Timothy Radcliffe

Born in 1945 of aristocratic descent, the third of five sons to Lt-Col. Hugh Radcliffe (1911–1993){{Cite web |date=2020-12-05 |title=The Pontifical Order of Saint Gregory the Great |url=https://papalorders.org.uk/orders/pontifical-order-of-saint-gregory-the-great/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain |language=en-GB}} and Mariequita née Pereira (1916–2005), he is in remainder to the Radcliffe baronetcy.Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 3, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 3247 His cousin, Sir Sebastian Radcliffe, 7th and present baronet, lives at the Château de Cheseaux in Switzerland and his eldest brother, Mark Radcliffe (born 1938), was High Sheriff of Hampshire for 1996/97.{{Cite journal |date=14 March 1996 |title=State Intelligence - Privy Council Office |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54345/page/3831/data.pdf |journal=The London Gazette |issue=54345 |pages=3831}}

After attending Worth Preparatory School (Worth School) in Sussex{{Cite web |date=2025-01-06 |title=The Blue Paper 2024 |url=https://issuu.com/worth_school/docs/the_blue_paper_2024 |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Issuu |language=en}} and Downside School in Somerset,[https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/documents/St_Johns_TW_2021_-_email.pdf www.sjc.ox.ac.uk] Radcliffe went up to read Theology at St John's College, Oxford, graduating MA (elected Honorary Fellow, 1993).{{Cite web |title=The Most Revd. Father Timothy Radcliffe |url=https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/people/most-revd-father-timothy-radcliffe/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=St John's College, Oxford |language=en}} Then he entered the Dominican Order in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1971.{{Cite web |title=Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP |url=https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/people/fr-timothy-radcliffe-op/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Blackfriars Hall |language=en}}

During the mid-1970s, Radcliffe was based at the West London Catholic Chaplaincy. A Fellow then Prior of Blackfriars, he taught scriptures at Oxford and was elected Prior Provincial of England in 1988.Catalogue of the Province of England of the Order of Preachers 2010, p. 7 In 1992, he was elected Master of the Dominican Order, holding that office until 2001. During his tenure as Master, Radcliffe served as ex-officio Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.{{Cite web |title=Radcliffe to speak on search for wisdom {{!}} Emory University {{!}} Atlanta GA |url=https://news.emory.edu/stories/2012/03/upress_radcliff_to_speak/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405081114/https://news.emory.edu/stories/2012/03/upress_radcliff_to_speak/index.html |archive-date=2023-04-05 |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=news.emory.edu |language=en}}

In 2001, after the expiration of his term as Master, Radcliffe took a sabbatical year, before in 2002, again serving as a simple member of the Dominican community in Oxford.

After serving for several years on the advisory board of the Las Casas Institute, which "critical reflection on questions of human dignity in the light of Catholic social teaching and theology", he was appointed the Institute's director in April 2014.{{cite web |title=People |url=http://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/hall/las-casas/las-casas-people/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522123241/http://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/hall/las-casas/las-casas-people/ |archivedate=22 May 2015 |accessdate=15 October 2024 |website=Blackfriars Hall |df=dmy-all}} His term as director ended after two years and he continued thereafter as a member of its advisory board.{{cite web | access-date = 15 October 2024 | website = Blackfriars Hall| url = https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/people/fr-timothy-radcliffe-op/ | title = Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP }}{{Cite web |title=Las Casas Institute |url=https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/research/las-casas-institute-for-social-justice/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Blackfriars Hall |language=en}} Radcliffe continued preaching and public speaking internationally.

In 2015, Radcliffe was named a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.{{cite press release | access-date = 29 October 2023 | publisher = Holy See Press Office | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2015/05/16/0376/00821.html | date = 16 May 2015 | language = it | title = Rinunce e nomine (continuazione), 16.05.2015 }}{{Cite web |title=Controversial preacher, writer Timothy Radcliffe given Vatican role | work= Crux | url= https://cruxnow.com/church/2015/05/controversial-preacher-timothy-radcliffe-given-vatican-role | access-date = 29 October 2023 | date = 16 May 2015 | first = Michael | last = O'Loughlin }}{{efn|The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace ceased function in January 2017 with the erection of the dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.{{cite news | newspaper = National Catholic Reporter | date = 31 August 2016 | access-date = 31 August 2016 | first = Joshua J. | last = McElwee | url = https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-creates-new-vatican-office-charity-justice-peace-migration | title = Francis creates new Vatican office for charity, justice, peace, migration }}}}

Although not a topic Radcliffe has often written on in his numerous publications, he has publicly defended Catholic teaching on same-sex marriage:{{cite news |last=Radcliffe |first=Timothy |date=8 March 2012 |title='Can Marriage ever Change?' |newspaper=The Tablet |location=UK |url=https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/30727/page/4 |access-date=27 January 2022}}

{{Quote|The Catholic Church does not oppose gay marriage. It considers it to be impossible... Marriage is founded on the glorious fact of sexual difference and its potential fertility. Without this, there would be no life on this planet, no evolution, no human beings, no future. Marriage takes all sorts of forms, from the alliance of clans through bride exchange to modern romantic love. We have come to see that it implies the equal love and dignity of man and woman. But everywhere and always, it remains founded on the union in difference of male and female. Through ceremonies and sacrament this is given a deeper meaning, which for Christians includes the union of God and humanity in Christ.}}

Radcliffe is a Patron of Positive Faith, the main ministry of Catholic AIDS Prevention and Support,{{Cite web |title=About PositiveFaith |url=https://www.positivefaith.org.uk/about-positivefaith |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018192411/https://www.positivefaith.org.uk/about-positivefaith |archive-date=18 October 2023|access-date=28 October 2023|website=Positive Faith {{!}} CAPS |language=en-GB}} sits on the Council on Christian Approaches to Defence and Disarmament,{{Cite web |title=Council on Christian Approaches to Defence and Disarmament |url=https://ccadd.org.uk/council/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117213242/http://ccadd.org.uk/ |archive-date=17 January 2022 |access-date=28 October 2023|language=en-US}} and is a Patron of Embrace the Middle East.{{Cite web |title=Meet the Team |url=https://embraceme.org/our-team |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018052729/https://embraceme.org/our-team |archive-date=18 October 2023 |access-date=28 October 2023 |website=Embrace the Middle East |language=en-GB}}

In January 2023, Pope Francis named Radcliffe to lead a three-day preparatory retreat for participants in the Synod on Synodality in October 2023.{{cite news | url = https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/16442/pope-asks-fr-timothy-radcliffe-to-lead-bishops-synod-retreat | access-date = 30 October 2023 | title = Pope asks Fr Timothy Radcliffe to lead bishops' synod retreat | date = 23 January 2023 | first = Christopher | last = Lamb | work = The Tablet | archive-date = 29 October 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231029160440/https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/16442/pope-asks-fr-timothy-radcliffe-to-lead-bishops-synod-retreat | url-status = dead }} He returned to deliver the preparatory retreat for the October 2024 part of the same synod.{{cite news |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-09/synod-presentation-2nd-session-grech-hollerich-ruffini.html | work = Vatican News | access-date = 14 October 2024 | title = Synod leaders present details of October General Assembly | date =16 September 2024 | first1= Tiziana | last1= Campisi |first2=Salvatore|last2= Cernuzio }}

On 6 October 2024, the Vatican announced that Radcliffe would be created a cardinal on 8 December,{{cite news | last=Radcliffe | first=Timothy| date=6 October 2024 | title=Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP to become a Cardinal | url=https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50793 | work=Independent Catholic News }} with the date of his installation by the Pope at St Peter's Basilica later being updated to 7 December.{{cite news | access-date = 12 October 2024 | url = https://www.ncregister.com/cna/vatican-shares-pope-francis-schedule-for-december-consistory-to-create-cardinals?amp | first = Hannah | last = Brockhaus | date = 12 October 2024 | title = Vatican Shares Pope Francis' Schedule for December Consistory to Create Cardinals | work = National Catholic Register }}

Pope Francis granted him a rare dispensation from the requirement that all cardinals must be bishops, and on 7 December 2024 created Radcliffe a Cardinal, designating him as a member of the Order of Cardinal Deacons and assigning to him the deaconry of Chiesa dei Santi Nomi di Gesù e Maria.{{cite press release | access-date = 7 December 2024 | date = 7 December 2024 | language = it | publisher = Holy See Press Office | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2024/12/07/0975/01948.html | title = Concistoro Ordinario Pubblico: Assegnazione dei Titoli e delle Diaconie ai nuovi Cardinali, 07.12.2024 }}{{Cite web |last=McDonagh |first=Melanie |date=2024-12-08 |title=Another English cardinal: the view from outside St Peter’s Basilica |url=https://thecatholicherald.com/another-english-cardinal-timothy-radcliffe-op-receives-his-red-hat-in-st-peters-basilica/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website= |publisher=Catholic Herald |language=en-GB}} At the consistory Radcliffe wore his Dominican white habit rather than a Cardinal's red robes, returning to the tradition that a member of an Order who becomes a Cardinal does not change his dress.{{cite news | language = fr | work = La Croix International | url = https://international.la-croix.com/fr/religion/nouveaux-cardinaux-le-pape-francois-appelle-a-un-changement-de-style | title = Nouveaux cardinaux : le pape François appelle à un changement de style | date = 9 December 2024 | first = Mikael | last = Corre }} He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.{{cite web| url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/scardc3.html| title=Cardinal Electors|date=6 May 2025|publisher=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|language=en|access-date=6 May 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506193115/https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/scardc3.html|archive-date=6 May 2025|url-status=live}}

In 2003, Oxford awarded Radcliffe an honorary doctorate of Divinity,{{Cite web |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/2003-4/supps/1_4677.htm#11Ref |title=Timothy Radcliffe's Honorary D.D. Citation |access-date=27 August 2006 |archive-date=23 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623025844/http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/2003-4/supps/1_4677.htm#11Ref |url-status=dead }} with the Chancellor (Rt Hon. Christopher Patten) citing the following:{{cite news | newspaper =Oxford University Gazette | title = Chancellor's Honorary Degree Ceremony, 21 November 2003, Supplement (1) to Gazette No. 4677 | date= 26 November 2003| url =https://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/2003-4/supps/1_4677.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130516215234/https://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/2003-4/supps/1_4677.htm#11Ref. | archive-date= 16 May 2013 | access-date = 3 December 2023}}

{{Quote|I present a man distinguished both for eloquence and for wit, a master theologian who has never disregarded ordinary people, a practical man who believes that religion and the teachings of theology must be constantly applied to the conduct of public life.}}

Radcliffe received the 2007 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing for his book What Is the Point of Being A Christian?{{Cite web |title=Past Winners |url=https://www.michaelramseyprize.org.uk/past-winners/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028184115/https://www.michaelramseyprize.org.uk/past-winners/ |archive-date=2023-10-28 |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Michael Ramsey Prize |language=en-GB}}

An Honorary Doctor of Philosophy of Providence College Rhode Island, Radcliffe also received in 2024 the degree of Hon. DD from Liverpool Hope University.[https://www.hope.ac.uk/news/allnews/university-awards-honorary-degree-to-internationally-acclaimed-preacher-speaker-and-author.html www.hope.ac.uk]

• Sing a New Song. The Christian Vocation. Dublin: Dominican Publications, 1999. {{ISBN|1-871552-70-2}}
• I Call You Friends. London: Continuum, 2001. {{ISBN|0-8264-7262-1}}
• Seven Last Words. London: Burns & Oates, 2004. {{ISBN|0-86012-365-0}}
• What Is the Point of Being A Christian? London and New York: Burns & Oates, 2005. {{ISBN|0-86012-369-3}}
• Just One Year: Prayer and Worship through the Christian Year, edited by Timothy Radcliffe with Jean Harrison. London: Darton, Longman & Todd for CAFOD and Christian Aid, 2006. {{ISBN|0-232-52669-9}}
• Why Go to Church? The Drama of the Eucharist. London: Continuum, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-8264-9956-1}}. Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent book 2009
• Christians and Sexuality in the Time of AIDS, with Lytta Bassett. London: Continuum. {{ISBN|978-0-8264-9911-0}}
• Take the Plunge: Living Baptism and Confirmation. London: Burns & Oates, 2012. {{ISBN|978-1-4411-1848-6}}
• The Hope that is Within You: interviewed by Raymond Friel. Redemptorist Publications. April 2016. {{ISBN|9780852314630}}
• Alive in God: A Christian Imagination. London: Bloomsbury Continuum 2019 {{ISBN|978-1-4729-7020-6}}

• {{cite journal |title=I was hungry and you gave me food |journal=The Tablet |volume=264 |issue=8856 |date=7 August 2010 |pages=17}}

• Vowed to Mission (1994)
• The Wellspring of Hope. Study and the Annunciation of the Good News (1996)
• The Identity of Religious Today (1996)
• Dominican Freedom and Responsibility. Towards a Spirituality of Government (1997)
• The Bear and the Nun : What is the Sense of Religious Life Today! (1998)
• The Promise of Life (1998)
• The Rosary (1998)
• Letter to our Brothers and Sisters in Initial Formation (1999)
• To Praise, to Bless, to Preach. The Mission of the Dominican Family (2000)
• The Throne of God (2000)
• St Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), Patroness of Europe (2000)
• The Parable of the Good Samaritan (2001)
• A City set on a hilltop cannot be hidden: A Contemplative Life (2001)
• Mission to a Runaway World: Future Citizens of the Kingdom (2002).

• Catholic Church in the United Kingdom
• Cardinals created by Pope Francis
• Radcliffe baronets

{{Reflist}}

{{Noteslist}}

• [http://english.op.org/torch/tag/Timothy_Radcliffe/ A selection of Radcliffe's sermons]
• [http://www.dominicans.ca/Documents/masters/index.html The 15 Letters to the Order] written by Radcliffe as Master of the Dominican Order between 1993 and 2001

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{{Cardinals of the Catholic Church}}

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Category:1945 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century English Roman Catholic priests

Category:21st-century English Roman Catholic priests

Category:People educated at Downside School

Category:Academics of the University of Oxford

Category:Roman Catholic clergy from London

Category:English Dominicans

Category:Fellows of Blackfriars, Oxford

Category:Fellows of St John's College, Oxford

Category:Masters of the Order of Preachers

Category:New Blackfriars people

Category:Cardinals created by Pope Francis

Category:21st-century British cardinals

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