Leo Binz (October 31, 1900 – October 9, 1979) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Dubuque (1954–1961) and as Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis (1962–1975). A native of Illinois, he became a priest in 1924 and a bishop in 1942.
Early life and education
Leo Binz was born on October 31, 1900, in Stockton, Illinois, the third child of Michael and Thecla (née Reible) Binz. The family lived on a small farm near the Mississippi River, east of Dubuque, Iowa. Following his confirmation, a young Binz declared to Bishop Peter Muldoon, "I'm going to be a bishop!" From 1924 to 1926, while pursuing his doctoral studies in Rome, he taught at the North American College.
Episcopacy
Bishop of Winona
On November 21, 1942, Binz was appointed titular bishop of Pinara and coadjutor bishop of Winona by Pope Pius XII. Binz established Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, centralized all the offices of the diocese, and started the plans for building the first cathedral in Winona.
Binz was named to the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control and was one of only seven members of the 72 member commission to vote that artificial birth control was intrinsically evil.
On July 11, 1966, Pope Paul VI renamed the Archdiocese of Saint Paul to the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-Saint Paul to reflect the equal stature of the two cities. The pope designated the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis as co-cathedral of the archdiocese. Binz became the first archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
As his health began to decline, Binz requested and received a coadjutor. Paul VI named Bishop Leo Christopher Byrne as coadjutor archbishop of Minneapolis-Saint Paul on July 31, 1967. Binz allowed Byrne to take greater control of the administration of the archdiocese. Byrne, however, died on October 21, 1974.
Retirement and death
Paul VI accepted Binz's resignation as archbishop of Minneapolis-Saint Paul on May 25, 1975. He died four years later on October 9, 1979, in Maywood, Illinois. Binz was buried with other archbishops of the archdiocese at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
The following places were named after Binz:
- Binz Hall at Loras College
- Binz Refectory at Saint Paul Seminary.