Collins, Thomas (1947-…), became a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church in 2012. Cardinals are high-ranking clergymen in the church. They advise the pope and elect the pope’s successor after he dies or resigns. Collins has served as the archbishop of Toronto, Canada’s largest archdiocese, since 2007. An archdiocese is a church district. Collins also has been the chancellor of the University of St. Michael’s College, part of the University of Toronto, since 2007. In 2008, Collins became president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, one of four regional associations of Roman Catholic bishops in Canada. The other three are the Atlantic Episcopal Assembly, Assemblée des évêques catholiques du Québec (Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec), and the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops.
Thomas Christopher Collins was born in Guelph, Ontario, on Jan. 16, 1947. In 1969, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Jerome’s College in Waterloo, Ontario. In 1973, he received a master’s degree in English from the University of Western Ontario (now called Western University) and a bachelor of theology degree from St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario. In 1978, he earned a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. A licentiate is an advanced degree awarded to individuals who complete an in-depth course of study. Collins also received a doctorate in theology from Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1986.
Collins was ordained as a priest in 1973. He spent a short time working as an associate pastor at churches in Ontario. From the 1970’s to the late 1990’s, he held a number of academic positions at a boys’ high school in Hamilton, Ontario; the University of Western Ontario; and St. Peter’s Seminary.
Pope John Paul II appointed Collins bishop of St. Paul, Alberta, in 1997. Two years later, the pope appointed him archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Collins archbishop of Toronto in 2006. Collins took charge of the archdiocese in 2007. Under Benedict, Collins was part of a group investigating sexual abuse by clergy in Ireland. He also has served as the pope’s representative in Canada welcoming Anglicans who join the Catholic Church. Collins is devoted to lectio divina, a special method of reading Scripture involving prayer and meditation.
