Sidney Matthew Metzger, STD, JCD (July 11, 1902 – April 12, 1986) was an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

who served as bishop of the

Diocese of El Paso The Diocese of El Paso ( la, Dioecesis Elpasensis, es, Diócesis de El Paso) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in West Texas. Covering , it encompasses the Texas counties of El Paso, Brewster, Culb ...

in Texas from 1942 to 1978. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico from 1940 to 1941.

Biography

Early life

Born in Fredericksburg,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, on July 11, 1902, Sidney Metzger studied at St. Joseph Seminary in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood on April 3, 1926. During his studies, he obtained

Doctor of Sacred Theology The Doctor of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, abbreviated STD), also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STP), is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Roman Catholic C ...

and Doctor of Canon Law degrees

Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Fe

On December 27, 1939, Metzger was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Santa Fe and

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...

of ''Birtha'' by Pope Pius XII. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

on April 10, 1940, from Archbishop Arthur Drossaerts, with Archbishop Rudolph Gerken and Bishop Mariano Garriga serving as co-consecrators.

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of El Paso

Metzger was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of El Paso on December 26, 1941. He automatically succeeded Bishop Anthony Schuler on November 29, 1942, as bishop. As Bishop, one of Metzger's challenges was to restore diocesan financial stability whilst creating new parishes and ministries for the growing Catholic population. He also established St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1961. From 1962 to 1965, Metzger attended the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. In 1973, Metzger attacked Farah Manufacturing Company for

unfair labor practice An unfair labor practice (ULP) in United States labor law refers to certain actions taken by employers or unions that violate the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (49 Stat. 449) (also known as the NLRA and the Wagner Act after NY Senator Ro ...

s and asked his fellow

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

men to urge

retailers Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...

to no longer order from Farah, saying, "I feel that the company is acting unjustly in denying to the workers the basic right to

collective bargaining Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The ...

." William Farah, the company's

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

, subsequently called Metzger a member of the "rotten old bourgeoisie" and a man who is "lolling in wealth". After thirty-five years of service, Metzger resigned as El Paso's

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

on March 17, 1978. He later died at Hotel Dieu Hospital,New York Times
Bishop Sidney Metzger Dies; Aided Union's Boycott Effort
April 14, 1986 at age 83.

References

External links

Catholic Diocese of El Paso
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metzger, Sidney Matthew 1902 births 1986 deaths People from Fredericksburg, Texas Participants in the Second Vatican Council 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of El Paso