View source for Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe

{{Bishop
|honorific_prefix=His Eminence
|name=Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe
|diocese=
|home_diocese=Diocese of London
|other_diocese1=
|other_diocese2=
|other_diocese3=
|ordination=2 October 1971
|ordained_by=Bishop Christopher Butler
|consecration=
|consecrated_by=
|rank=Cardinal
|cardinal=7 December 2024
|created_cardinal_by=Pope Francis
|birth_name=Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1945|08|22}}
|birth_place=London, England
|death_date=
|death_place=
|nationality=British
|education=St John's College, Oxford
|motto=Veritatem in Caritate
|role=Curial
|theology=Moderate
|region=Northern Europe
|rite=Roman Rite
|conclave_eligibility=Eligible
}}

'''Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe''', born {{Birth date and age|1945|08|22}}, is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[Bishop (Catholic)|cardinal]], Dominican priest, and theologian. Master of the Order of Preachers from 1992 to 2001, he was the first English Dominican to hold the office. Elevated to cardinal by [[Pope Francis]] in 2024, he received a rare dispensation from the requirement of episcopal consecration, serving as cardinal-deacon of Santi Nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata. Known for his work at the Las Casas Institute promoting social justice and for leading Synod on Synodality retreats, Radcliffe is a prominent voice within the [[Roman Rite]].<ref name="wiki">{{Cite web |title=Timothy Radcliffe |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Radcliffe |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Wikipedia |date=2024-10-07}}</ref><ref name="vaticanbio">{{Cite web |title=RADCLIFFE Card. Timothy Peter Joseph, O.P. |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinals_biographies/cardinal_radcliffe.html |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Vatican Press Office |date=2024-12-07}}</ref><ref name="cna_cardinal">{{Cite web |title=Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals, including Timothy Radcliffe |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260678/pope-francis-creates-21-new-cardinals-including-timothy-radcliffe |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Catholic News Agency |date=2024-12-07}}</ref>

Born in [[London]], Radcliffe was inspired by the [[Saints|Saint]] [[Thomas Aquinas]], whose theology shapes his writings. In 2025, at age 79, he was eligible for the [[papal conclave]], with his preaching and synodal reflections influencing Church dialogue. His progressive views, particularly on outreach to LGBT Catholics, have sparked both admiration and controversy.<ref name="cna_conclave">{{Cite web |title=Who can vote in a papal conclave? |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260678/who-can-vote-in-a-papal-conclave |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Catholic News Agency |date=2025-04-20}}</ref><ref name="ncregister">{{Cite web |title=Father Timothy Radcliffe’s designation as Synod on Synodality’s retreat master stirs anxiety |url=https://www.ncregister.com/news/father-timothy-radcliffe-designation-as-synod-on-synodality-retreat-master-stirs-anxiety |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=National Catholic Register |date=2023-01-27}}</ref>

==Biography==

===Birth and early life===
Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe was born on {{Birth date and age|1945|08|22}} in [[London]], [[England]], to Lt-Col. Hugh Radcliffe (1911–1993) and Mariequita Pereira (1916–2005), the third of five sons in an aristocratic family.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="vaticanbio" /> Inspired by Thomas Aquinas’s intellectual rigor, he entered the Dominican Order in 1965. His cousin, Sir Sebastian Radcliffe, is the 7th Baronet, and his brother Mark was High Sheriff of Hampshire (1996–1997).<ref name="wiki" />

Raised in a privileged Catholic family, Radcliffe attended Worth Preparatory School and Downside School, fostering a blend of tradition and openness that defines his theology. His early peace activism shaped his social justice focus.<ref name="cna_bio">{{Cite web |title=Timothy Radcliffe |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/55590/timothy-radcliffe |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Catholic News Agency}}</ref>

===Education===
Radcliffe studied theology at St John’s College, Oxford, earning a master’s degree in 1969. He pursued further studies in Paris under Yves Congar, deepening his Dominican formation, and trained at Blackfriars, Oxford, without earning a doctorate.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="vaticanbio" /><ref name="collegeofcardinals">{{Cite web |title=Cardinal Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, O.P. |url=https://collegeofcardinalsreport.com/cardinal-timothy-radcliffe |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=College of Cardinals Report |date=2024-12-06}}</ref> His education emphasized scripture and social ethics.<ref name="bfriars">{{Cite web |title=Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP |url=https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/people/fr-timothy-radcliffe-op/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Blackfriars Hall |date=2018-08-08}}</ref>

His Oxford and Parisian training connected him with global theologians, preparing him for leadership. He mastered French, Italian, and Spanish, aiding his international ministry.<ref name="vaticanbio" />

===Priesthood===
Ordained a priest on 2 October 1971 by Bishop Christopher Butler for the [[Diocese of London]], Radcliffe served at the West London Catholic Chaplaincy (1970s) and taught scripture at Blackfriars, Oxford.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="catholichierarchy">{{Cite web |title=Timothy Peter Joseph Cardinal Radcliffe |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bradcliffe.html |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Catholic-Hierarchy.org}}</ref> He was prior of Oxford’s Dominican convent (1982–1988), provincial of England (1988–1992), and Master of the Order of Preachers (1992–2001), overseeing Dominicans globally.<ref name="vaticanbio" />

His priesthood combined preaching, scholarship, and activism. He founded Dominican Volunteers International and supported AIDS ministry through Positive Faith. His 2007 Michael Ramsey Prize for *What Is the Point of Being a Christian?* highlighted his theological influence.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="cna_cardinal" />

===Bishop===
Appointed cardinal-deacon of Santi Nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata on 7 December 2024 by [[Pope Francis]], Radcliffe received a dispensation from episcopal consecration, a rare exception for non-bishops.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="vaticanbio" /> He led Synod on Synodality retreats in 2023 and 2024, shaping its spiritual direction, and served as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2015–2016).<ref name="cna_cardinal" /><ref name="synod">{{Cite web |title=Interview: Timothy Radcliffe on how he prepares to give homilies |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/09/30/timothy-radcliffe-synod-preaching-homilies-248824 |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=America Magazine |date=2024-09-30}}</ref>

In 2025, at age 79, Radcliffe was eligible for the conclave, with his synodal leadership enhancing his influence, though his progressive views remain debated. He continues preaching and promoting social justice at Blackfriars, Oxford.<ref name="cna_conclave" /><ref name="ncregister" /><ref name="lacroix">{{Cite web |title=Timothy Radcliffe, the popular and respected preacher ahead of the conclave |url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/timothy-radcliffe-the-popular-and-respected-preacher-ahead-of-the-conclave/19276 |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=La Croix International |date=2025-04-29}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Diocese
! Role
! Start Date
! End Date
! Notes
|-
| [[Diocese|Santi Nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata]]
| Cardinal-Deacon
| 7 December 2024
| Present
| Appointed by Pope Francis; non-bishop cardinal
|}

==Significant events==
* Entered the Dominican Order in 1965.<ref name="wiki" />
* Ordained priest for the [[Diocese of London]] by Bishop Christopher Butler on 2 October 1971.<ref name="wiki" />
* Served as prior of Oxford’s Dominican convent from 1982 to 1988.<ref name="vaticanbio" />
* Elected provincial of the English Dominican Province in 1988, serving until 1992.<ref name="wiki" />
* Elected Master of the Order of Preachers in 1992, serving until 2001.<ref name="wiki" />
* Awarded the Michael Ramsey Prize for *What Is the Point of Being a Christian?* in 2007.<ref name="wiki" />
* Named consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on 16 May 2015.<ref name="wiki" />
* Appointed director of the Las Casas Institute at Blackfriars, Oxford, in 2014, serving until 2016.<ref name="bfriars" />
* Led retreats for the Synod on Synodality in October 2023 and September 2024.<ref name="synod" />
* Created cardinal-deacon of Santi Nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata by [[Pope Francis]] on 7 December 2024.<ref name="vaticanbio" />
* Eligible for the 2025 papal conclave, influencing synodal dialogue.<ref name="cna_conclave" /><ref name="lacroix" />

==Books==
===Written about the bishop===
* No known books specifically dedicated to Cardinal Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe have been identified as of May 2025.

===Written by the bishop===
* ''Sing a New Song: The Christian Vocation'', Dublin, Dominican Publications, 1999, ISBN 1-871552-70-2.<ref name="wiki" />
* ''I Call You Friends'', London, Continuum, 2001, ISBN 978-0-8264-7262-5.<ref name="wiki" />
* ''Seven Last Words'', London, Burns & Oates, 2004, ISBN 978-0-86012-365-1.<ref name="wiki" />
* ''What Is the Point of Being a Christian?'', London, Burns & Oates, 2005, ISBN 978-0-86012-369-9.<ref name="wiki" />
* ''Why Go to Church? The Drama of the Eucharist'', London, Continuum, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8264-9956-1.<ref name="wiki" />
* ''Take the Plunge: Living Baptism and Confirmation'', London, Burns & Oates, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4411-1848-6.<ref name="wiki" />
* ''Alive in God: A Christian Imagination'', London, Bloomsbury, 2019, ISBN 978-1-4729-7020-6.<ref name="bfriars" />

==External links==
* [https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bradcliffe.html Timothy Peter Joseph Cardinal Radcliffe], Catholic-Hierarchy.org
* [https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinals_biographies/cardinal_radcliffe.html RADCLIFFE Card. Timothy Peter Joseph, O.P.], Vatican Press Office
* [https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/people/fr-timothy-radcliffe-op/ Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP], Blackfriars Hall
* [https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/timothy-radcliffe-the-popular-and-respected-preacher-ahead-of-the-conclave/19276 Timothy Radcliffe, the popular and respected preacher ahead of the conclave], La Croix International

==References==
{{Reflist}}