William H. Keeler | |
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Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore | |
![]() Cardinal Keeler in 1996 | |
See | Baltimore |
Appointed | April 11, 1989 |
Installed | May 23, 1989 |
Term ended | July 12, 2007 |
Predecessor | William Donald Borders |
Successor | Edwin Frederick O'Brien |
Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria degli Angeli |
Previous post(s) |
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Orders | |
Ordination | July 17, 1955 by Luigi Traglia |
Consecration | September 21, 1979 by Joseph Thomas Daley |
Created cardinal | November 26, 1994 by Pope John Paul II |
Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
Personal details | |
Born | San Antonio, Texas, US | March 4, 1931
Died | March 23, 2017 Catonsville, Maryland, US | (aged 86)
Alma mater | Pontifical Gregorian University (STL, JCD) |
Motto | Opus fac evangelistae (Do the work of an evangelist) |
Ordination history of William H. Keeler | |||||||||||||||
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Styles of William Henry Keeler | |
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Reference style | His Eminence |
Spoken style | Your Eminence |
Informal style | Cardinal |
See | Baltimore (emeritus) |
William Henry Keeler (March 4, 1931 – March 23, 2017) was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1989 to 2007 and was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1994. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg. Keeler was President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1992 to 1995.
As Archbishop of Baltimore, Keeler was known for his failure to take action against priests who had been accused of inappropriate conduct, which significantly damaged his reputation. Keeler also led a restoration of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of two cathedrals in the archdiocese and the oldest in the United States, which was completely repaired and restored to near its original appearance by 2006. Keeler was also recognized for forming strong relationships with people from other religious groups, particularly those of the Jewish and Protestant faiths. Despite his failure to take action against priests who were accused of inappropriate conduct, Keeler was also noted for his response to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, choosing to publish the names of 57 priests who had been "credibly accused of child abuse" in 2002.[1]