[Lord Octagon]

BIOGRAPHY

OF HIS MOST REVEREND EMINENCE

LEONARD FRANCIS HIGHTOWER

CARDINAL,

ARCHBISHOP OF PORTLAND IN OREGON

CARDINALIS PATRONUS,

SOVEREIGN MILITARY CONSTANTINIAN ORDER OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

Leonard Francis Cardinal Hightower is an English cardinal prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, Hightower has served as the eleventh Archbishop of Portland in Oregon (Portlandensis in Oregonia) since 2010. In 2012, he was created Cardinal and was granted the titular position of Cardinal-Priest of San Carlo al Corso in Rome. In 2014, Pope Francis named Hightower as the Cardinalis Patronus of the Sovereign Military Constantinian Order of Saint Michael the Archangel. 

Born 6 August 1972, Leonard Hightower is the older brother of Alistair Hightower, and the grandson of Cornelius Hightower the Third. Being raised and educated in England, Hightower later entered the Venerable English College in Rome and studied for the priesthood there between 1990 and 1996. Pope John Paul II ordained Hightower to the priesthood on June 29, 1996, in St Peter's Basilica. He obtained an STL in Theology & Philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

A canon lawyer, Hightower is often perceived as a voice of traditionalism and orthodoxy among prelates of the Church. He established a reputation as a conservative leader while serving as Bishop of Boise. Hightower is frequently seen as one of the de facto leaders of the Church's conservative wing.

It is often claimed by the media that, although he is outside the walls of the Vatican, Hightower has a strong influence over the inner functioning of the Holy See - particularly the treasury. It is often wondered how he has accumulated such influence in the Roman Curia, especially under the papacy of His Holiness Francis who is typically seen as a softer and more liberal figure. 

Coat of Arms of Cardinal Leonard Francis Hightower

[Disastrous]