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Archbishop of Toronto
Archbishopric
catholic
Coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Toronto
Incumbent: Frank Leo since February 11, 2023
Information
First holder	Michael Power (bishop) John Joseph Lynch (archbishop)
Established	1841 (bishopric) 1870 (archbishopric)
Archdiocese	Toronto
Cathedral	St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica
Website
Official website

The archbishop of Toronto is the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, responsible for looking after its spiritual and administrative needs. As the archdiocese is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province that encompasses Southern Ontario and part of Northwestern Ontario in Canada, the archbishop also administers the bishops who head the suffragan dioceses of Hamilton, London, Saint Catharines, and Thunder Bay. The current archbishop is Frank Leo.

The archdiocese began as the Diocese of Toronto, which was created on December 17, 1841. Michael Power was appointed its first bishop, and under his reign the construction of St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica in Toronto commenced, with Power himself laying the cornerstone of the new church. On March 18, 1870, the diocese was elevated to the status of archdiocese by Pope Pius IX while the First Vatican Council was in session. John Joseph Lynch became the first archbishop of the newly-formed metropolitan see, and received the pallium during his sojourn in Rome to attend the council.

Ten men have been Archbishop of Toronto; another two were the bishop of its predecessor diocese. Five archbishops – James McGuigan, Gerald Emmett Carter, Aloysius Ambrozic, Thomas Collins, and Leo – were elevated to the College of Cardinals. Power, the first ordinary of the archdiocese, was also the first English-speaking bishop to be born in Canada. Denis O'Connor, whose episcopacy spanned from 1899 to 1908, was the first archbishop born in Ontario. When McGuigan was raised to cardinal in 1946, he became the first anglophone cardinal from Canada, as well as the first cardinal from the archdiocese. He also had the longest tenure as Archbishop of Toronto, serving for 36 years from 1934 to 1971, while Fergus McEvay held the position for three years (1908–1911), marking the shortest archiepiscopacy.

List of ordinaries

Bishops of Toronto

Archbishops of Toronto

Notes

1. The Archdiocese maintains that the date of its elevation was March 18. On the other hand, the Dictionary of Canadian Biography states the date as March 15, while Encyclopedia.com lists March 25.
2. Under the Code of Canon Law, the coadjutor bishop has the right of succession (cum jure successionis) upon the death, retirement or resignation of the diocesan bishop he is assisting.

References

General

• "Past Ordinaries". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.

Specific

1. "Proposal would increase power of archbishops in dealing with sex abuse". The Catholic Register. Toronto. December 14, 2018. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020. Cardinal Archbishop Thomas Collins of the Archdiocese of Toronto heads an ecclesiastical province which includes the dioceses of St. Catharines, London, Hamilton and Thunder Bay.
2. "Solemn Mass for the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Toronto". Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. May 29, 2017. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
3. ^ "Timeline". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
4. Choquette, Robert (1988). "Power, Michael". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. 7. University of Toronto / Université Laval. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
5. "About Us". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
6. ^ Humphries, Charles W. (1982). "Lynch, John Joseph". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. 11. University of Toronto / Université Laval. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
7. ^ "Lynch, John Joseph". Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.). Columbia University Press. 2000. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
8. "Canadian cardinals: 1886–2012". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. January 6, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
9. ^ "From Bishops Power to Collins, 175 years of faithful leadership". The Catholic Register. Toronto. May 25, 2017. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
10. ^ "Chief shepherds helped forge Catholic Toronto". The Catholic Register. Toronto. February 5, 2007. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
11. ^ "His Eminence, James Charles Cardinal McGuigan". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
12. Gerard, Warren (July 2, 1979). Newman, Peter C. (ed.). "A prince of the church takes his pew". Maclean's. Vol. 92, no. 27. Toronto. p. 44. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2020. James Cardinal McGuigan was Toronto's first cardinal.
13. "Most Reverend Michael Power". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
14. "Most Reverend Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel, P.S.S." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
15. Van Hove, A. (1913). "Bishop". In Charles George Herbermann (ed.). The Original Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Robert Appleton Company. p. 581. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
16. Agnew, Paddy; McGarry, Patsy (May 5, 2012). "Vatican may appoint bishop to aid Brady". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
17. ^ "Most Reverend John Joseph Lynch, C.M." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
18. "Most Reverend John Walsh". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
19. "Most Reverend Denis O'Connor, C.S.B." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
20. "Most Reverend Fergus Patrick McEvay". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
21. "Most Reverend Neil McNeil". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
22. "Most Reverend Philip Francis Pocock". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
23. "His Eminence, Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
24. "Carter Card. Gerald Emmett". Holy See Press Office. Holy See. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
25. "His Eminence, Aloysius Matthew Cardinal Ambrozic". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
26. "Ambrozic Card. Aloysius Matthew". Holy See Press Office. Holy See. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
27. "His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
28. "Collins Card. Thomas Christopher". Holy See Press Office. Holy See. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
29. "Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Frank Leo as Archbishop of Toronto". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
30. Braun, Liz (March 25, 2023). "Most Rev. Francis Leo installed as Toronto's new Archbishop". Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 25, 2023.

v t e Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Toronto
Bishops of Toronto	Michael Power Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel John Joseph Lynch
Archbishops of Toronto	John Joseph Lynch John Walsh Denis O'Connor Fergus McEvay Neil McNeil James McGuigan Philip Pocock Gerald Emmett Carter Aloysius Ambrozic Thomas Christopher Collins Frank Leo
Auxiliary bishops, current	John Boissoneau Ivan Camilleri Robert Kasun Vincent Nguyen
Auxiliary bishops, former	Timothy O'Mahony Benjamin Webster Francis Allen Francis Marrocco Thomas Fulton Leonard Wall Michael Pearse Lacey Robert Clune John Knight Nicola de Angelis Terrence Prendergast R. Anthony Meagher Richard Grecco Daniel Bohan Peter Hundt William McGrattan Wayne Kirkpatrick
Bishops who served as priests in the Archdiocese	Francis Carroll John O'Mara
Catholicism portal The Diocese of Toronto was elevated to the status of archdiocese in 1870.

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