Joseph Elmer Knight
Cardinal Joseph Elmer Ritter (born July 20, 1892 in New Albany , Indiana , USA , † June 10, 1967 in St. Louis ) was an American clergyman and Archbishop of Saint Louis .
Life
Joseph Elmer Ritter was born on July 20, 1892 in New Albany, Indiana, to Nickolas and Bertha (nee Luetta) Ritter. After studying at St. Meinard's Seminary he received on May 30, 1917 by Bishop Joseph Chartrand (s) for the Diocese of Indianapolis , the ordination . He was active in pastoral care until 1933, then as rector at the unfinished St. Peter and Paul Cathedral.
On February 3, 1933, Knight was made by Pope Pius XI. appointed auxiliary bishop in Indianapolis and titular bishop of Hippos . The episcopal ordination received his Bishop Chartrand on March 28; Co-consecrators were the Bishop of Nashville , Alphonse John Smith , and the Bishop of Corpus Christi , Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina . A year later, on March 24, 1934, Ritter succeeded Chartrand as Bishop of Indianapolis. During his tenure he reorganized the Catholic Caritas, founded a Catholic youth organization and completed the construction of the cathedral. He fought racial discrimination by integrating ethnic groups into church schools, despite opposition from local white people. On November 11, 1944, the Diocese of Indianapolis was raised to an archbishopric and Ritter was appointed archbishop.
Pope Pius XII appointed Ritter 4th Archbishop of St. Louis on July 20, 1946 . Although he was not as eloquent as his predecessor John Cardinal Glennon , he knew how to lead his diocese very well and set his own accents such as combating racial discrimination. In 1947 he announced that racial segregation would be abolished in church schools. As a result, some Catholics tried to sue Ritter, but when Ritter pointed out that a lawsuit against a bishop in a secular court would automatically lead to excommunication , they withdrew their charges. Ritter was the first bishop to organize a diocesan mission in La Paz, Bolivia. He transferred most of the missions to the order and the population supported the missions with donations.
On January 16, 1961 Archbishop Knight of Pope John XXIII. the cardinal created and Cardinal Priest of Via Merulana Santissimo Redentore e Sant'Alfonso appointed. Cardinal Ritter took part in the sessions of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). He protested at the council against the curia and against the draft of the revelation by Cardinal Ottaviani . On his return to St. Louis, some Catholics expected him to reform the existing administrative structures and give priests and lay people a greater role in diocesan leadership, as recommended by the council. Before he could implement the reforms, however, he died on June 10, 1967, at the age of 74, of complications from a heart attack.
Web links
- Ritter, Joseph Elmer. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed November 25, 2016.
- Entry on Joseph Elmer Ritter on catholic-hierarchy.org ; Retrieved November 25, 2016.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chartrand (en) |
Archbishop of Indianapolis 1934–1946 |
Paul Clarence Schulte |
| John Cardinal Glennon |
Archbishop of St. Louis 1946–1967 |
John Cardinal Carberry |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ritter, Joseph Elmer |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American clergyman and Archbishop of Saint Louis |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 20, 1892 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New Albany , Indiana , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 10, 1967 |
| Place of death | St. Louis |