# Bernard Griffin

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English cardinal

Bernard Griffin Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Griffin in 1953 Church Roman Catholic Church Diocese Westminster Appointed 18 December 1943 Term ended 19 August 1956 Predecessor Arthur Hinsley Successor William Godfrey Other post Cardinal Priest of Santi Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio Previous posts Titular Bishop of Appia (1938-1943) Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham (1938-1943) Orders Ordination 1 November 1924 Consecration 30 June 1938 by Thomas Leighton Williams, John Patrick Barrett and William Lee Created cardinal 18 February 1946 by Pius XII Rank Cardinal Priest Personal details Born Bernard William Griffin (1899-02-21)21 February 1899 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Died 19 August 1956(1956-08-19) (aged 57) New Polzeath, Cornwall, United Kingdom Buried Westminster Cathedral, London, England, United Kingdom Parents William Griffin & Helen Swadkins Alma mater English College, Rome Motto Da mihi animas (Give me souls) Coat of arms

Styles of Bernard Griffin Reference style His Eminence Spoken style Your Eminence Religious style (autofilled) Informal style Cardinal

**Bernard William Griffin** (21 February 1899 – 19 August 1956) was an [English](/source/United_Kingdom) [cardinal](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) of the [Roman Catholic Church](/source/Roman_Catholic_Church).[1] He served as [Archbishop of Westminster](/source/Archbishop_of_Westminster) from 1943 until his death, and was elevated to the [cardinalate](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) in 1946 by [Pope Pius XII](/source/Pope_Pius_XII).

## Biography

Bernard and his twin brother Basil were born in [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham) to William and Helen (née Swadkins) Griffin. His father was a bicycle manufacturer, Birmingham City councillor and [justice of the peace](/source/Justice_of_the_peace).[2]

When the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) broke out in 1914 both Bernard and Basil joined the [Royal Naval Air Service](/source/Royal_Naval_Air_Service), with whom Bernard served as an [air-raid warden](/source/Air_Raid_Precautions).[2] During this time he suffered a heart attack but concealed it from [physicians](/source/Physicians) in order to avoid a [discharge](/source/Military_discharge) which he feared would prevent his acceptance for the priesthood.[3]

After the war Bernard went to [Oscott College](/source/St_Mary's_College%2C_Oscott) in Birmingham to train to be a priest. [Ordained](/source/Holy_orders_in_the_Catholic_Church) to the [priesthood](/source/Priesthood_(Catholic_Church)) on 1 November 1924, he finished his studies at the [Venerable English College](/source/Venerable_English_College%2C_Rome) in [Rome](/source/Rome) in 1927. Griffin then worked as private secretary to [John McIntyre](/source/John_McIntyre_(archbishop_of_Birmingham)), the [Archbishop of Birmingham](/source/Archdiocese_of_Birmingham), until 1937. From 1929 to 1938, he served as [diocesan chancellor](/source/Chancellor_(ecclesiastical)) of Birmingham, director of studies of the [Catholic Evidence Guild](/source/Catholic_Evidence_Guild), Catholic representative on the [BBC](/source/BBC)'s religious advisory committee, and administrator of [diocesan](/source/Diocese) [charitable homes](/source/Charitable_organization).

On 26 May 1938, Griffin was appointed [Auxiliary Bishop](/source/Auxiliary_bishop) of Birmingham and [Titular Bishop](/source/Titular_bishop) of Appia. He received his [episcopal consecration](/source/Bishop_(Catholic_Church)) on 30 June from [Thomas Williams (Archbishop of Birmingham)](/source/Thomas_Williams_(Archbishop_of_Birmingham)), with [John Barrett](/source/John_Barrett_(bishop)), [Bishop of Plymouth](/source/Roman_Catholic_Bishop_of_Plymouth), and [William Lee (Bishop of Clifton)](/source/William_Lee_(Bishop_of_Clifton)), serving as [co-consecrators](/source/Consecrator), in the [Cathedral of Saint Chad, Birmingham](/source/Cathedral_of_Saint_Chad%2C_Birmingham). [Pius XII](/source/Pius_XII) raised Griffin to [Archbishop of Westminster](/source/Archbishop_of_Westminster), and thus ranking prelate in the [Catholic Church in England and Wales](/source/Catholic_Church_in_England_and_Wales), on 18 December 1943. At his installation Mass in [Westminster Cathedral](/source/Westminster_Cathedral), he defended the sanctity of [marriage](/source/Marriage).[4]

Griffin was created [Cardinal-Priest](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) of [San Gregorio Magno al Celio](/source/San_Gregorio_Magno_al_Celio) by Pius XII in the [consistory](/source/Papal_consistory) of 18 February 1946. At age 46, he was the youngest cardinal to be appointed at the ceremony, to which he wore the tailored *[cappa magna](/source/Cappa_magna)* of his deceased predecessor cardinal, [Arthur Hinsley](/source/Arthur_Hinsley).[5] He acted as [papal legate](/source/Papal_legate) to the [centennial](/source/Centennial) celebration of the [restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England](/source/Universalis_Ecclesiae) in 1950.

As cardinal, Griffin took a keen interest in the rebuilding of post-war Britain arguing especially for the provision of Catholic schools. He was seen by some as [liberal](/source/Liberalism) in areas of [social principles](/source/Catholic_social_teaching). He also supported Sir [William Beveridge](/source/William_Beveridge).[2]

Griffin upheld the doctrine of the [perpetual virginity of Mary](/source/Perpetual_virginity_of_Mary),[6] and was once a president on the [Council of Christians and Jews](/source/Council_of_Christians_and_Jews).[7]

Griffin died from a [heart attack](/source/Myocardial_infarction) in [New Polzeath](/source/New_Polzeath), at age 57,[8] and was buried at [Westminster Cathedral](/source/Westminster_Cathedral).

His coat of arms is blazoned *Gules issuant from a barrulet enarched in base a sweet william plant in pale Or supported by a Saint Bernard dog dexter and a griffin wings addorsed sinister Or*, thus representing his full name.

On the 22 October 1960, Bernard's twin brother, Basil, laid the foundation stone of [Cardinal Griffin Catholic College](/source/Cardinal_Griffin_Catholic_College) in [Cannock](/source/Cannock), [Staffordshire](/source/Staffordshire).

## Assessment

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[Adrian Hastings](/source/Adrian_Hastings), an historian of English Catholicism, considered Griffin to be "the least important Archbishop of Westminster of the century, a nice, hard-working non-entity", and another English Catholic writer, [Peter Stanford](/source/Peter_Stanford), in his book on [Cardinal Hume](/source/Cardinal_Hume), calls Griffin "an obscure but talented provincial auxiliary."

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Miranda, Salvador. ["Bernard William Griffin"](https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1946.htm#Griffin). *The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church*. Retrieved 7 March 2015.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Surprise_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Surprise_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Surprise_2-2) ["Surprise"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081215005048/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,885292,00.html). *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))*. (3 January 1944).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["New Archbishop"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070930065856/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,809140,00.html). *Time*. (18 February 1957).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Pretty Pass"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070930075709/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803176,00.html). *Time*. (18 February 1946).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["On the Roads to Rome"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070930031450/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,792623,00.html). *Time*. (31 January 1944).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Jesus & His Brethren"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070930065913/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,891232-1,00.html). *Time*. (23 May 1955).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The Catholics Leave"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081215071831/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,861105,00.html). *Time*. (10 January 1955).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Milestones"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080308012832/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,824381,00.html). *Time*. (3 September 1956).

## External links

- [\[1\]](http://rcdow.org.uk/cardinal/previous-archbishops/)

- [Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church](https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios-g.htm#Griffin)

- [Catholic-Hierarchy](http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bgriffinb.html)

- [Newspaper clippings about Bernard Griffin](https://purl.org/pressemappe20/folder/pe/006516) in the [20th Century Press Archives](/source/20th_Century_Press_Archives) of the [ZBW](/source/German_National_Library_of_Economics)

Catholic Church titles Preceded by Arthur Hinsley Archbishop of Westminster 1943–1956 Succeeded by William Godfrey Preceded by Jusztinián György Serédi Cardinal priest of SS. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio 1946–1956 Succeeded by John Francis O'Hara

v t e Cardinals created by Pius XII 1946 Agagianian Glennon Masella Micara Sapieha Mooney Saliège McGuigan Stritch Parrado y García Roques de Jong Vasconcellos Motto Petit de Julleville Gilroy Spellman Caro Rodríguez de Gouveia de Barros Câmara Pla y Deniel Arteaga y Betancourt Frings Guevara Griffin Arce y Ochotorena Mindszenty Ruffini von Preysing von Galen Caggiano Tien Ken-sin Bruno 1953 Constantini da Silva Cicognani Roncalli Valeri Ciriaci Borgongini Duca Feltin Mimmi de la Torre Stepinac Grente Siri D'Alton McIntyre Lercaro Wyszyński de Arriba y Castro Quiroga y Palacios Léger Luque Sánchez Wendel Ottaviani Gracias Catholic Church portal

v t e Diocese of Westminster Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster Archbishops of Westminster I: Nicholas Wiseman II: Henry Manning III: Herbert Vaughan IV: Francis Bourne V: Arthur Hinsley VI: Bernard Griffin VII: William Godfrey VIII: John Heenan IX: Basil Hume X: Cormac Murphy-O'Connor XI: Vincent Nichols XII: Richard Moth Auxiliary bishops in Westminster: William Weathers James Laird Patterson Christopher Butler Victor Guazzelli Philip James Benedict Harvey James Joseph O'Brien John Sherrington Nicholas Hudson Paul McAleenan James Curry Churches Westminster Cathedral – Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ Our Lady of Lourdes, Acton St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater St Casimir, Bethnal Green Holy Name and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Bow Our Lady and St Catherine of Siena, Bow St John the Evangelist, Brentford Brompton Oratory Holy Trinity, Brook Green St Richard of Chichester, Buntingford St Mary, Cadogan Street Our Lady of Hal, Camden Town Our Lady of the Rosary and St Dominic, Camden Our Lady of Dolours, Chelsea Our Most Holy Redeemer and St Thomas More, Chelsea Our Lady of Grace and St Edward, Chiswick St Peter, Clerkenwell Parafia Ealing St Etheldreda, Ely Place Immaculate Conception, Farm Street Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Fulham St Thomas of Canterbury, Fulham St Edward the Confessor, Golders Green St Andrew Bobola, Hammersmith St Augustine, Hammersmith St Theodore, Hampton St Francis de Sales, Hampton Hill and Upper Teddington Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury, Harrow Our Lady Queen of Apostles, Heston St Joseph, Highgate St Monica, Hoxton St John the Evangelist, Islington Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Simon Stock, Kensington Our Lady of Victories, Kensington Sacred Heart, Kilburn St Hugh of Lincoln, Letchworth St Anselm and St Cecilia, Lincoln's Inn Fields Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane Guardian Angels, Mile End St Mary Moorfields Mary Immaculate and St Peter, New Barnet Notre Dame de France St Francis of Assisi, Notting Hill St Monica, Palmer's Green Church of St Mary and St Joseph, Poplar St Alban and St Stephen, St Albans St Patrick, Soho Square St Anselm, Southall St James, Spanish Place St Ignatius, Stamford Hill St Mary and St Michael, Stepney Sacred Heart, Teddington English Martyrs, Tower Hill St James, Twickenham St Margaret of Scotland, Twickenham Holy Rood, Watford St Joseph, Wembley St Catherine, West Drayton St Mary Magdalen, Whetstone St Boniface's German Church, Whitechapel St Edmund of Canterbury, Whitton Our Lady of Willesden Patronal Feasts of the Diocese Saint Joseph (March 19) Saint Peter (June 29) Saint Edward the Confessor (October 13) Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (8 December) Schools Sacred Heart Primary School, Teddington All Saints Catholic College, North Kensington Bishop Challoner Catholic School Bishop Douglass Catholic School Cardinal Pole Catholic School Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Greenford The Douay Martyrs School St Augustine's Priory, Ealing St Benedict's School, Ealing Finchley Catholic High School Gumley House Convent School Gunnersbury Catholic School John F Kennedy Catholic School The John Henry Newman School La Sainte Union Catholic School London Oratory School Loreto College, St Albans Maria Fidelis Roman Catholic Convent School Mount House School Newman Catholic College Nicholas Breakspear School Our Lady's Catholic High School, Stamford Hill Sacred Heart High School, Hammersmith Sacred Heart Language College St Anthony's School, Hampstead St Aloysius' College, Highgate St Angela's Ursuline School St Anne's Catholic High School St Claudine's Catholic School for Girls St Dominic's Sixth Form College St George's Catholic School St Gregory's Catholic Science College St Ignatius College, Enfield St James' Catholic High School, Colindale St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth St Mary's Catholic School, Bishop's Stortford St Mark's Catholic School, Hounslow St Michael's Catholic Grammar School St Michael's Catholic High School St Columba's College, St Albans St Paul's College, Sunbury-on-Thames St Richard Reynolds Catholic College Salvatorian College St Thomas More Language College St Catherine's School, Twickenham St Edmund's College, Ware Westminster Cathedral Choir School St Thomas More Catholic School, Wood Green See also St Mary's University Allen Hall Seminary Redemptoris Mater House of Formation Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory Christ the King, Cockfosters Adorers of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre Ealing Abbey London Oratory George Errington Apostolic Vicariate of the London District Catholicism portal London portal

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bernard Griffin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Griffin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Griffin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.