Kevin Joseph Farrell KGCHS (born September 2, 1947) is a prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal and served as prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life since 2016. In 2019 he was appointed camerlengo of the Catholic Church as well.
He was born in Ireland and, after serving as a chaplain and university teacher for several years in Mexico, worked in the United States from 1984 to 2016. He was an auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Washington from 2002 to 2007 and bishop of the Diocese of Dallas from 2007 to 2017.
Biography
Early life
Farrell was born on September 2, 1947, in Dublin, Ireland and grew up speaking Irish. He is the second of four sons. His older brother is Brian Farrell, who was appointed secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in the Roman Curia in 2002.
Farrell obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Salamanca in Spain. He then entered the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a Master of Philosophy degree and Licentiate in Theology. He also attended the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, receiving a Master of Theology degree in dogmatic theology (1976) and a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in pastoral theology (1977). He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame also granted Farrell an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2017.
Priesthood
Farrell was ordained to the priesthood for the Legionaries of Christ by Cardinal Eduardo Pironio in Rome on December 24, 1978. After his ordination, Farrell served as a chaplain at the University of Monterrey in Mexico, where he also conducted seminars in bioethics and social ethics. In the early 1980s, Farrell left the Legionaries and was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Washington. In 1984, Farrell was assigned as an associate pastor at St. Peter's Parish in Olney, Maryland. He also served at St. Bartholomew Parish in Bethesda, Maryland, and at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Washington, D.C. In 1985, Farrell was appointed director of the archdiocesan Spanish Catholic Center.
Farrell became acting director of Catholic Charities in 1988, and served as secretary of finance for the archdiocese from 1989 to 2001. He was raised by the Vatican to the rank of monsignor in 1995. In 2001, Farrell was named vicar general for the archdiocese and pastor of Annunciation Parish in Washington.
Auxiliary Bishop of Washington
On December 28, 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed Farrell as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington with the titular see of Rusuccuru. He was consecrated on February 11, 2002 by Theodore McCarrick and served until 2007 as Washington's moderator of the curia and chief vicar general.
Bishop of Dallas
Farrell was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Dallas by Pope Benedict XVI on March 6, 2007, replacing Charles Grahmann. Farrell was installed on May 1, 2007.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Farrell was a consultant to the Committee on Migration, which oversaw the Migration and Refugee Services department. This department serves and advocates for refugees, asylum seekers, other forced migrants, immigrants and people on the move.
Farrell was the 2009 chair of the USCCB Committee on National Collections, which supports stewardship and coordinates the collections for social justice, evangelization, education and institutional development. His brother Brian Farrell is the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Kevin Farrell commented: "I'm younger, but I became bishop first, 12 months earlier. And we still have a little sibling rivalry."
Cardinal
On August 17, 2016, Pope Francis appointed Farrell prefect of the newly established Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.
On October 9, 2016, Pope Francis announced he would raise Farrell to the rank of cardinal in a consistory on November 19, 2016. He was created a cardinal-deacon on that day and assigned to San Giuliano Martire Parish in Rome. On June 10, 2017, Pope Francis named Farrell a member of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, and on December 23, 2017, a member of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. In July 2018, the University of Dallas named an administration building after Farrell, a former chancellor. On February 14, 2019, Pope Francis named Farrell as camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.