{{Short description|Irish Anglican priest}} {{About|the Irish Anglican priest|the Quapaw leader|Victor Griffin (Quapaw)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2020}} '''Victor Gilbert Benjamin Griffin''' (Dean Griffin)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s1254042.htm |title=Interview |website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=2004 |url-status=dead |access-date=10 December 2006 |archive-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012095630/http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s1254042.htm }}</ref> (24 May 1924 – 11 January 2017) was a Church of Ireland (Anglican) priest, theologian and author and a strongly liberal voice in Irish public life.<ref>'GRIFFIN, Very Rev. Victor Gilbert Benjamin', Who's Who 2015, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, Oct 2014 {{Cite book |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U18209 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U18209 |access-date=19 January 2015 |chapter=Griffin, Very Rev. Victor Gilbert Benjamin, (24 May 1924–11 Jan. 2017), Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, 1969–91 |title=Who's Who |year=2007 |archive-date=9 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309175727/https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-18209;jsessionid=9AFA544E843673D0911821EDDE7B1FCA |url-status=live }}</ref>
Born in Carnew, County Wicklow, Griffin was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College, Dublin, where he was elected a scholar and awarded the Luce, Bernard, Wray and Macren prizes for philosophy and metaphysical studies. He had a long and mutually satisfying relationship with Trinity in his years in ministry in Dublin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcd.ie/Philosophy/assets/pdfs/VictorGriffin.pdf |title=An Illustrious Alumnus: Victor Griffin (1924–2017) |date=17 January 2017 |website=Trinity College, Dublin |access-date=9 March 2022 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506055941/https://www.tcd.ie/Philosophy/assets/pdfs/VictorGriffin.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> He was married to Daphne who died from MS on 16 January 1998. They had twin sons Timothy (died 5 June 2012) and Kevin, both married and Griffin has five grandchildren.
==Church career== He was ordained in 1948.<ref>''Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975–76'' London: Oxford University Press, 1976 {{ISBN|0-19-200008-X}}</ref> He held curacies at St Augustine's in Derry then at Christ Church, in the same city. He became rector of Christ Church in 1957, serving until 1969.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
He was first prebendary of Howth in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin (1962–1968) then dean from 1969 until 1991 <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/media/file/Dean%20Griffin%20autobiog.pdf |title=Memoirs of St Patrick' Cathedral during my time as Dean |date= |website=St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin |first=Victor |last=Griffin |access-date=11 December 2013 |archive-date=14 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214062942/http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/media/file/Dean%20Griffin%20autobiog.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> and when he completed his term he was regarded by some commentators as "the great Dean of the twentieth century."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/obituary-dean-victor-griffin-1.2936099 |title=Obituary: Dean Victor Griffin |date=14 January 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie |access-date=9 March 2022 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112014206/https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/obituary-dean-victor-griffin-1.2936099 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Griffin's ministry in Dublin was characterised by an openness and inclusivity, a building of bridges to other traditions and he was among the first public figures to recognise the wider changes in Irish public life. Among the causes he adopted were: strong support for the Irish anti-apartheid campaign; his endorsement of, and canvassing for both Mary Robinson and David Norris (politician); trenchant opposition to the campaign for the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland; Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1986; and the campaign to preserve Liberties of Dublin and renovate the inner city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ricorso.net/rx/az-data/authors/g/Griffin_V/life.htm |title=Victor Griffin |website=www.ricorso.net |access-date=9 March 2022 |archive-date=19 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819192026/http://www.ricorso.net/rx/az-data/authors/g/Griffin_V/life.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Author== He was the author of several books including: * Anglican and Irish: What We Believe (1976) * Mark of Protest (1993) * Enough Religion to Make Us Hate (2002) * A short catechism of basic Church teaching (2007)<ref>British Library website accessed 09:03 GMT 19 January 2015</ref>
==Personal life== He lived in retirement in Limavady, Northern Ireland, until his death in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/tributes-flow-in-for-inspirational-former-derry-dean-victor-griffin-35363727.html|title=Tributes flow in for 'inspirational' former Derry Dean Victor Griffin|date=13 January 2017|newspaper=The Belfast Telegraph|access-date=20 November 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0111/844277-victor-griffin/ 'Dedicated priest' Dean Victor Griffin dies aged 92] * [https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/celebrated-dean-of-st-patrick-s-cathedral-victor-griffin-dies-1.2933618 Celebrated dean of St Patrick's Cathedral Victor Griffin dies] * [https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/religionreport/full-transcript--victor-griffin/3427692#transcript Transcript] of 2004 interview aired on ABC Radio
{{Deans of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin}} {{Church of Ireland dioceses}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Victor}} Category:1924 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Christian clergy from County Wicklow Category:20th-century Irish Anglican priests Category:People educated at Kilkenny College Category:Deans of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin