A lecture on “The Clash of Religion and Secularism” will be delivered by Thomas Cardinal Collins, archbishop of Toronto, for the annual John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture on Nov. 22.
Presented in English, the lecture brings the perspective of Collins on the topic of tensions that exist between religion and secularism.
Born and raised in Guelph, Ont., Collins was ordained a priest in 1973. He considered other paths, but was inspired by a high school English teacher who suggested he should consider the priesthood.
He earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in English, later pursuing theological training in Rome. Specializing in the Book of Revelation, he earned his licentiate in sacred scripture from the Pontifical Bible Institute and a doctorate in theology from Gregorian University.
He was named bishop of St. Paul, Alta. in 1997 and archbishop of Edmonton in 1999. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Collins as archbishop of Toronto in December 2006. On Feb. 18, 2012, he was elevated to the College of Cardinals in Rome. Collins was one of 115 cardinal-electors to participate in the 2013 Conclave in Rome, where Pope Francis was elected to succeed Pope Benedict XVI.
The lecture begins at 7:30pm, and takes place at the Centre of Excellence, A100 York Hall, 2275 Bayview Ave. in North York. Register online to attend.
About the John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture
The annual John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture at Glendon honours the late John W. Holmes, O.C., Canadian diplomat, writer, administrator and professor of international relations at Glendon from 1971-81. Holmes was a tireless promoter of Canada at home and abroad, in political, diplomatic and educational circles. He also participated in the founding of the United Nations and attended its first General Assembly in 1945.
Shortly after Holmes’s death in 1988, a memorial fund was set up at Glendon under the leadership of Professor Albert Tucker, principal of Glendon from 1970-75 and chair of the History Department at the time, to create a series of annual lectures honouring Holmes, sponsored by Glendon’s International Studies program. It was launched in 1989 by the late Edward Appathurai, who established international studies at Glendon; Tucker; and three Glendon graduates, Jim Dow, Marshall Leslie and Martin Shadwick, who had attended Holmes’s course on Canadian foreign and defence policy.