Cyril Conrad Cowderoy (5 May 1905 - 10 October 1976) was a priest for over 45 years and a bishop for over 26 years in the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.
After study in Paris he returned to serve in the diocese first as a teacher and then as Bishop's secretary.[2] He served as parish priest for a short time until he was appointed bishop in 1949 and consecrated by Cardinal Bernard William Griffin with George Beck (bishop) and Neil Farren as co-consecrators.[3]
Episcopal Ministry
Southwark's Catholic cathedral was destroyed by in a 1941 bombing raid and so one of his immediate pastoral priorities was to re-contruct the cathedral.[4]
In recently revealed archives it is shown that in 1957 Cowderoy took a hardline approach from a Dutch priest and future Vatican Cardinal Johannes Willebrands to come and speak on ecumenism in his diocese. "I do not agree with it and I do not like it...if the Holy See leaves me to judge, I would say no."[6]
In 1968 he took a hard line on the controversial papal encyclicalHumanae Vitae and disciplined a young priest in his diocese was called the document on artifical birth control "regrettable". Cowderoy's position was in contrast to the more moderate approsach of his fellow London Archbishop, John Heenan (cardinal).[7]
