later at the parish Holy Martyrs Gorinchem in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
From 1959 to 1966, he furthered his studies in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas and the Pontifical Biblical Institute
Pontifical Biblical Institute
The Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, Italy is an institution of the Holy See run by the Jesuits that offers instruction at the university level...
, from where he obtained a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
cum laude in biblical exegesis with a thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
entitled: "Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
as the Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd may refer to:In Christianity:* The Good Shepherd , pericope found in John 10:1-21, and a popular image in which the Good Shepherd represents Jesus...
in the Gospel of Saint John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
". Following his return to the Netherlands, he served as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the parish of Blessed Sacrament in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
(1966–1970) and chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the Red Cross Hospital. He became a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of Rotterdam in March 1969.
He was named Bishop of Rotterdam
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rotterdam
The Diocese of Rotterdam is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. It was erected on July 16, 1955 from the territory of the Diocese of Haarlem with Martien Jansen being made its first bishop. Since 2011 the bishop has been Hans van den Hende...
on 29 December 1970. The appointment of a conservative priest as a bishop in the then staunchly progressive Dutch Catholic Church caused a lot of turmoil, and Simonis had to devote himself to promoting harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and unity in his community. Simonis became Archbishop of Utrecht
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht
The Archdiocese of Utrecht is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. The archdiocese is the metropolitan for 6 suffragans, the dioceses of Breda, Groningen-Leeuwarden, Haarlem-Amsterdam, Roermond, Rotterdam, and 's-Hertogenbosch....
on 3 December 1983. A former president of the Dutch Bishops' Conference, Simonis was a major supporter of the Pope John Paul II's eventful visit to the Netherlands in 1985.
He was elevated to the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
during the Consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 25 May 1985, as Cardinal-Priest of Basilica of San Clemente, making him the seventh cardinal of the Dutch Church. He is a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life and Society of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and...
, and of the Congregation for Catholic Education
Congregation for Catholic Education
The Congregation for Catholic Education is the Pontifical congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for: seminaries and houses of formation of...
and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962–1965.Pope John XXIII wanted the Catholic Church to engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement...
. He will hold these memberships until his 80th birthday on 26 November 2011.
Cardinal Simonis was one of the cardinal electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2005
The following is a list of the 115 cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave, arranged by region and, within each region, alphabetically. Two cardinals who were eligible to participate in the conclave, namely Adolfo Suarez Rivera and Jaime Sin, did not attend due to ill health.-Roman...
who participated in the 2005 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 2005
The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened as a result of the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005. After his death, the cardinals who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave to elect John Paul's successor. The conclave began on 18 April 2005 and ended on the following...
that selected Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
.
Cardinal Simonis sent his letter of resignation as Archbishop of Utrecht to Pope Benedict on 13 November 2006, and the Pope accepted it on 14 April 2007, two months before Simonis celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest on 15 June. Simonis continued to govern the archdiocese as Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
until his successor, Wim Eijk
Wim Eijk
Willem Jacobus "Wim" Eijk is a Dutch prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. On 11 December 2007 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Eijk the Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrecht and, on the 26 January 2008 Eijk was installed in the Sint Catharina Church in Utrecht. He is the 70th successor of Saint...
, who was appointed on 11 December of the same year, took possession of the see.
Controversy
In 2011 Cardinal Simonis testified on 25 January that he had no role in the appointment or dismissal of a Catholic priest accused of drugging and raping a young man. The brief appearance by Cardinal Simonis at Middelburg District Court marked the first time such a senior cleric had appeared in a Dutch courtroom to answer questions about abuse in the church. The victim, Dave ten Hoor, says he was drugged and raped twice by the priest, identified only as Father Jan N., in 1989 and 1990 in the southern town of Terneuzen. "I do not know him at all," Simonis said of Father Jan, adding that he had nothing to do with his appointment as a priest in Terneuzen. Simonis has been drawn into the case because before moving to Terneuzen Father Jan also allegedly abused children at a youth centre run by the Salesian order in Rijswijk, a town just outside The Hague. At the time, Simonis was Bishop of Rotterdam and Rijswijk fell within his diocese. However Cardinal Simonis said he had visited the centre just once for a party and did not recall meeting the priest, though he did not rule out that he may have been introduced to him.According to Radio Netherlands World:
- "The cardinal was told by the then bishop of Rotterdam, Philippe Bär, that the priest had sexually abused underage boys in his parish in Zoetermeer. Bishop Bär wanted the priest out of his diocese. Archbishop Simonis then arranged for the man to be moved to a parish in Amersfoort.
- The cardinal kept the Amersfoort parish in the dark about the priest’s paedophile behaviour and convictions. The priest himself says the cardinal did nothing to monitor how the situation developed.
- Parents who complained about the priest to Cardinal Simonis were given no assistance. Hanneke Brunt, whose altar-boy son was abused: 'Simonis told me – ‘This doesn’t go on in the Roman Catholic Church. We don’t do that.’' Abuse victim Erwin Meester says Cardinal Simonis 'wilfully and knowingly gave a paedophile his protection, when he should have been protecting the faithful under his care.'
- The cardinal, now retired, caused a furore [in 2010] when he commented on the abuse in an interview on a television programme. Speaking in German, he said: 'Wir haben es nicht gewusst (We did not know)'" He says he dealt with all the cases of abuse that were brought to his attention “extremely carefully”.
External links
- Catholic-pages bio of Cardinal Simonis