John Keenan (bishop)
John Keenan | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Paisley | |
Keenan in 2024 | |
| Diocese | Paisley |
| Appointed | 8 February 2014 |
| Installed | 19 March 2014 |
| Predecessor | Philip Tartaglia |
| Other post | President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland (2024–present) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 9 July 1995 by Thomas Winning |
| Consecration | 19 March 2014 by Philip Tartaglia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Keenan 19 December 1964 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | Joseph & Philomena Keenan |
| Alma mater |
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| Motto |
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| Coat of arms | |
| Styles of John Keenan | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | The Right Reverend |
| Spoken style | My Lord |
| Religious style | Bishop |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
John Keenan (born 19 December 1964, in Glasgow) is a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop, who has served as the bishop of the Diocese of Paisley since 2014.[1] Before becoming a bishop he was a parish priest and school then university chaplain. Since 2024, he has also been president of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland.
Early life and education
John Keenan, one of the five children of Joseph and Philomena Keenan, was born in Glasgow where he was baptised at St Joseph's Church, Cowcaddens.[2] He was educated at St Gregory's Primary School in the Wyndford area of the city before going on to the Salesian Missionary College, Shrigley Hall near Macclesfield, Cheshire, England where he received his secondary education. In 1984 he matriculated at the University of Glasgow where he read law, graduating with a first class honours Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1988. From 1988 until 1995 he received his priestly formation at the Pontifical Scots College and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, graduating with Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (STB) and Licentiate in Philosophy (PhL) degrees.[3]
Priesthood
John Keenan was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Thomas Winning on 9 July 1995.[4] Thereafter he was appointed to the parish of Christ the King in King's Park, Glasgow where he served until 2000. From 1997 until 2000 he was also chaplain to Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow. Between 1995 and 2005 he lectured in philosophy at Scotus College, Bearsden. In 2000 he was appointed chaplain to the Catholic students and staff of the University of Glasgow, a post he held until his episcopal ordination. A few months prior to his Episcopal Ordination he was appointed by Archbishop Tartaglia to be parish priest of St Patrick's Church in the Anderston district of Glasgow and Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Glasgow.[5][6]
Episcopate and Controversies
On 8 February 2014, his appointment as the fifth Bishop of Paisley by Pope Francis was announced.[7][8]
Keenan was consecrated bishop in St Mirin's Cathedral, Paisley on 19 March 2014, the Feast of Saint Joseph by Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow. The principal co-consecrating bishops were Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh and Bishop John Mone emeritus Bishop of Paisley.[4] Keenan has taken as his episcopal motto the words Suscepit servum recordatus misericordiae (He protects his servant remembering his mercy) inspired by the Magnificat.[9] Having served as vice-president,[10] he was elected president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland in 2024.[11]
Bishop Keenan has been described as a ‘prolific’ antiabortion activist who has recruited protesters to picket the Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Glasgow [12] He defended misinformation distributed by anti-abortion activists, describing them in the Scottish parliament as ‘factually accurate’ [13] He also attended an anti-abortion protest at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in 2025 [14]
Bishop Keenan has been criticised for organising the first chapter of ‘Courage’ conversion therapy in Paisley Diocese. “Bishop Keenan has travelled across the world for conferences linked to conversion therapy techniques, including with a delegation of young people from Scotland during a July 2019 trip to Courage International’s annual conference in the United States.” [15]
References
- ^ "Pope appoints Fr John Keenan as Bishop of Paisley". BBC News. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ "Bishop John Keenan interview with Graham Spiers". Shereen. BBC. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Biography & Coat of Arms". Diocese of Paisley. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ a b * "bishop/bkeenan". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney.
- ^ "Bishop John Biography". Diocese of Paisley. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Bishop John Keenan". Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Fr John Keenan appointed Bishop of Paisley by Pope". The Scotsman. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "About us". Diocese of Paisley. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Bishop John Keenan". Diocese of Paisley. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland". bcos.org.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ Laden, Elena (8 November 2024). "Bishops' Conference of Scotland Announces New Leadership". Catholic Parliamentary Office. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ Easton, Kaitlin (8 February 2024). "Scots Catholic churches slammed for bid to recruit anti-abortion protestors". Daily Record. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ Thomas, Greg (13 March 2024). "Bishop describes anti-abortion leaflets full of misinformation as "factually accurate"". Humanist Society Scotland. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ "More than 100 anti-abortion protesters target Glasgow hospital". The National. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ "Catholic church told to shut down gay conversion therapy groups". The Ferret. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2026.