David Edward Foley

{{Short description|American Roman Catholic prelate (1930–2018)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type =

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = David Edward Foley

| honorific-suffix =

| title = Bishop of Birmingham

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| archdiocese =

| diocese = Diocese of Birmingham

| appointed = March 22, 1994

| enthroned = May 13, 1994

| ended = May 10, 2005

| predecessor = Raymond James Boland

| successor = Robert Joseph Baker

| previous_post = Auxiliary Bishop of Richmond

| other_post =

| ordination = May 26, 1956

| ordained_by =

| consecration = June 27, 1986

| consecrated_by = Walter Francis Sullivan, John Francis Donoghue, and James Aloysius Hickey

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|02|03}}

| birth_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|4|17|1930|02|03}}

| death_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.

| buried =

| nationality =

| alma_mater =

| signature =

| coat_of_arms =

| motto =

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= David Edward Foley

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Bishop

| image = Mitre (plain).svg

| image_size = 200px

}}

David Edward Foley (February 3, 1930 – April 17, 2018) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama from 1994 to 2005. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia from 1986 to 1994.

Biography

= Early life =

David Foley was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on February 3, 1930. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Washington on May 26, 1956.

Foley was appointed by Pope John Paul II as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Richmond on May 3, 1986. Foley was consecrated on June 27, 1986, by Bishop Walter Sullivan.

= Bishop of Birmingham =

John Paul II appointed Foley as the third bishop of the Diocese of Birmingham on March 22, 1994. He was installed on May 13, 1994.

In 1999, Foley issued a decree prohibiting priests in his diocese, under most circumstances, from celebrating Mass in the ad orientem position. Though the decree never specifically mentioned the Catholic television network EWTN, which has its studios located in the diocese, observers agreed that it was directed at Mother Angelica's network.{{Cite web |title=Vatican May Step In on EWTN-Mass Case |url=https://www.ncregister.com/site/article/vatican_may_step_in_on_ewtn_mass_case |website=National Catholic Register}}

On May 10, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Foley's resignation as bishop of Birmingham. He was elected diocesan administrator on May 19, 2005.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

David Foley died on April 17, 2018, in Birmingham at age 88.