Funeral for Retired Atlanta Archbishop Is Thursday at Christ the King

The funeral Mass for Atlanta Archbishop-emeritus John Francis Donoghue will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the in Buckhead.

Archbishop Donoghue, 83, the fifth archbishop of the Atlanta Archdiocese, died Friday night, the Atlanta archdiocese said. The archdiocese gave no information about the cause or circumstances of his death, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution cited a report that he had grown increasingly weak in recent months. The AJC said that he regularly prayed at the cathedral at 2 a.m.

His body will lie in state at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 353 Peachtree St. from 10 a.m  Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday. There will be a procession of the body to the cathedral, 2699 Peachtree Road, the archdiocese said.

He served as Atlanta's archbishop from Aug. 19, 1993, until Dec. 9, 2004, when Pope John Paul II accepted his retirement due to age. He succeeded Archbishop James P. Lyke, who died Dec. Dec. 27, 1992, of cancer after only two years in office, and was succeeded by the present archbishop, Wilton Gregory.

During his term in office, Archbishop Donoghue initiated a Eucharistic renewal, "which inspired renewed teaching on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist through many forms, including lay seminars where individuals shared their faith stories," the archdiocese said in an announcement. Through the renewal, a chapel for the adoration of the Eucharist opened at the Cathedral of Christ the King in June 1994, with perpetual adoration continuing since that time.

He also led an effort to build new Catholic schools, including two archdiocesan high schools and three archdiocesan elementary schools.

The AJC cited several controversial stands, including refusing the participation of women in foot-washing ceremonies and denial of the Eucharist to politicians who took pro-abortion positions.