Thomas Christopher Collins was born on 16 January 1947 in Guelph, Ontario, and was ordained a priest on 5 May 1973. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English and a bachelor's degree in theology. In 1978 he studied in Rome, specialising in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and in 1986 he received a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He later served as rector of Saint Peter's Seminary in London, Ontario.
On 25 March 1997 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Saint Paul in Alberta, received episcopal ordination on 14 May 1997, and succeeded as bishop on 30 June 1997. On 18 February 1999 he was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton and succeeded as Archbishop of Edmonton on 7 June 1999; in 2001 he was also named Apostolic Administrator of Saint Paul. He was appointed Archbishop of Toronto on 16 December 2006. In Toronto he served as Chancellor of the University of Saint Michael's College and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, and in 2008 he was elected president of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Collins served as an Apostolic Visitor in Ireland in 2010 and as Delegate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for Anglicanorum Coetibus, and took part in the Synod assemblies for the Middle East in 2010 and on the family in 2015. Benedict XVI created him cardinal in the consistory of 18 February 2012, assigning him the titular church of San Patrizio. He participated in the conclave of March 2013 that elected Pope Francis and in the 2025 conclave. Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Toronto on 11 February 2023. He is a member of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.
Consequential Quotes
Lectio divina basically means a prayerful reading of scripture — as distinct from bible study (exegesis) — or the proclamation of the Word of God in the liturgy, or the continuous reading of long biblical passages. The goal is to experience an encounter with the Lord through the prayerful reading of a small portion of the Bible.
The most important way to experience lectio divina is individually, but for the last 10 years I have been conducting a kind of public lectio divina session on the first Sunday of the month from September to June in my cathedral. My hope is that those who participate once a month in the cathedral will benefit from the experience, but especially that they will adapt the public form of lectio divina for their own use in prayer in private every day.
Pain medication and other resources and procedures can indeed be used effectively to medically assist people who are dying. But that is not what MAiD involves: it means giving a lethal injection to people who are not dying, so that they will die.
This is a new chapter of death on demand. Canada has cast aside restrictions at a far quicker pace than any other jurisdiction in the world that has legalized euthanasia.
If all Canadians had access to quality palliative care, fewer would seek lethal injection. Instead of developing an overall culture of care, we are rushing towards death on demand.
If the flame entrusted to us at Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination flickers and dies, or is abruptly extinguished, and the darkness of evil envelops the priest or bishop, then havoc is wrought upon the most vulnerable, and the splendor of the Holy Priesthood is sullied.
Major Works & Initiatives
Archbishop of Edmonton
Appointed coadjutor on 18 February 1999 and succeeded as Archbishop of Edmonton on 7 June 1999, serving until his appointment to Toronto; in Edmonton he began the monthly lectio divina sessions he later continued in Toronto.
Archbishop of Toronto
Appointed on 16 December 2006 and served until Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 11 February 2023; Chancellor of the University of Saint Michael's College and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, and president of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2008.
Pathway to Our Hearts: A Simple Approach to Lectio Divina with the Sermon on the Mount
Book drawn from his cathedral lectio divina sessions on the Sermon on the Mount, published by Ave Maria Press in 2011 (confirmed in the National Catholic Register review listing Ave Maria Press, 2011, and in his ZENIT interview).
Cardinal-Priest of San Patrizio
Created cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of 18 February 2012 and assigned the titular church of San Patrizio; the Holy See bio lists him as a member of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.
Controversies
Ontario gay-straight alliances dispute (2012)
In 2012 Collins publicly opposed Ontario's anti-bullying legislation insofar as it required Catholic schools to allow student clubs to be called gay-straight alliances if students chose that name. Reporting of his remarks quoted him asking why provincial legislation was being used to micromanage the naming of student clubs and arguing that the law intruded on religious freedom; he said Catholic trustees and principals, not students, were the legitimate stewards of Catholic schools. Education Minister Laurel Broten responded that students should be listened to and that neither the government nor others should dictate a club's name, and suggested that funding could be at risk for schools that did not obey the law. Other parties were divided: Progressive Conservatives criticised the government for provoking the Catholic system, while the NDP and Greens supported the government's position.
Sources
- Holy See Press Office — biography
- Wikipedia
- ZENIT — Finding the Treasure of God's Word (interview on lectio divina and Pathway to Our Hearts)
- Catholic News Agency — Cardinal Collins blasts Canadian assisted dying laws, 2 March 2020
- Angelus News — Toronto cardinal exhorts priests to 'become fire'
- National Catholic Register — Spiritual Lasagna (review of Pathway to Our Hearts, Ave Maria Press, 2011)
- WWRN — Thomas Cardinal Collins opposes students calling clubs 'gay-straight alliances'