American prelate
James Peter Davis (June 9, 1904 – March 4, 1988) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church . He served as Bishop (later Archbishop) of San Juan (1943–1964) and Archbishop of Santa Fe (1964–1974).
Biography
James Davis was born in Houghton , Michigan , the only child of John Frank and Elizabeth R. (née Didier) Davis.[ 1] He and his family moved to Topeka , Kansas , and afterwards to Flagstaff , Arizona . He studied at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park , California , and was ordained to the priesthood on May 19, 1929.[ 2] He served as chancellor of the Diocese of Tucson from 1930 to 1932.[ 1]
On July 3, 1943, Davis was appointed Bishop of San Juan in Puerto Rico by Pope Pius XII .[ 2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following October 6 from Bishop Daniel James Gercke , with Bishops Thomas Arthur Connolly and Joseph Thomas McGucken serving as co-consecrators .[ 2] In 1958, he estimated that 90 percent of Puerto Ricans were nominally Catholics, while only 30 percent practiced their faith.[ 3] A strong opponent of Luis Muñoz Marín , Davis once declared he "will never climb the steps of the Fortaleza as long as Luis Muñoz Marín is Governor of Puerto Rico ."[ 4] In 1960, he and two other bishops issued a pastoral letter that prohibited Catholics from voting for Muñoz Marín's Popular Democratic Party .[ 5] However, he later said there would be no punishment for Catholics who violated this order.[ 6]
He was promoted to the first Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico April 30, 1960. In 1963, Davis' predecessor in the see of San Juan, Edwin Byrne , died while serving as Archbishop of Santa Fe. In 1964, Pope Paul VI transferred Davis into Byrne's former position again, appointing him to be the ninth Archbishop of Santa Fe , New Mexico .
Five years before reaching the mandatory age of retirement for a bishop according to canon law , he retired as Archbishop of Santa Fe in 1974. He died in Phoenix, Arizona , in 1988. He was buried at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico .
References
^ a b Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who . Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
^ a b c "Archbishop James Peter Davis" . Catholic-Hierarchy.org .
^ "WAGNER ATTENDS RITES IN SAN JUAN; Catholic Social Action Unit Dedicated—Island Work for Migrants Cited". The New York Times . 1958-01-23.
^ "SAN JUAN PEACE SOUGHT; Bishop Asks for Reconciliation With Governor Munoz Marin". The New York Times . 1953-03-16.
^ "VATICAN WILL GET PROTEST BY MUNOZ; Puerto Rico Governor Will Appeal Letter of Bishops After Election Day". The New York Times . 1960-10-23.
^ "ARCHBISHOP ENDS SAN JUAN DISPUTE; Reaffirms Prohibition of Vote Penalty—Popular Party Makes Peace Move". The New York Times . 1960-11-25.
External links and additional sources