Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter one of the most influential Catholic leaders in Canada during the late 20th century.

On my walk at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Thornhill, Ontario, I visited the Priests’ Burial Section near the main gates of the cemetery, established in 1954. There, I found the crypt of Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter — one of the most influential, and at times controversial, Catholic leaders in Canada.

Gerald was born on March 1, 1915, in Montreal, Quebec, and was raised in a large Irish-Catholic family. In 1937, at the age of 25, he was ordained at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal. As a student, Carter was known as an intellectual and a very serious scholar. Even as a seminarian, he showed a strong interest in education and teaching and later became a teacher in the Montreal Catholic school system and later principal.

In 1964, he was appointed Bishop of London, Ontario, and fourteen years later, was appointed Archbishop of Toronto — one of the most important dioceses in Canada. In 1979, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals. As a Cardinal, he advised the Pope, participated in major Church discussions, and was widely respected as one of the most senior Catholic leaders in Canada.

As Cardinal, which is a lifetime appointment, Cardinal Carter expanded Catholic secondary and post-secondary education, supporting initiatives like the Newman Centre for university students and creating arts and cultural programs in Catholic schools. On the other hand, he was firm on issues like pro-life and was at times insensitive in how he handled gay issues.

Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter, Companion of the Order of Canada (1982) passed away in Toronto, Ontario, on April 6, 2003. He was 91.

1912-2003

See my related site and visit to Bishop Michael Power’s grave.

First Catholic Bishop of Toronto, Michael Power and his devotion to the poor and sick