Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
King, Geoffrey

Canon lawyer, moral theologian, Church historian; born Sydney, 8 June 1943; died Melbourne, 7 May 2015, aged 71.

Geoffrey King completed a brilliant secondary education with the De La Salle Brothers at Ashfield, Sydney. In 1960 he entered the Society of Jesus at Loyola College, Watsonia, at the age of 16. After doing his philosophy there, he spent four years at Campion College, Kew, 1965-68, while pursuing an arts degree at the University of Melbourne, majoring in history and Latin. His history research looked at the Puritans and other non-conformist groups in 17th century England, which Brendan Byrne said ‘left him with an abiding passion for justice and the enhancement of freedom to the maximum that the rights of others and the reasonable rule of law would allow’. Two years of regency at Saint Aloysius’ College in Sydney followed, where he taught ancient history, religion, Latin and English, as well as directing the senior debating teams and editing the school magazine, The Aloysian. Theology studies were completed at the Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, 1971-74, followed by doctoral studies in canon law at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC, 1974-78. He returned to JTC as a professor of Canon Law and Church History, and was appointed rector, 1982-87, after tertianship 1980-81.

In his funeral homily for King, Byrne recalled that in his early years in the Society, apart from his patent intelligence, he was notable for two things in particular: first, for his prowess as a walker—on the weekly excursion days that relieved the monotony of Jesuit life; second, for his taciturnity. King walked—once non-stop from Geelong to Melbourne on a sponsored walk for some worthy cause. He walked, but he did not talk. At least he did not initiate conversation—a trait that remained with him to the end. His companions often wondered why this was so. Shyness? Perhaps, but he was not notably shy in other respects and, with all his gifts, had little to be shy about. While his reluctance to speak could be wearing at times, it may have had its origin in a deep-seated courtesy: an impulse to allow the other person to set the agenda of an interaction by waiting for them to be the first to speak. Such an explanation, at any rate, would go along with a complementary quality that King possessed in abundance: he was a superb listener: non-judgmental almost to a fault, always ready to hear one out before bringing the formidable force of his intellect and knowledge to the problem or query that was laid before him.

King was an erudite, courteous man of diverse interests and formidable intellect, and above all a brilliant academic and teacher. As a lecturer in Church History, Canon Law and Moral Theology, he not only meet province needs, but his students benefited from his sharp mind, comprehensive grasp of his subject, cogent arguments, amazing memory and pastoral sensitivity, as well as enjoying his wry take on the foibles of Holy Mother Church. At times he served as an official Church spokesman on various issues. Although reserved, he was a commanding public speaker, and showed great sensitivity and respect for alternate views. A much sought after canonical consultant, he was of great assistance in enabling the various branches of the Sisters of Mercy to work towards amalgamation in Australia. His contribution to the Church in East Asia was also significant, extending from an early interest in China to directing the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila along new lines, 1989-96, while editing the East Asian Pastoral Review, and teaching Canon Law in Manila, Indonesia and Korea. He also contributed notably to the worldwide Society through his extensive involvement in General Congregations 34 and 35. He was instrumental in preparing the Complementary Norms and furthering their cause at GC 34, where his clear, concise expositions were greatly appreciated by delegates.

King made a lasting impression on Jesuit Theological College as student, minister, rector, academic principal, and teacher. As a lecturer he never failed to emphasise the mercy and compassion of God, and the care of the human person in ministry and in the application of the Church's discipline. Hence he was well suited to the difficult role of provincial delegate for professional standards, 2003-2007. A stickler for proper procedure, he was in his element chairing meetings. Thoroughly committed to Jesuit involvement in the ecumenical United Faculty of Theology (Parkville) and the Melbourne College of Divinity, he played an important role in the development of the combined Jesuit and Uniting Church libraries into the Dalton-McCaughey Library. During the years 1997-2004 he was also provincial assistant for ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, as well as academic principal from 1998. He was also a province consultor, 2003-2007.

Byrne also mentioned that perhaps it was because King had to immerse himself in the mediaeval period, when the great canonical tradition of the Church evolved, that he seemed to live in a kind of timeless eternity. He never hurried. Though he walked or used public transport, he was always on time. By the same token, he made procrastination an art form. So often, when desperately waiting for him to compose a letter, he could be seen through his office window whiling away hours playing Solitaire on his computer, only to rustle up a superbly crafted missive in a few minutes at the end of the day. King would not be rushed into things and could be stubborn, insisting on the right way of doing things, whether it was making coffee, or procedures at meetings. He did not lack self-knowledge in this area. At one province consult when reviewing a report about a young Jesuit’s suitability for ordination in which a tendency to stubbornness was noted, King drily observed, ‘If stubbornness were an impediment to ordination in the Society of Jesus, our ranks would be notably thinned—present company not excepted!’

Over many years King provided weekend Masses at Gisborne and Werribee parishes on the outskirts of Melbourne, even though he didn’t drive. His fidelity to that pastoral commitment made a profound impression on those to whom he ministered.

Byrne shared his puzzlement about the motive for King’s dedicated pastoral commitment

He was not pious in any overt way, and was reserved about the deeper aspects of his spiritual life. His homilies tended to proclaim the implications of the Gospel rather than to draw explicitly on personal devotion. Moreover, though possessed of a superb literary style, King did not write much for publication. Perhaps he judged that a mass readership was not awaiting books on Canon Law.

Two years before his death, King experienced symptoms of motor neurone disease. Soon after the diagnosis there appeared an opinion piece in the Age entitled Despite suffering motor neurone disease, I won't take my own life as Beverley Broadbent did. There, as King calmly explained the symptoms and certain outcome of the disease, he listed all the aspects of his life that he was gradually surrendering. He also drew attention to all the new life and the capacity to exchange gestures of love that he was also finding. In short, a great deal of his inner life emerged and found expression in ways Jesuits at least had barely glimpsed. An intense faith and hope, a calm peacefulness, radiated from the piece. King wrote:

I have had a wonderful life, and for this I am immensely grateful. I have now entered into much darker places, but even here I find new life. Ultimately for me this is not a matter of reason, but a matter of faith. I believe in a creator (and creative) God and I believe in the paradoxical power of the cross.

I do not believe that suffering is meaningless, but that, like Christ’s suffering, it can be redemptive. Of course, we should do all we reasonably can to prevent suffering, but we will still be confronted with it.

This awful disease puts me in solidarity with others suffering around the world. It has enabled me to enter into the world of the disabled, such as the other wheelchair passengers I meet on the train. With them I see the world with new eyes.

I have also discovered how much people love me.

Having motor neurone disease has enabled me to live life in new ways. I actually see it as a very challenging and mysterious gift, from a life-giving God.

Byrne concluded that the article struck a cord with many people in the days that followed. But the response from all sides - from fellow-sufferers to whom it gave hope, from people of deep faith and no faith - was overwhelming. It was in a sense the capstone and summa of all that King taught and proclaimed throughout his life as Jesuit and priest.

Upon hearing of King’s death, one of his former students, Gregory Tan wrote:

The fortitude and courage, as well as creativity, with which Geoff bore his challenges and adversities was an inspiring testimony of his Christian faith, witnessing in his actions what he taught us in words. In Geoff’s last years I saw the radical surrender that we, as Jesuits, pray for, Suscipe, Domine, universam meam libertatem. I count it one of the great blessings of my years in JTC to have learned from Geoff in so many ways.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)