Retired Bishop Henry of Calgary, recalled for outspoken 'servant leadership,' dies at 81

CALGARY, Alberta (OSV News) -- Retired Bishop Fred B. Henry, who headed the Diocese of Calgary from 1998 until his retirement in 2017, died Dec. 3 at Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary. He was 81.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of the Most Reverend Frederick Bernard Henry, the Seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary. ... We entrust Bishop Henry to the Merciful Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and implore the clergy and faithful of our diocese to pray for the repose of his soul," the diocese said in a Facebook post Dec. 3.

On Dec. 9, there is a day of public visitation at St. Mary's Cathedral in Calgary, followed by a vigil. A funeral Mass for Bishop Henry will be celebrated the next morning at the cathedral, followed by the rite of committal at St. Mary's Cemetery.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) late Dec. 3, former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, a Catholic, said he was "Terribly saddened by the death of a truly great pastor and friend, who personified servant leadership to the Catholic faithful, and to the broader community. A man of true authenticity with a huge heart, especially for the weak and vulnerable."

Bishop Henry was also mourned by a group of Canadian Catholics who remembered him "with joy and thanksgiving" for his personal efforts starting in 2011 in welcoming their Anglican parish into the Catholic Church, and his continued encouragement and support afterward.

"Bishop Henry's unwavering pastoral care and encouragement ensured our community’s unique Anglican heritage was preserved while fully embracing the Catholic faith," Father Robert Bengry, Canadian dean for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, and pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Calgary told OSV News. He said Bishop Henry's involvement in bringing the former Anglican parish into full Catholic communion through the personal ordinariate, a Catholic diocese with Anglican traditions Pope Benedict XVI formally established in 2012, "remains a significant highlight of his episcopal ministry."

"This milestone reflected his dedication to Christian unity and his commitment to the prayer of Christ 'that they may all be one,'" Father Bengry said, adding that it was for the bishop "a personal joy and an enduring testament to the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ."

A native of London, Ontario, Frederick Bernard Henry was born April 11, 1943, the eldest of five sons in the family of Leo and Noreen Henry. After finishing high school, he entered St. Peter's Seminary in London. On May 25, 1968, he was ordained a priest by then-Bishop G. Emmett Carter of London, who later served as archbishop of Toronto and was made a cardinal in 1979.

From 1968-1970, then-Father Henry served as associate pastor at Christ the King Parish in Windsor, Ontario.

In 1971, he earned a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, and in 1973 a licentiate in theology with a specialization in fundamental theology from the Gregorian University of Rome. He was associate professor of theology and philosophy at St. Peter's Seminary (1973-1986) and dean of theology and rector of St. Peter's Seminary (1981-1986).

While he taught at St. Peter's Seminary, he was a member of the Priestly Life and Pastoral Ministry Committee of the Diocesan Senate of Priests and a judge on the matrimonial tribunal, among other positions.

Named a monsignor by St. John Paul II in 1985, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of London the following year and was ordained to the episcopate June 24, 1986, by Bishop John M. Sherlock of London. In 1990, he was one of the Canadian delegates to the 8th Ordinary Synod of Bishops on "The Formation of Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day."

On March 24, 1995, Bishop Henry was appointed the fourth bishop of Thunder Bay. In January 1998, he was named seventh bishop of Calgary and was installed March 19, 1998.

He served as bishop of Calgary until Jan. 3, 2017, when Pope Francis accepted his resignation for health reasons due to a severe form of arthritis.

The Calgary Herald reported that Bishop Henry, when he decided to retire, wrote to Pope Francis in 2016: "My condition cannot be reversed. I have jokingly said that 'pain is my best friend, we are always together.'" The Herald said the bishop told the pope his position called for "someone with more energy, stamina and pastoral vision. ... I have given it my best and I am past my 'best due date.'"

A Dec. 4 story about his passing by the Canadian Catholic News, a coast-to-coast cooperative news service serving Catholic media across Canada, said, "Throughout his career, Bishop Henry was unafraid to challenge mainstream narratives, often drawing national attention for his positions on topics such as same-sex marriage, euthanasia, gender identity, and residential schools. His episcopal motto, Dabo Vobis Pastores ('I will give you pastors'), reflected his dedication to shepherding the faithful while holding firmly to Catholic teachings."

Bishop Henry was also known for encouraging the laity's involvement in the church, particularly women, and fostering good relations with other faiths.

In recent years he made headlines for his comments regarding the controversy over the church's role in the Canadian Indian residential school system, a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by various Christian churches, including the Catholic Church.

In May 2021, the alleged discovery of unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia again put a focus on churches' role in the residential schools. No bodies have been uncovered in Kamloops or on other First Nations territory since a report on the findings originated, but heightened attacks on Canadian churches followed, with some the target of arson and vandalism.

In June 2021, in an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bishop Henry said, "Primary responsibility must be owned by the federal government." But he also said spiritual leaders "didn't show enough respect" to the Native peoples for "their beliefs and culture."

In an August 2023 email to The Catholic Register, Canada's national Catholic newspaper based in Toronto, Bishop Henry asked, "Why is the Catholic Church not asking the federal government for proof that even one residential child is actually missing in the sense that his (or) her parents didn't know what happened to their child at the time of the child's death?"

Bishop Henry said the federal report on Kamloops implies that "thousands of missing children were murdered by Catholic priests and nuns and clandestinely buried in unmarked graves."

In March 2024, Bishop Henry told the Register that serious fact-finding is needed to resolve the claims from the Kamloops residential school. He called on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Assembly of First Nations to issue a joint statement of commitment to find the truth.

"Not my nor your truth, but the truth," the bishop said.