Bishop Henri Gracida, aged 102, from Texas, is in a critical condition in hospital with sepsis.
Born
in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 9 June 1923, Gracida served as a fighter
pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
He subsequently studied architecture at the University of Houston, going on to work professionally in the field.
In
1951, he joined the Benedictines at Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe,
Pennsylvania. He was ordained a priest on 23 May 1959.
By 1961,
friction between Fr Gracida and the Benedictine Order had resulted in
his transfer to the Archdiocese of Miami, where he worked as a parish
priest.
Ten years later, in 1971, he was appointed auxiliary
bishop of Miami. He was subsequently appointed bishop of the Diocese of
Pensacola-Tallahassee in 1975 and of the Diocese of Corpus Christi in
1983. He remained there until retiring at the age of 75 in 1997.
Monsignor
Gracida is known for his Catholic views. In 1990, he excommunicated two
individuals in Corpus Christi who were involved in performing
abortions, citing canon law. The previous year, he had called for a
boycott of Pepsi-Cola products due to a controversial advertisement
featuring Madonna.
After retiring, he cared for many pets, including several dogs and a cat.
In
recent years, he became a vocal defender of the Mass in the Roman Rite
and a critic of Pope Francis. Bishop Gracida shared his opinions on the
Abyssus Abyssum Invocat blog.
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