Biography
Leonard Blair was born in Detroit, Michigan, and there studied at Sacred Heart Seminary, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History. He then furthered his studies in Rome, where he earned a baccalaureate and licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).
Blair was ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 1976, and then served as vicar general and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He taught theology at Sacred Heart Seminary, where he was dean of studies as well. Blair was personal secretary to Edmund Cardinal Szoka and an official of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See from 1994 to 1997, whence he was named pastor of St. Paul Church in Grosse Point Farms.
On July 8, 1999, Blair was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit and Titular Bishop of Voncariana. He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 24 from Adam Cardinal Maida, with Cardinal Szoka and Bishop Dale Melczek serving as co-consecrators. Blair was later named Bishop of Toledo, Ohio, on October 7, 2003.
In 2009, he delivered the findings of an initial doctrinal assessment report to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), which had been requested and begun in 2008; he issued a subsequent letter in 2010. In April 2012, the CDF issued a formal document ordering an up to five-year-long visitation of the Conference, to be chaired by Seattle's Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, with Bishop Blair and the Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, Thomas J. Paprocki, as members.
In July 2011, Blair advised parishes and Catholic schools in the Diocese of Toledo against raising funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, citing concerns that funds contributed to the global anti-cancer foundation may go towards funding embryonic stem-cell research. Blair stated, "As best we can determine, at present the Komen Foundation does not fund cancer research that employs embryonic stem cells. However, their policy does not exclude that possibility. They are open to embryonic stem cell research, and may very well fund such research in the future." Bishop Blair's statement also made reference to Komen's relationship with Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortions in the United States of America. Because of these factors, Bishop Blair, in conjunction with the Catholic bishops of Ohio, urged Catholic faithful, both corporate and individually, to consider alternate organizations when supporting anti-breast cancer research.
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