Graham Leonard

Graham Douglas Leonard KCVO (born May 8, 1921) is a British cleric. He was formerly a bishop of the Church of England (Anglican) but became a Roman Catholic after his retirement.

Early ministry

Before becoming the Bishop of Willesden he was the Rector of St Andrew Undershaft with St Mary Axe in the City of London and the Archdeacon of Hampstead. He was appointed the Bishop of Willesden in 1964. [LondonGazette|issue=43432|startpage=7670|date=11 September 1964|accessdate=2008-02-28]

Bishop

Leonard had three episcopal positions in the Church of England, firstly as the Suffragan Bishop of Willesden in the Diocese of London and later as the Bishop of Truro (1973 to 1981) [LondonGazette|issue=46071|startpage=10695|date=7 September 1973|accessdate=2008-02-28] [LondonGazette|issue=48758|startpage=12687|date=7 October 1981|accessdate=2008-02-28] and the Bishop of London (1981 to 1991). [LondonGazette|issue=48628|startpage=7523|date=2 June 1981|accessdate=2008-02-28] [LondonGazette|issue=52534|startpage=7593|date=16 May 1991|accessdate=2008-02-28] During this last period he was Dean of the Chapel Royal, [LondonGazette|issue=48686|startpage=9605|date=21 July 1981|accessdate=2008-02-28] a Royal Household office, for which he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO). [LondonGazette|issue=52525|startpage=7063|date=7 May 1991|accessdate=2008-02-28] He was also Prelate of the Order of the British Empire. [LondonGazette|issue=48697|startpage=10105|date=4 August 1981|accessdate=2008-02-28]

Ordination in the Roman Catholic Church

An outspoken critic of moves to ordain women to the priesthood within the Anglican Communion, Leonard eventually left the Church of England to become a Roman Catholic and, on 23 April 1994, he was conditionally ordained as a priest (but not as a bishop) in the Roman Catholic Church. Although the Roman Catholic Church still does not recognise the validity of Anglican ordinations, Leonard's ordination was conditional due to there being "prudent doubt" about the invalidity of his previous ordination in the Church of England. [ [http://www.angelfire.com/nj/malleus/hume_statement.html Statement of Cardinal Hume on the ordination of Anglican bishop Graham Leonard as a Roman Catholic priest] ] Leonard claims that he was not firstly also ordained a deacon and has said the Pope's personal instruction was that he should be ordained immediately to the priesthood 'sub conditione'. He was later appointed a Papal Chaplain with the title Monsignor and then a Prelate of Honour by Pope John Paul II on 3 August 2000.

Family

Brother-in-law to Michael Swann, Lord Swann of Coln St Denys, and Hugh Swann, cabinet maker to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, having married their sister, Priscilla Swann. Monsignor and Mrs Leonard have two sons.

References

External links

* [http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2002/mar2002p8_938.html Former Anglican Bishop of London explains why he became a Catholic]
* [http://truro.anglican.org/b11.htm The Bishops of Truro photo gallery]