Suenons, Léon-Joseph

(1904-1996)

   Léon-Joseph Suenons was born in Ixelles on 16 July 1904. The son of an owner of a small brewery, he was orphaned at four and grew up in extensive poverty. Joining the priesthood, he studied at the Episcopal College of Sainte-Marie in Mechelen and, for seven years, at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Ordained on 4 September 1927, Suenons taught at the Catholic University of Leuven (1940-1945) and was ordained auxiliary bishop of Mechelen on 16 December 1945. Following the death of Cardinal van Roey, he was named archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels on 24 November 1961. He was named military vicar of Belgium on 2 February 1962. Pope John XXIII elevated him to the car-dinalate on 19 March 1962 and he received the red hat on 22 March. An intimate of the late king Baldwin I and a prolific publicist, Cardinal Suenons died on 6 May 1996.