John Carmel Heenan's ambition was to be a parish priest yet he became Archbishop of Westminster and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. Ordained for the Diocese of Brentwood, Heenan's energy and literary and oratorical skills combined to take him out of the routine of parish life. After four years as Superior of the Catholic Missionary Society, in 1951 he became Bishop of Leeds where his abrasive style earned the diocese the epithet of 'the Cruel See'. As Archbishop of Liverpool from 1957, Heenan administered an extensive archdiocese, fostered ecumenism, became involved in local politics and...