WINNING, THOMAS JOSEPH

Cardinal and archbishop of Glasgow, Scotland; b. Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland, June 3, 1925; d. June 17, 2001. Winning was the only son of Thomas Winning and Agnes (née Canning). He began his studies for the priesthood at St. Mary's College, Blairs (1941–1943), where he studied philosophy. His theological studies started at St. Peter's College Glasgow, and continued, once peace was restored in Europe, at the newly reopened Pontifical Scots College in Rome and the Gregorian University, from which he obtained his licence in Sacred Theology. Although he had been accepted as a student for the archdiocese of Glasgow, he was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 18, 1948 for the newly created suffragan diocese of Motherwell. Following a brief curacy at Chapelhall (1949–1950), he returned to the Scots College in Rome and received a doctorate cum laude in canon law at the Gregorian University in 1953.

Following his return to Scotland, he served in several pastoral assignments, and was diocesan secretary from 1956 to 1961. In 1961, he was appointed as spiritual director at the Scots College, and returned to Rome (1961–1966). While there, he was appointed an advocate of the Sacred Roman Rota (1965). On his return to Scotland, he became parish priest at St. Luke's, Motherwell, and also Officialis and Vicar Episcopal of the Motherwell diocese. In 1970, the Scottish hierarchy established a National Scottish Marriage Tribunal, and Winning was appointed its first president.

On Oct. 22, 1971 Winning was nominated titular bishop of Louth and appointed auxiliary bishop of Glasgow, receiving episcopal ordination from the archbishop of Glasgow on November 30, the Feast of St. Andrew. Following the death of Archbishop Scanlan, he was translated to Glasgow as archbishop in 1974. Twenty years later, Pope John Paul II created him cardinal priest (Nov. 26, 1994), with the title of S. Andrea delle Fratte. The only Scottish cardinal, he was a prominent spokesman for the church. In 1997 he attracted national attention for offering spiritual, personal, and financial help to any woman faced with the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy; those who felt that abortion was the only option would receive financial support from the Church to enable them to have their children. The same year, he was appointed special papal envoy to the celebration of the 14th centenary of the death of St. Columba. Winning died on June 17, 2001. His remains were interred with his predecessors in the crypt of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow.

[m. purcell/eds.]