Edward Cardinal Egan wows at St. Patrick's cathedral
Apr 17, 2009
An ailing Edward Cardinal Egan showed he could still rouse the faithful Friday, delivering a powerful three-hour Good Friday service at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Despite spending several days in a hospital last week, Egan spoke passionately to his followers during the packed service at the landmark Fifth Ave. building.
For many, it was a last chance to see the head of New York's Catholic Church, who will be replaced by Archbishop Timothy Dolan next week.
Instead of standing at the pulpit, the 77-year-old sat behind a table set up in front of the altar and spoke about forgiveness, suffering and the importance of putting trust in God.
"None of us in our lives expect to really escape suffering," he told the congregation. "I may tell you it's an experience that's more intensive as you grow older."
Egan briefly reminisced about his days as a young priest in Rome and Chicago, and some of the encounters that shaped his life.
He also sympathized with the financial and emotional uncertainty many of his listeners currently face.
"I suffer along with you, confident that together we can handle it," Egan told them.
Catholics came from across the country to hear Egan's final Good Friday address, and many were surprised to see him looking so well.
He was rushed to the hospital Saturday suffering from stomach pains but released Tuesday after tests revealed he needs a pacemaker.
"It's an honor to be here on his last Good Friday," said Nancy Ryan, 53, of Oklahoma City, who was here on vacation with her husband, Bob, 52. "It was amazing and moving.
"We were actually married at a St. Patrick's Cathedral in Oklahoma City 20 years ago, so we wanted to be a part of this. We'd never seen a cardinal before."
Lucile Putza, 70, from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, did not travel as far but she was just as moved.
"He was wonderful," Putza said. "I've heard the cardinal speak many times but this time it was different ... there was a passion in his voice."
cboyle@nydailynews.com
Without regalia, Edward Cardinal Egan shows heart
Apr 17, 2009
ed to make his very best day in nine years as cardinal.
He was seated because of his delicate health, but he proved a considerably more compelling figure than on those many other days in the cathedral when he stood in full cardinal regalia.
Some of us had come to judge him to be all pomp and precious little personality.
He often seemed more off-putting than uplifting, less a spiritual leader than an ecclesiastical CEO.
Yet as he sat in a red upholstered chair behind the desk-like table for the three-hour "Reflection on the Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ," there was nothing executive about him.
He seemed more than anything like a pastor sitting at a table at a parish gathering, discussing his faith and the Passion while reminiscing fondly about his younger days.
And to witness that was to wonder if some of us had misjudged him.
Perhaps he struck us as pompous because the pomp never came naturally. He may have had to work at being grand in the way a simple priest might imagine a cardinal should be.
And, perhaps, he was not so much lacking personality as a public persona.
He certainly failed to step to the fore after 9/11, but maybe he is just not constitutionally inclined to take center stage. He simply may not be a showman in the way of his predecessor, John Cardinal O'Connor.
As might be expected of a showman, O'Connor left the archdiocese's finances in a shambles. Egan's basic operating principle was one that secular CEOs would have done well to follow.
"You don't spend money you don't have," an archdiocese spokesman summed up.
Egan eliminated an operating deficit of more than $20 million and debt of more than $40 million. He was sometimes brusque when he closed schools and churches, but when the global economy went bust, the archdiocese was that rare entity in resurgent fiscal health.
Egan's own health faltered in the aftermath of the Vatican's decision to replace him with someone more inclined to become a part of New York's public life.
The doctors recommended a pacemaker, but he put that off until after Holy Week. He insisted on presiding at the three-hour Good Friday observance.
Seven times, Egan ventured from the back to sit at the table and offer reflections not just on the Passion, but on his own passions as a young priest.
He spoke of a time when he was assigned to serve as chaplain to three floors of a hospital. "Room to room, hear confessions, last anointing, console, prayer," he said. "I loved the work."
He spoke of an elderly patient who told him she did not fear death because the Lord was sure to take her hand. Death came, and the nurse was amazed the woman's hand had somehow extended from the bed afterwards.
"I knew the answer," Egan said. "I kept it to myself."
His defenders have said he is at his best over coffee with the parishioners after Mass in the church basement. He managed to bring that kind of intimacy to the crowded cathedral as he spoke his heart.
As soprano Camellia Johnson sang a closing spiritual, Egan departed. He used a cane he had eschewed during the service, where he had been quietly magnificent.
He returns today for a final Easter Mass.
mdaly@nydailynews.com
Egan Leaves Hospital to Rest at Home
Apr 13, 2009
Cardinal Edward M. Egan was discharged Tuesday from St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan in Greenwich Village, three days after he was admitted with severe stomach pains.
A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York said the cardinal would rest at his Madison Avenue residence, behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and decide on a day-to-day basis, in consultation with his doctor, whether to participate in Holy Week services this week. The cardinal will also consider whether to participate in the services next Tuesday and Wednesday to install his successor, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee.
The spokesman, Joseph Zwilling, said he did not know what, if anything, doctors had determined to be the cause of the cardinal’s stomach pain. He said the pain had abated after Cardinal Egan entered the hospital Saturday night, but continued to linger until Tuesday morning.
After a round of tests, doctors had initially decided that the cardinal needed a pacemaker. But they decided to postpone the surgery, saying he first needed to recover fully from his stomach ailment.
Cardinal Egan, 77, who had polio as a boy and was recently found to have post-polio syndrome, was able to walk out of the hospital on his own, Mr. Zwilling said.
www.nytimes.com
NY's Cardinal Egan to celebrate Masses
Apr 13, 2009
NEW YORK - Cardinal Edward Egan says he hasn't completely recovered from a health scare that sent him to the hospital last weekend, but he's determined to lead worshippers through his last Holy Week as head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Egan said before celebrating Holy Thursday Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral that he was feeling "pretty good _ not as well as I should, but better than I thought it would be."
The 77-year-old Egan said he went to a hospital with a severe gastrointestinal virus. While treating him, doctors suggested a pacemaker for a heart condition.
The cardinal is set to retire next week. He says missing Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services would have been "a heavy cross to bear."
www.newsday.com
Cardinal Egan To Receive Pacemaker On Monday
Apr 07, 2009
www.kdka.com
Cardinal Edward Egan will receive a pacemaker Monday at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, CBS station WCBS-TV.
New York Archdiocese spokesman Joe Zwilling said Egan, 76, arrived at the hospital around 10 p.m. Saturday, after complaining of stomach pains. The pacemaker decision was made after he underwent various tests.
The Cardinal was awake and alert Sunday, and his pains have decreased. He expressed his disappointment at not being able to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick.
Egan, who turned 77 on April 2, will retire as Archbishop on April 15, 2009, and will be succeeded by Archbishop Timothy Dolan.
The Cardinal has led the New York Archdiocese since June 2000. He is intended to celebrate Easter Mass, pending successful hospital tests.
Retiring Cardinal Egan to host final show on The Catholic Channel
Apr 07, 2009
New York City, N.Y., Mar 31, 2009 / 05:49 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Edward Egan, the retiring Archbishop of New York, will host a retrospective covering his nine years in New York City in the final episode of his radio show “A Conversation with the Cardinal,” which will be broadcast on April 2.The show will air on The Catholic Channel from 3:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern time on SIRIUS channel 159 and XM channel 117.
Cardinal Egan will look back at his years as archbishop, talk about his future plans and recall some highlights of his career, according to a SIRIUS XM press release.
He has hosted his show since December 2006 with Catholic Channel program director Rob Astorino. The cardinal answered listener e-mails, discussed a variety of significant issues and also addressed current events in the archdiocese.
The cardinal described his appearances on the radio show as “a splendid way” to talk directly with people from across North America.
“It has also been a great deal of fun,” Cardinal Egan said. “I’m grateful to the audience who have listened and asked so many interesting questions. Their comments and their support were tremendously inspiring and I will miss having the opportunity to be with them each week.”
SIRIUS XM pointed to the success of the show by reproducing a letter from a longtime listener who converted to the Catholic Church 12 years ago. The son of two ordained clergy in the Evangelical Friend Church (Quaker), the listener told how his father admired Cardinal Egan’s show and was particularly struck by an episode in which the cardinal defended the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist using a biblical passage from 1 Corinthians 11.
“I cannot thank you enough, Your Eminence, for the witness of authentic Catholic Christianity you have been to my father through the Catholic Channel,” the listener wrote. “I will be forever grateful and pray for you to have a blessed and productive retirement.
The Catholic Channel is produced by the Archdiocese of New York and SIRIUS XM. The channel says its mission is to entertain people of all ages with a “refreshingly unexpected approach” to matters of faith and spirituality. The channel aims to “educate, enlighten and inspire” adults of all ages.
On Eve of Retirement, Cardinal Breathes Life Into Debate on Priestly Celibacy
Mar 25, 2009
His remarks amounted to just a few sentences near the tail end of a radio interview, and near the end of his nine-year tenure as the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York. But ever since Cardinal Edward M. Egan made some brief comments this month about the centuries-old requirement that priests be celibate, Catholic scholars, pundits and clerics have been parsing what he meant and what it could mean for the church.
In a March 10 interview on the Albany radio station Talk 1300, the cardinal suggested that the Catholic Church would sooner or later have to consider whether to allow priests to marry.
“I think that it’s going to be discussed; it’s a perfectly legitimate discussion,” Cardinal Egan said, replying to a question from the host, Fredric U. Dicker, about whether the church’s severe shortage of priests might spur such a change. “I think it has to be looked at. And I am not so sure it wouldn’t be a good idea to decide on the basis of geography and culture not to make an across-the-board determination.”
At another point, he said: “Is it a closed issue? No. That’s not a dogmatic stand.”
For a millennium, the Vatican has signaled that it is, indeed, a closed issue. Despite inklings of a discussion in the 1960s, during the Second Vatican Council, each of the last three popes has quashed efforts to raise the matter at ecclesiastical synods.
In 2003, when 163 priests in the Milwaukee Archdiocese petitioned the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to open discussions on celibacy in light of the shortage of priests, they were soundly rebuffed by their archbishop, Timothy M. Dolan — whom Pope Benedict XVI chose last month to succeed Cardinal Egan.
Cardinal Egan, through a spokesman, declined to elaborate on his radio remarks. Archbishop Dolan, through the same spokesman, also declined to comment.
But in the Catholic news media and among church scholars, the departing cardinal’s words have sparked a spirited debate over what he meant to say on an issue central to the identity of a dwindling priesthood: Were his words a parting gift to the reformers he had no truck with for nine years? A last-minute crack in the discipline of a leader who had remained determinedly under the radar for so long in the media capital of the world? Or just a matter-of-fact response by a canon lawyer — which the cardinal is — to a question about church law?
In interviews and blog comments, some conservatives dismissed what the cardinal said as the comments of a man speaking, as one said, “above his pay grade.” Many advocates of reform, who have long considered Cardinal Egan a conservative, said his remarks were surprisingly encouraging, albeit a little late in the day. The cardinal, 76, officially retires on April 15.
The Rev. Richard Vega, president of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils, which is affiliated with the Conference of Catholic Bishops, said such words from a top American prelate, whatever his intent, would “put an issue on the table that a lot of people thought was off the table.”
A spokesman for the bishops’ conference would not comment on the cardinal’s remarks. But Father Vega, who emphasized that he was not speaking for the bishops but as a priest, added, “I think he breathed new life into the hopes of a lot of people.”
One of those people is Sister Christine Schenk, executive director of FutureChurch, a group promoting the ordination of women and an end to the celibacy rule.
“It would have been nice if he had said this five years ago,” she said. “But coming from Egan, I think it is a sign that the conversation is ripening. He’s not the poster child for progressivism. I think it shows we are much closer to having this issue addressed by the Vatican than most people realize.”
Official church policy on celibacy has remained substantially unchanged since the 11th century, when the obligation became the rule for priests. Until then, it was optional, and many priests, bishops and popes were married.
Lawrence Cunningham, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, said the mandatory celibacy rules were adopted for many reasons, both theological and practical. Among the latter, he said, was the need to avoid claims on church property by priests’ offspring.
The tradition of celibacy had its origins in the biblical portrayal of Jesus Christ as celibate and in the conviction among church leaders that a priest’s role as spiritual teacher required a single-minded dedication to the community.
In the Eastern Rite churches — the Ukrainian and Melkite denominations, for instance, which are autonomous yet recognized by the Vatican as fully Catholic — the requirement of celibacy was never applied as strictly. Married men can be ordained, although priests, once ordained, cannot marry.
Cardinal Egan cited the Eastern church experience in his radio interview, noting that many of the priests of those denominations were married, “with no problem at all.”
In 1980, Pope John Paul II made the one exception to the rule in the Western church, permitting the ordination of married former Episcopal priests who wished to convert to Catholicism. Since then, about 200 former Episcopal priests, most of them married with families, have become Catholic priests in the United States, according to the federation of priests’ councils.
As a result of another initiative begun in the 1970s, the church has also added about 15,000 deacons to its ranks of ordained men. Deacons, who can be married, are empowered to perform almost all the functions of priests except hearing confessions and consecrating the Eucharist.
The celibacy rule for priests has never been immutable church dogma. It is called a discipline rather than a doctrine or a dogma, and could theoretically be revised or reversed by the Vatican Curia, Professor Cunningham said.
But the Rev. Joseph Fessio, founder and editor of the conservative Catholic publishing house Ignatius Press, doubted that church leaders had any interest in change.
“There is no inevitability about it,” Father Fessio said. “To suggest that it is something that has to be looked at now — I do not see that happening. From time to time, perhaps there should be a discussion, but only so that reasonable people can see why things are the way they are — and why they should stay that way.”
Many church experts said that Cardinal Egan’s comments were surprising not so much in their content, but in his willingness to say them publicly.
“In a sense, what he said was obvious,” said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit author and former editor of the moderately liberal Catholic magazine America. “But not many cardinals do that. It was kind of brave for him to say what everybody’s been thinking. It’s interesting that he said it as he’s leaving.”
Retiring Archbishop Edward Cardinal Egan rings Wall Street opening bell, takes credit for rally
Mar 19, 2009
Retiring Archbishop Edward Cardinal Egan may be ready for his second act - as Treasury Secretary.
His Eminence rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Friday, and the bulls stayed on top to cap a welcome extended rally that left the S&P 500 up 11% for the week.
"Four days ago, they asked me to come, Cardinal Egan joked. "It's been up ever since.
"I'm the stimulus right now."
Egan, who will retire next month, made his annual visit to the NYSE to promote the city's Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese.
Despite answering investors' prayers, the face of the city's Catholic faith said he's not trading a career in faith for one in finance. After hanging up his vestaments, he plans to stay local and work to help the community.
"I'll be staying right here in New York," he said.
Traders were just glad to have Egan on their side for the day.
"It can't hurt to have some religious pull here," said Alan Valdes, who watched the Archbishop open the markets from the trading floor. "We'll take everything we can."
Trader David Henderson agreed.
"A lot of damage has been done here," Henderson said after markets opened. "We all need a miracle."
Edward Cardinal Egan begins his archbishop farewell with a welcome
Mar 11, 2009
It was a celebration of new beginnings and the start of a goodbye to the city's Catholics rolled into one.
Edward Cardinal Egan, who is retiring as Archbishop of New York, presided over a welcome ceremony for new Catholics at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday.
"This will be my last such event," said Egan, 76, during a homily he delivered before pews packed with people from 90 of the Archdiocese of New York's 400 parishes.
The crowd was enthusiastic, breaking into applause when Egan, wearing a purple robe, told a gentle joke about the weather. They snapped cell phone photos as he made the sign of the cross.
"It was exciting," said Tyler Laudati, 14, of Orange County.
The ceremony, called a rite of election, took place on the first Sunday of Lent to give converts time to reflect before they receive sacraments for the first time right before Easter. It was conducted in a mix of English, Spanish and Chinese.
Egan has spent nine years as spiritual leader of 2.5 million Catholics in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and seven nearby counties.
He is now officially called the apostolic administrator and will be replaced by Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who will be formally installed April 15.
Egan, whose last major Mass at St. Pat's will be Easter Sunday, didn't use the homily to look back on his time in charge.
He spoke instead of his happiness at having a large number of Chinese-speaking New Yorkers at the rite of election.
During a visit to Communist China in the early 1970s, he and the priests in his travelgroup were invited to tea by young people who wanted to speak in secret about God, he recalled.
"What happened tonight must never be known," the priests were warned afterward.
In his years presiding over the archdiocese's annual rite of election, Egan has welcomed more than 5,000 new Catholics.
Kurt Bujewski, 20, who is studying to become a Catholic, said he was thrilled Egan was there.
"Coming to St. Patrick's and having the cardinal be here is a great experience," said the West Point cadet, who's from Albuquerque.
Cardinal Egan compares abortion to crimes of Hitler, Stalin
Oct 28, 2008
‘It is high time to stop pretending that we do not know what this nation of ours is allowing-- and approving-- with the killing each year of more than 1,600,000 innocent human beings within their mothers,’ Cardinal Edward Egan of New York wrote in an Oct. 23 archdiocesan newspaper column defending the humanity of the unborn child. ‘One day, please God, when the stranglehold on public opinion in the United States has been released by the extremists for whom abortion is the center of their political and moral life, our nation will, in my judgment, look back on what we have been doing to innocent human beings within their mothers as a crime no less heinous than what was approved by the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott Case in the 19th century, and no less heinous than what was perpetrated by Hitler and Stalin in the 20th.’
Abortion support equal to Nazism
Oct 28, 2008
New York, Oct 28, 2008 / 09:37 am (CNA).- In a strongly worded article published next to a moving photo of an unborn baby in the womb, Cardinal Edward Egan, Archbishop of New York, compared tolerating abortions to the reasoning used by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin to commit mass murders.
The cardinal begins his column for the latest edition of the archdiocesan newspaper “Catholic New York” by explaining that “the picture on this page is an untouched photograph of a being that has been within its mother for 20 weeks. Please do me the favor of looking at it carefully.”
“Have you any doubt that it is a human being?” Cardinal Egan asks.
“If your answer to this last query is negative, that is, if you have no doubt that the authorities in a civilized society would be duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if someone were to wish to kill it, I would suggest—even insist—that there is not a lot more to be said about the issue of abortion in our society. It is wrong, and it cannot—must not—be tolerated.”
The Archbishop of New York continues by asking: “Why do I not get into defining ‘human being,’ defining ‘person,’ defining ‘living,’ and the rest?”
“Because, I respond, I am sound of mind and endowed with a fine set of eyes, into which I do not believe it is well to cast sand. I looked at the photograph, and I have no doubt about what I saw and what are the duties of a civilized society if what I saw is in danger of being killed by someone who wishes to kill it or, if you prefer, someone who ‘chooses’ to kill it.”
After describing a recent video depicting the humanity of babies in their mothers’ wombs, the Archbishop of New York says that “if you can convince yourself that these beings are something other than living and innocent human beings, something, for example, such as ‘mere clusters of tissues,’ you have a problem far more basic than merely not appreciating the wrongness of abortion. And that problem is—forgive me—self-deceit in a most extreme form.”
Cardinal Egan continues: “Adolf Hitler convinced himself and his subjects that Jews and homosexuals were other than human beings. Joseph Stalin did the same as regards Cossacks and Russian aristocrats. And this despite the fact that Hitler and his subjects had seen both Jews and homosexuals with their own eyes, and Stalin and his subjects had seen both Cossacks and Russian aristocrats with theirs.”
“It is high time to stop pretending that we do not know what this nation of ours is allowing—and approving—with the killing each year of more than 1,600,000 innocent human beings within their mothers. We know full well that to kill what is clearly seen to be an innocent human being or what cannot be proved to be other than an innocent human being is as wrong as wrong gets,” he adds.
“Do me a favor,” Cardinal Egan writes, “Look at the photograph again. Look and decide with honesty and decency what the Lord expects of you and me as the horror of ‘legalized’ abortion continues to erode the honor of our nation. Look, and do not absolve yourself if you refuse to act.”
Do as I say...Not as I do?
Oct 27, 2008
If New York's Cardinal Edward Egan wasn't in Rocco's list of 50 bishops who have effectively (or explicitly) said Catholic can't vote for Obama, then he is now. Via Gary Stern's "Blogging Religiously" site (Gary is the religion writer nonpareil at the Journal News in Westchester County) comes Cardinal Egan's latest column in "Catholic New York," titled "Just Look," with a photo of a 20-week-old fetus and a dare for anyone to support legalized abortion. He also takes the Hitler/Stalin path, and cites Dred Scott, and concludes:
"Do me a favor. Look at the photograph again. Look and decide with honesty and decency what the Lord expects of you and me as the horror of "legalized" abortion continues to erode the honor of our nation. Look, and do not absolve yourself if you refuse to act."
Cardinal Egan earlier backed up his words with actions, scolding Fordham University for honoring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer this Wednesday (Oct. 29) with the annual Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize, despite Breyer's clear abortion rights record. Again, Gary Stern has the details about Egan's anger that a Catholic institution would honor an abortion-rights supporter.
On the other hand, as Gary points out elsewhere, it was Egan who honored Barack Obama at the Al Smith Dinner (along with embryonic stem cell champion John McCain). And that has him on the receiving end of some of the same criticism he is dishing out, most notably from Deal Hudson.
And so it goes.
Mad About Music
Sept 08, 2008
His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan was born on April 2, 1932, in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Thomas J. and Genevieve Costello Egan.
(wnyc.org, September 07, 2008) Having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois, he was sent to Rome to complete his seminary studies at the Pontifical North American College in Vatican City where he was ordained on December 15, 1957. In 1958, he received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. After ordination, he returned to the United States in 1958, where he served briefly as a curate at Holy Name Cathedral Parish and later as assistant chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago and secretary to His Eminence, Albert Cardinal Meyer.
In 1960 Cardinal Egan was named assistant vice-rector and repetitor of Moral Theology and Canon Law at the Pontifical North American College in Vatican City. In 1964, he earned a doctorate in Canon Law “Summa Cum Laude” from the Pontifical Gregorian University and thereafter returned to Chicago, where he served first as secretary to His Eminence, John Cardinal Cody, and later as the co-chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago. During this period, he was also the secretary of the Archdiocesan Commissions on Ecumenism and Human Relations and was a member of several interfaith and ecumenical boards and commissions of social concerns throughout the greater Chicago area. Among these might be mentioned the Chicago Conference on Religion and Race, the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, and the Interreligious Committee for Urban Affairs. During this period, he likewise participated in numerous ecumenical undertakings, among them the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of the United States Catholic Conference and Protestant Episcopal Church of America, the North American Academy of Ecumenists, and the Chicago Ecumenical Dialogue.
In 1971 Cardinal Egan returned to Rome as a judge of the Tribunal of the Sacred Roman Rota, a position he held until his episcopal consecration in May of 1985. While in Rome, he was as well a professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University; a professor of Civil and Criminal Procedure at the Studium Rotale, the law school of the Rota; a commissioner of the Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship; a consultor of the Congregation for the Clergy; and in 1982 one of six canonists who reviewed the new Code of Canon Law with His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, before its promulgation in 1983.
Cardinal Egan was consecrated a bishop on May 22, 1985, in the Basilica of Saints John and Paul in Rome by His Eminence, Bernardin Cardinal Gantin, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops, with His Eminence, John Cardinal O’Connor, Archbishop of New York and His Excellency, the Most Reverend John R. Keating, Bishop of Arlington, as co-consecrators.
Cardinal Egan served as Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar for Education of the Archdiocese of New York from 1985 – 1988.
On November 8, 1988, Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Egan to be the Third Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport. He was installed on December 14, 1988.
Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 25. Third movement [excerpt]. Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Herbert Blomstedt. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano. Decca 289-468600-2.
César Franck Panis Angelicus, [excerpt]. Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Uwe Christian Harrer. José Carreras, tenor. Philips 442 296-2.
Franz Schubert Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat, Op. 99. Second movement [excerpt]. Isaac Stern, violin, Leonard Rose, cello, Eugene Istomin, piano. Sony Classical SK 92740
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 8 in C-minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique". First movement [excerpt]. Artur Schnabel, piano. Documents LC 12281.
John Kander and Fred Ebb “New York, New York”. Frank Sinatra. Reprise 26501-2.
Johannes Brahms Intermezzo, No. 2, Op. 117. Arthur Rubinstein, piano. BMG Classics 09026 63010-2
Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier. Final trio from Act III. Philharmonia Orchestra. Herbert von Karajan. Teresa Stich-Randall, Christa Ludwig, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. EMI Classics 5 67609 2.
GILBERT KAPLAN: Welcome back as we open our new season with my guest, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan.
[Theme music]
For the last eight years he has served as the Archbishop of New York -- a period filled with enormous challenges and difficult decisions. Throughout it all he has never wavered from what he regards as his most important contribution --- leading people in prayer. And along the way music has always been his companion. He is an accomplished pianist and often turns to music both at difficult times and for consolation. Cardinal Edward Egan, welcome to “Mad About Music”.
CARDINAL EDWARD EGAN: Well thank you for having me, Gil. I’m delighted to be here.
KAPLAN: Now in my introduction I mentioned you are an accomplished pianist. -- As I understand so is the Pope. Now when he was in New York, with all the masses and all the ceremonies, did you have a chance to speak with him at all about music?
EGAN: When he was here, we were in the Pope-mobile, as they say, coming away from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, after the mass, and he said to me, “What are you playing?” And I said, “Well, Your Holiness, I’m a little ashamed to say that I don’t play Haydn and Mozart and things of that sort anymore.” I said, “I actually play things like Debussy and Ravel.” And he said, “Well, that’s OK, too.” So I have permission for that, you know.”
KAPLAN: I read somewhere that the Pope, from time to time, plays duets with his former housekeeper, who was a music teacher at one point. Have you ever played together, as a duet, for fun or anything?
EGAN: No, I’ve never done that. I would be happy to try, but, no. I’d never heard that story, too. Is that right?
KAPLAN: Yes. I suppose I ought to ask you, I mean, who is the more accomplished pianist, you or the Pope?
EGAN: Oh, I have to answer, the Pope.
KAPLAN: Even if he wasn’t?
EGAN: Actually, I’ve never heard him play, to tell you the truth, and he’s never heard me play.
KAPLAN: All right, we’ll talk further about the Pope and music, but first give me a sense of the role music plays in your life. Is it something you just enjoy or are you one of those who just can’t live without it?
EGAN: I’m definitely in the “I can’t live without it” group. I’ve been in love with music all of my life, and frankly, I pretty much learned music on my own. I was a boy that went to a library and brought home the 40th Symphony of Mozart, and I remember putting it on the electric phonograph and saying, “My heavens! Where have I been? What is this?” So then I went back to the library, and it was in Oak Park, Illinois, and I brought home the Brahms Fourth Symphony and the Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto, and after that, if I could use this expression, I was hooked and I’ve been hooked ever since.
KAPLAN: Well, that’s fascinating. Now, I understand you’re an accomplished pianist, and almost all of your selections, all but one today, are piano music, so tell me how you first got to that.
EGAN: I had an aunt who played on WCFL in Chicago, that was the Chicago Federation of Labor, many, many years ago, in the thirties. And she was a pianist, and very fine. And Aunt Dorothy decided that she was going to make a pianist out of me, and so very early in the game, I learned to play all the popular songs from my aunt, and then I decided after I had heard Mozart and Brahms and Beethoven and the rest of them, that I was going to move in a different direction. So I did have the great advantage of a very fine piano teacher. She died, and then I got another one, and I would say that from then, I really learned to love music.
KAPLAN: Well that’s fascinating. And then, let’s use that as a natural transition into your first selection today, which is piano music, and this case Mendelssohn.
EGAN: Yes, I’ll tell you why I chose this. This was the first piano concerto I ever learned to play, and I actually played it in a recital in Oak Park many, many years ago.
KAPLAN: How old were you?
EGAN: Oh, I was twelve or thirteen. And I worked so hard to get the third movement of this up to tempo, and I had it memorized. As we used to say, I had it “aced”. And it’s a concerto that you never hear. It’s very seldomly performed; it’s really often I think seen as one of his less important works. But it’s melodic and lovely, and it was the kind of thing that a twelve or thirteen year old boy could handle, and I was very proud to be playing a piano concerto, and that was my first. I think it’s very, very beautiful, and I’ve always loved Mendelssohn; it’s full of melody, and I hope that your listeners, when they hear it, will like it as well.
[Music]
KAPLAN: An excerpt from the third movement of Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig under the baton of Herbert Blomstedt with soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. A work played by my guest today on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan, when he was only about 12 years old. Now we were talking before about you and the Pope both playing the piano. I understand he plays a half hour a day -- almost every day. How about you?
EGAN: I wish I could do the same, and I ought to take his example, but I don’t play that much at all.
KAPLAN: Well, you know, you mentioned that the Pope’s favorites are somewhat different from yours, at least what you’re playing, and growing up with Mozart, the Pope said, that his music “thoroughly penetrated his soul”. Is there any one composer about which you could say the same thing, that his music thoroughly penetrated your soul?
EGAN: Well, I’m a little embarrassed to give the answer, but I’m going to give it anyway. I would say that the composer who moves me and has moved me all my life, more than perhaps anyone else, is no less than Frédéric Chopin.
KAPLAN: Why should one be embarrassed about that? He may be the greatest composer of piano music.
EGAN: I think one of the great, great composers of all time, quite apart from just the piano music, I think the art of his composition is magnificent. Now, I know his orchestrations were not great, but a lot of people, it seems to me, think of Chopin as something less than Beethoven and Brahms and Mozart and so forth. But I believe if you listen to it, this master of melody, this master of unexpected harmonies, this master, it seems to me, of a whole national understanding of music, and I’m from Chicago, you know, so I have a lot of Polish connections. I believe that he is the one who has gone deepest into my own heart.
KAPLAN: And yet today, I see you have no Chopin on your list, but I understand you’ve selected music around which it impacted on your life. But I’m surprised to see, and I was surprised to see, when your list came in, that there is no sacred music on your list. No Bach B minor Mass, no Verdi Requiem, no Mozart Requiem, Brahms.
EGAN: Well, I’ll tell you, for me, all great music is sacred. And I would not have chosen the ones that you mentioned because I would think of this program as not a program about religious music, and when the Pope was here, I worked for hours and hours on the choice of what we would be singing. And sacred music means a whole lot to me, but the music I chose, I tried to make kind of the music that’s sacred for everyone.
KAPLAN: Well, while we’re talking about church music, I wonder, do you have a favorite hymn?
EGAN: Actually, I do. I would say its César Franck’s Panis Angelicus. It’s a masterpiece I think in every way, it’s marvelously prayerful, it’s one of the most familiar hymns by choirs that are able to do great music, and I had it for the funerals of both my mother and my father. And the Holy Father started out his visit in the United States in Washington. And they sang the Panis Angelicus in Washington, and I knew they were going to sing it, and so they took it away from us, we weren’t able to repeat it, you know. But I would say that the Panis Angelicus of César Franck is a masterpiece and a marvelous prayer and I would list it as number one.
[Music]
KAPLAN: An excerpt of César Franck’s Panis Angelicus, sung by José Carreras with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra led by Uwe Christian Harrer. The favorite hymn of my guest today on “Mad About Music” the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. You know I understand there was a secret weapon behind the choir preparing so diligently at St. Joseph’s for the Pope, and I suppose at St. Patrick’s, also. I read that you had sent a big box of chocolates to the choir at St. Patrick’s when they were rehearsing. Was this a reward or a bribe?
EGAN: Well, I sent more than one. And I believe that the choir should know that the local bishop esteems their work and admires them and loves them. And so I sent more than one box of chocolate, and it was just kind of my way of saying, “hang in there, you’re doing a great job”.
KAPLAN: All right, well you’re doing a great job so far, so then, let’s return to your music list, and our next selection on that list is Schubert.
EGAN: Right. You were mentioning that my list is largely piano music. However, when I was in high school, we had a wonderful orchestra. And there were many who played the piano, and we didn’t need another pianist. And so I was assigned to learn the cello, believe it or not. So, I learned to play the cello very poorly. And so I played the cello in high school and in college and I loved the music of Schubert in a very special way. And one time, I discovered the Piano Trio in B flat, and someone asked me, if you only could take one piece of music with you to the desert island, what would it be? And I answered the second movement of this absolutely exquisite creation of Schubert.
[Music]
KAPLAN: An excerpt from the second movement of Schubert’s Trio No. 1 with Isaac Stern on the violin, Leonard Rose – cello, and Eugene Istomin, on the piano. A selection of my guest today on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. When we return we’ll discuss how the music program at St. Patrick’s Cathedral stacks up against the competition, what other churches are doing in the city.
[Station Break]
This is Gilbert Kaplan with my guest today on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. Let’s now turn to the music program of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. How do you feel the program stacks up against what the other churches in the city are doing?
EGAN: Well, I think it’s improving. You may know that now we have a rather impressive concert series, and we can do much more, it seems to me, and I know that a lot of the people in New York who are friendly with me would like to see that music program for the general public improved, because we do, I think, eight major concerts a year. And they’re free concerts, and they sometimes would be completely filling the Cathedral; at other times, maybe a half or two thirds, and I think it’s a great contribution to the community, because going to a concert these days is a very expensive enterprise. And so I would say, stay tuned, I hope we begin to do even more.
KAPLAN: I think in general, there is an impression that, of surprise that, given your passion for music, that the financial resources that are used for music at St. Patrick’s are probably not as much as many people think they ought to be. Now, I have no idea what they are, but what do you say about that?
EGAN: Well, I’ve never heard it said, to tell you the truth, the financial resources for the Cathedral music are pretty much determined by the rector of the Cathedral. And I’ve not known that they’ve felt that they were, you know, not having enough money available. I’ll look into that but you know, you never can really do all that you’d like to do. I believe that we’ve tried to do a good job, and I didn’t know that people felt that the financial resources were inadequate; I’ll have to talk to Monsignor Ritchie and see what the financial resources are.
KAPLAN: OK. Well, in an interview, you were asked what your biggest accomplishment in New York has been during your tenure here, and you said, “Leading people in Prayer.”
EGAN: Right.
KAPLAN: What would you regard as your most significant accomplishment in shaping the music program at the Cathedral?
EGAN: I think that I have chosen a very excellent director, and I think that together we have decided that we would see to it that we kept the total tradition of sacred music, of church music, not just what we might call the last thirty or so years. There was getting to be, it seemed to me, too much of the more recent hymns, and then, too much of the music that goes back to the classical polyphony of the 1500’s. I have tried to see to it that we cover the waterfront; and if we do that, that would be, forgive this – my greatest contribution.
KAPLAN: Well, however broad or narrow the field is there is never a controversy over whether to include Beethoven, right? And I see he is the next composer on your list today.
EGAN: Yes, no controversy at all. A giant of giants. I lived in Rome twenty-three years, and in the middle time that I lived in Rome, I was a professor at a seminary, the North American College in Rome. And one day, I met a pianist by the name of Leonard Pennario. And Leonard had a marvelous personality, an ebullient, smiling, happy, enthusiastic personality. And we started talking, and in the course of the conversation, I mentioned that I occasionally played the piano. So he said, “What are you playing?” I said, “Well, you know, I’m kind of playing the Pathétique of Beethoven”. So, he said, “Well, play it for me.” So, I played the first two movements. I didn’t try the third. And I received a master class from him. He pulled up the chair, told me what I was doing wrong, especially in the second movement, keeping the melody absolutely in control and watching out that I was changing the rhythms in the second movement, and so forth and even corrected some of my notes in the first movement, and so forth, and I felt that that was my one and only master class. And I would say that I knew few people that loved to perform as this man did. So, he’s my one master class, and that’s why I mentioned the lovely Pathétique.
[Music]
KAPLAN: An excerpt from the First Movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata performed by the legendary Artur Schnabel -- both the music and the performer chosen by my guest today on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. You know, before we were discussing music at St. Patrick’s and now I’d like to ask you about another aspect of church music which is a genuine fight that seems to be brewing concerning electric guitars during the mass. I understand that in Italy they often use electric guitars and in Spain, Flamenco music has even shown up. But the Pope has demanded an end to this, saying guitars are inconsistent with what music in the church ought to be. Now one Cardinal has gone public to disagree. I wrote down what he said: “better to have guitars on the altar than empty churches.” Where do you come out on this?
EGAN: Oh, I would have no problem with that either. We just simply have not had at the Cathedral any tradition of that kind. But we have many, many parishes, here in the Archdiocese of New York, that have guitars, and music that would be very much music of the people of the particular area. So, while St. Patrick’s Cathedral is something quite apart, let me assure you that next Sunday, I believe, I’ll be in a parish, Sacred Heart Parish here in Manhattan, and I understand I am to do the first mass in English and the second mass in Spanish. Now, I am sure, that during that second mass, you’re going to have guitars and all of this and that, and it’s wonderful. And it will be in Spanish and so forth. I don’t know that the Holy Father has said that we are not to have guitars in church and so forth, because we have them, and no one has ever told me not to.
KAPLAN: Well, I think if I can believe what I read in the newspapers, he did give a talk on this and was totally against it. And I wondered: what authority does the Pope have on a matter like that within the church? Can he only give advice and hope people follow him? Or, can he actually make it an edict that there will not be, say, electric guitars in churches?
EGAN: Well I suppose he could make it an edict, but I’m sure that that’s not the kind of thing that he’d be making edicts about. The parishes that have these kinds of things are expressing something that’s truly theirs, it’s something that’s truly holy, and I would be there delighted and I am, Sunday after Sunday, when I am away from the Cathedral.
KAPLAN: Well, this discussion of what is appropriate music in the church leads nicely to the next section of our show which we call the “wildcard” where you have a chance to pick music that is not classical or opera, sacred music, it can be anything - as wild as you like by the way. So what did you bring us today?
EGAN: My selection is “New York, New York”, not the one written by Leonard Bernstein for “On the Town,” but rather the one that John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote for Liza Minnelli in the film that made her so very famous, and of course the song that Frank Sinatra gave to the world in many ways. I am not a New Yorker, as you know; I came here first as an auxiliary bishop to Cardinal O’Connor in 1985, and then I left in 1989, but came back in 2000, so I have tried to become a real New Yorker. I, you know tell you, with striking my breast, I was a Cubs fan, you know, all my life. And of course, I’ve turned my back on that. I’m completely a Yankees fan now. But, this to me sums up New York in a very special way for someone who has become a New Yorker, and hopes to live the rest of his life right here in New York. I think it’s a great song, and I know that in the Olympics in 1984, it was played; and at Yankee Stadium, as you know there was a bit of controversy about it, whether they would play the Liza Minnelli performance, or the Frank Sinatra performance. And it’s a great song, all you have to hear is that little beginning, that is the background, before you know the whole world’s going to start singing, and so, being a New Yorker of recent vintage, I think this sort of sums up my understanding of this wonderful, wonderful town.
[Music]
KAPLAN: “New York, New York” sung by Frank Sinatra, the “wildcard” choice of my guest on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. Now as you know your “wildcard” is one of your only selections not for the piano. So what about performing piano music? Who are your favorite pianists?
EGAN: I would have to say that for Chopin, whom I mentioned, I don’t think anyone touches Rubinstein. I think that he simply knocked the ball out of the park. And I could mention this, too, that I actually heard Rubinstein play both of the Chopin concerti at Orchestra Hall, many, many years ago. And he was up in years, and it wasn’t the same Rubinstein that had done the recordings many years before, but the feeling in Orchestra Hall in Chicago was a feeling like no other that you ever could imagine. You felt as though the melodies were flowing out right from that piano right into your heart and back, and I’ll never forget that he came out and did two encores. And I didn’t see it, but somebody said to me that at a certain point, he turned to a lady in the audience and winked at her before he started the Nocturne in E flat, you know? And I think it made it all the more wonderful. I hope it was true. But certainly Rubinstein for Chopin. When you talk about Beethoven, I believe that my hero of heroes always was and always will be Artur Schnabel. Now, that really dates me, I know; but Schnabel’s recording of the thirty-two sonatas is available now, you can buy it, and I really think it’s the criterion.
KAPLAN: Well then, I think then let’s continue on with another piano work. This one by Brahms.
EGAN: The beauty of this piece is that it’s, I think, the quintessential expression of subtlety. There’s nothing that’s pushed in this. This is a subtle, beautiful development by Brahms, and I would say that this intermezzo, the second in the Opus 117, is particularly beloved for me because when I studied it, the teacher I had had been studying it in Nantucket with Leonard Shure. Leonard Shure was a well-known pianist, who was the assistant to Artur Schnabel. So, when I studied this intermezzo, in fact all three of them of the opus, I always felt that Schnabel was teaching me through Leonard Shure, and of course through my teacher. So, whenever I listen to this lovely, subtle piece of music, I think of myself as sort of inheriting some of the wonder that Leonard Shure put into his Brahms. And of course that Schnabel taught him.
[Music]
KAPLAN: Brahms’ Intermezzo No. 2 performed by pianist Arthur Rubinstein, music chosen by my guest today on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. When we return I’ll be asking Cardinal Egan whether music can have the same power as prayer.
[Station Break]
This is Gilbert Kaplan with my guest today on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. As we get deeper into the show today it becomes increasingly clear, I think, that for you music is something highly personal. So, I'd like to know a bit more about the power of music—that is the power of music in your own life. The Pope has said that music is – and this is a direct quote: “an authentic art, just like prayer.” So, along with prayer, do you ever turn to music at difficult moments for consolation, or when you just have to make a difficult decision?
EGAN: Absolutely. And I would have to say that I do see music as a prayer. I believe that our principal duty here in this world is to give adoration to our God. And I believe when we admire what is good and true and beautiful, we are admiring a reflection, we are seeing in what is good, true and beautiful, some kind of a reflection of the Divinity. So I see music as a prayer as well.
KAPLAN: Do you have any moments you can reflect on, when you faced making a difficult decision, when you thought, maybe I’ll put a little bit of this or that on, and what might it have been that you would put on?
EGAN: Well, I can’t say anything like that, but I’ll say something near it. When I was deciding whether or not I would go to a seminary, I remember making the decision in Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, listening to what we call the “Tenebre,” written by da Victoria, and the choir at that time was at the level that I hope our choir here in New York will be with the great classical polyphonist, one day, and at this “Tenebre”, and the way we used to have it during Holy Week, the lights were all turned off, and the candles were extinguished, one by one, the apostles leaving the Lord. And I remember being swept up in the beauty of that magnificent 16th century masterpiece as a boy. And this had a big effect upon my decision.
KAPLAN: How emotional is your response to music? For example, do you find yourself at times in tears when you’re listening to music?
EGAN: I can’t say I’d be in tears, no. I wish I could give you a case of music that had done it to me. I think music really more buoys me up than anything else.
KAPLAN: Well, my next question is then, I guess, not really about buoying you up, because as someone who regularly officiates at funerals and who loves music so much, I wonder if you’ve decided at all what music you would like played at your own funeral?
EGAN: I didn’t expect that question, and let me tell you what I would do if I had the opportunity. And, I would say that if it ever were possible for me to choose what it would be, it would be the Perosi Requiem. I don’t know what’ll happen, but if they did have the Perosi Requiem, it would be wonderful.
KAPLAN: That’s a wonderful answer. I hope there are a few other questions that surprised you, but we’ll go on. Now, if there’s any music, we’ve been talking about emotional music, if there is any music that can surely touch your emotions, it’s your final selection, the extraordinary concluding trio from Strauss’ Rosenkavalier.
EGAN: Well, it’s a triumph and it’s I think as beautiful as anything you’d ever want to hear. Let me tell you how I came to love Der Rosenkavalier. When I was a seminarian, back in the 1950’s, one of my classmates was the now Cardinal Francis Stafford, who is a Cardinal in Rome. And Frank was not terribly informed about music, but he put up with my enthusiasms, and we actually managed to get tickets in Rome for Das Rheingold in Bayreuth. And so the two of us went to hear Das Rheingold. And when it was over, Frank turned to me and said, “I have no idea what you could possibly have heard or seen in that. I don’t like it at all.” Well, Das Rheingold is a kind of a heavy start for one’s operatic experience, but in any event, we continued down toward Rome. We went to Munich, and in Munich, I actually had two tickets for Der Rosenkavalier, with von Karajan and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. So we went in and heard that, and after that, as we walked out, Cardinal Stafford became an opera fan. And I’ve kidded him many times that I really am the one that brought him forward in the musical world. So, having heard that incredible performance with no less than Schwarzkopf and von Karajan, and I believe it was in the Prinzregenten Theater in Munich. I’m 99% sure. I have never forgotten that, and I love it now, and there is a magnificent recording, of course, with Schwarzkopf and von Karajan, and when you get to that ending with that trio, you never think it’s going to stop going up and finally it achieves whatever it is that we all want to achieve, that marvelous resolution, and so I have such a fine memory of having taught opera to Cardinal Stafford through Schwarzkopf and von Karajan, and I thought that’s what I would choose.
[Music]
KAPLAN: The final trio from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier sung by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig and Teresa Stich-Randall with the Philharmonia Orchestra, all under the baton of Herbert von Karajan, the final selection of my guest today on “Mad About Music”, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan. Powerful music that trio. And music you used to seduce another Cardinal into appreciating opera. And I say seduced purposely because another guest on “Mad About Music” also selected that trio from Rosenkavalier. That guest, the well-known Hollywood and Broadway director, Mike Nichols, he picked it for a different reason. He used it earlier in his life, he said, for seduction of the more traditional type, as I’d like you now to hear it in his own words:
NICHOLS: The Trio from the Rosenkavalier was just out and out, a way of getting girls, you know. It was simply saying, “have I got something to play for you”, and sitting them down and playing them the trio, which it has to be said, almost always worked.
KAPLAN: So that’s Mike Nichols about the seductive power of Rosenkavalier. What do you think about that?
EGAN: Well, I think that Richard Strauss seduces us all. And not just in Der Rosenkavalier. I think that Ariadne auf Naxos and especially the wonderful section that they give to the young Italian girl that sings music almost as marvelous as that trio. So, I would have to say to Mr. Nichols that he ought to broaden his spectrum and take a look and see if Ariadne might do the job too.
KAPLAN: All right well, beyond seduction, you know there’s a lot of fantasy in Rosenkavalier and we have a fantasy portion of our program which I call “Fantasyland”, where every guest, and that includes you, has to reveal their fantasies, their musical fantasies. And in your case, having studied the piano so much, I’d like to rule that out as a fantasy. And I’d like you to tell us that if you could be a big star, an opera singer, a composer, a musician playing the violin, a conductor, what would it be?
EGAN: Well, you’ll have to forgive me, but I often wondered what would have happened if I had pursued music and had had an opportunity to become a choir director, believe it or not. I would say that if you handed me the baton, and I had this choir in front of me, my fantasy would be to direct a great choir as part of a mass, as part of a liturgical service, as part of a worship. I wouldn’t be interested in doing it necessarily in a concert hall. But, St. Patrick’s Cathedral would be wonderful, but they’ve given me another job and so I put that into the hands of someone else with far greater talent.
KAPLAN: Well, we’re talking about fantasies, of course, and you certainly could do it sometime, why not? Cardinal Edward Egan, you’ve been a superb, wonderful guest, and provide a powerful example of the power music can provide in all our lives. This is Gilbert Kaplan, for “Mad About Music.”
New York Cardinal - Pelosi Not Worthy of "Providing Leadership in a Civilized Democracy"
Sept 05, 2008
Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, has unified his voice with fellow clergymen and Catholic congressmen, condemning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments made on an August 24 episode of NBC's Meet the Press.
NEW YORK, August 26, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In short, Pelosi told moderator Tom Brokaw that as an "ardent" and "practicing" Catholic and well-learned individual on the Catholic Church's teaching on human life, no one knows "when life begins." She falsely claimed that the issue of human life has been a topic of "controversy" for the Catholic Church in order to support her advocacy of abortion and contraception.
Watch the full interview here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwUSt7dfj5I)
Cardinal Egan explained how Pelosi has failed to defend the inherent right to life of all and said that her belief that confusion among Church theologians warrants abortion is erroneous.
"What the Speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age," stated a "shocked" Cardinal Egan.
Pointing to the fact that modern technology allows one to view a human baby in the womb, he continued by saying, "In simplest terms, they are human beings with an inalienable right to live, a right that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is bound to defend at all costs for the most basic of ethical reasons."
The Cardinal went on to strongly denounce Pelosi's pro-abortion position: "No one with the slightest measure of integrity or honor could fail to know what these marvelous beings manifestly, clearly, and obviously are, as they smile and wave into the world outside the womb."
"Anyone who dares to defend that they may be legitimately killed because another human being 'chooses' to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name," concluded Cardinal Egan.
USA/ Visita Papa, Cardinale Egan: Giuliani non doveva fare comunione
Apr 29, 2008
Egan: non doveva farla perché sostiene diritto aborto.
New York, 28 apr. (Ap) - Il sindaco di New York Rudy Giuliani non avrebbe dovuto prendere la comunione durante la visita di Papa Benedetto XVI a causa del suo sostegno al diritto all'aborto. Parola del cardinale della città Edward Egan.
Il cardinale non ha nascosto il proprio disappunto, soprattutto perché Giuliani avrebbe mancato di attenersi "all'intesa", come l'ha definita Egan, sul fatto che l'ex sindaco ed ex candidato alla nomination repubblicana non avrebbe ricevuto l'Eucaristia.
Secondo i precetti della Chiesa cattolica "l'aborto è una grave offesa verso la volontà di Dio", motivo per cui ora Egan dovrebbe chiedere un incontro con Giuliani "per insistere sul fatto che ha mancato alla parola data". Una risposta ufficiale dell'ex sindaco, come hanno reso noto i suoi portavoce, dovrebbe arrivare oggi.
Cardinal Egan's Greeting at Papal Mass
Apr 21, 2008
We "Feel Especially Blessed By Your Coming Among Us".
NEW YORK, APRIL 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the greeting Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, gave to Benedict XVI before the Pontiff celebrated Mass today at Yankee's Stadium.
* * *
Most Holy Father, welcome to New York!
Your pastoral visit is for all of us gathered here this afternoon an immense blessing for which we are truly and deeply grateful.
Two hundred years ago this month, your wise and heroic predecessor of happy memory, Pope Pius VII, elevated the Diocese of Baltimore, the only Diocese in the nation at the time, to the dignity of an Archdiocese and created within its Metropolitan Province four Suffragan Sees. They were Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Bardstown, which is now Louisville. All four have since become Archdioceses and, along with Baltimore, are engaged in Bicentennial Celebrations which, in the providence of God, culminate most fittingly with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered by the Vicar of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, here in our midst. For your visit and your leading us in this Eucharist, Most Holy Father, we express our humble and heartfelt gratitude.
With us on this splendid and grace-filled occasion are cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and faithful from all 195 dioceses and archdioceses of the United States of America. They represent an extraordinary variety of races and ethnic backgrounds, all united in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of which you are the Supreme Shepherd. They are joined by clergy and laity of many faiths and communions, political leaders, and men, women, and children from every corner of this land. It is an extraordinary privilege to be allowed to tell you on their behalf what a splendid and deeply appreciated grace your presence is for all of us.
Most Holy Father, we have read with pleasure and gratitude your most recent Encyclical Letter, “Saved by Hope.” It sets the theme for this Eucharist, “Christ, Our Easter Hope,” and points out most tellingly the path we need to follow with unlimited trust and confidence in the Lord over the years that lie ahead. Thank you most sincerely for that Encyclical and for all that you have said, written, and done over the past three years as Successor of Saint Peter to deepen our faith and strengthen our commitment to live as the Lord has taught us to live.
Finally, Most Holy Father, allow me to add that we in New York feel especially blessed by your coming among us in our Cathedral, at our seminary, in one of our parish churches, before the world community at the United Nations, and in Lower Manhattan at what we have come to call “Ground Zero,” a place of tragedy hallowed by your concern and prayer.
Please know that your visit inspires and heightens in the hearts of all of us that “life-changing and life-sustaining hope” about which you wrote in your Encyclical Letter with such depth and learning. We pray for the Bishop of Rome, the Supreme Pontiff, and the Vicar of Christ; and we promise to continue that prayer throughout the years that lie ahead with ever-greater love and hope.
Most Holy Father, welcome!
Edward Cardinal Egan Reflects On Years As Archdiocese Leader
Feb 20, 2008
In celebration of the New York Archdiocese's 200th anniversary this year, NY1's Roma Torre sat down with Edward Cardinal Egan to talk about his tenure at the helm.
(ny1.com, February 20, 2008) The archdiocese serves two and a half million Catholics in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and seven upstate counties.
Egan spoke about his eight years as the archdiocese leader and plans for the pope's upcoming visit.
During his tenure here, the cardinal has worked hard to balance the books on the archdiocese, which had been saddled with multi-million dollar deficits for years. The deficit is gone but the cost-cutting measures have taken a toll. Parishes had to be closed and church members protested loudly.
In the end, four parishes in New York City were shut down and ten were merged. The cardinal says he had no choice.
"We've been remarkably free of closures," he said. "There are some things you have to close. We've had one church here in New York that had 46 people coming on a Sunday. Well nobody is going to keep a building open and pay the heating and insurance and so forth for 46 people."
Programming Note: To see Part I of Torre's interview with Cardinal Egan, tune into NY1's News at Eleven tonight.
In Part II, which debuts tomorrow night, Cardinal Egan discusses plans for Pope Benedict's three-day visit to the city in April.
Egan's retirement would be a first
Dec 11, 2007
The 2.5 million Catholics of the Archdiocese of New York may soon witness something that their parents, grandparents and immigrant great-grandparents never did: the retirement of an archbishop.
(thejournalnews.com, December 8, 2007) The archdiocese will turn 200 in April, but all 11 of its previous leaders - bishops and later archbishops - have died in office (even if the first never actually touched American soil).
Cardinal Edward Egan does not appear likely to join them.
Egan turned 75 in April and submitted his formal retirement papers to the Vatican, leaving his future in the hands of Pope Benedict XVI.
Observers within and without the archdiocese believe Benedict will accept Egan's retirement and appoint a new archbishop at some point in the next year, possibly in early 2008 or after the bicentennial and the pope's visit to New York in April.
"We don't know when it will be," said Egan's spokesman, Joseph Zwilling. "Whatever the Holy Father wants is what Cardinal Egan wants. He will do whatever the Holy Father asks of him."
Egan is not likely to go far, whenever retirement comes, Zwilling said.
"He expects he will stay somewhere in New York," he said. "He will be the first to admit that he's a city boy."
Benedict and his advisers in the Vatican may be in the process of trying to answer two related questions in regard to the future of the Archdiocese of New York: When should Egan retire? And who should replace him as archbishop?
Or the questions may already be answered.
Bishops and archbishops who lead dioceses - known as ordinaries - rarely retired before Vatican II. Archbishop of Melbourne Daniel Mannix, for instance, died in 1963 at 99 after serving for 46 years.
But canon law was amended in 1966 to set 75 as the age when bishops submit retirement papers.
As far as Egan's retirement date, the pope may consider many factors, including Egan's desires, the needs of the archdiocese and the availability of his top choice for successor, said Monsignor Ronny Jenkins, a canon lawyer and associate general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Detroit's Cardinal Adam Maida is still serving even though he turned 75 in March 2005.
"It's basically up to the pope," Jenkins said.
Although there are several possible scenarios, most observers believe a successor will be named when Egan's retirement is announced.
"I would be willing to put money down that's how it will happen in New York," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican."
The process for choosing a successor is more or less managed by the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., Archbishop Pietro Sambi. It is his job to consult with the movers and shakers in the American Catholic hierarchy and to submit three names, ranked by preference, to the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops.
The congregation vets the names and makes a recommendation to the pope.
At this moment, few people know where the process stands.
"The whole thing is done very secretively," Reese said. "If there is a consensus among the American cardinals, the nuncio and the Congregation for Bishops, it can go very smoothly and rapidly. If there's disagreement, it can go slowly."
Once the decisions are made and an announcement comes, the transfer of power is a simple affair. A papal document, a bull, naming the new archbishop will be presented to the archdiocese's consultors, a group of priests who have certain administrative responsibilities.
"When they acknowledge the authenticity of the bull, the power is transferred with that act," said Monsignor Robert Trisco, professor emeritus of theology and religious studies at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
Egan will become archbishop emeritus and temporary administrator of the archdiocese, while his successor will become archbishop designate.
A Mass will be scheduled at St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the new archbishop will be officially installed. At that time, Sambi will read aloud the papal bull, walk the new archbishop to the cathedra, or bishop's seat, and hand him his crozier, the bishop's staff.
A new era will begin for the Archdiocese of New York.
And Egan, a cardinal for life, will have no defined role whatsoever in the archdiocese. Then what?
"When a bishop retires, he is free to pursue whatever interests he would like to pursue," said Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
She would know. Washington has seen several retired archbishops come and go in recent years.
Today, as Archbishop Donald Wuerl runs things, Archbishop Emeritus Cardinal Theodore McCarrick uses Washington as his home base as he travels the world to promote religious freedom. Another former archbishop, Cardinal William Baum, who left in 1990 to serve in the Vatican, also spends part of his retirement in Washington.
The role of former archbishops often depends on their relationship with the current archbishop.
Reese noted that Wuerl and McCarrick have an excellent relationship, which was on display at a recent dinner for which McCarrick was master of ceremonies.
"It takes a very humble man like Wuerl, who was in the audience, to allow his predecessor to kind of upstage him," Reese said. "But he doesn't have a big ego."
In Baltimore, where Archbishop Edwin O'Brien was installed Oct. 1, newly retired Cardinal William Keeler has said he plans to continue working on Catholic relations with other religious communities, a longtime passion.
Egan will retain numerous responsibilities to Vatican institutions. He is a member of one of the Vatican's top courts, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as well as the Pontifical Council for the Family, the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, the Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Concerns of the Holy See, and other bodies.
As far as New York goes, Egan has no clear plans, Zwilling said.
"He is looking forward to confirmations, visiting parishes and giving some of those talks he's always asked to give, but declines because he doesn't like leaving the archdiocese," he said.
"If he was given the opportunity to teach somewhere, I think he would love it."
Other New York bishops came close to retiring.
Bishop John Dubois, who led the diocese during the early 1800s, was very ill for the last three years of his life and pretty much turned over control to Bishop John Hughes, who would ultimately replace him.
"Technically, Dubois wasn't retired - just incapacitated," said Monsignor Thomas Shelley of Fordham University, the author of a forthcoming history of the archdiocese.
Cardinal John O'Connor was all but ready to retire when he became ill in his late 70s. A spacious office for his retirement was all set on the grounds of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.
But he died as archbishop in 2000.
Had O'Connor not gotten sick, he may well have cast a large shadow in New York during his retirement.
"I think it would have been very difficult to follow John O'Connor if John O'Connor was alive and well," said Christopher Bellitto, a church historian at Kean University in Union, N.J.
Even if Egan does become the first archbishop of New York to retire, he figures to join his predecessors at some point. Each of the eight late archbishops, six of them cardinals, are entombed in a crypt beneath the altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Cardinal Egan Tells Media to "Grow Up"
Sept 25, 2007
Cardinal Egan, the archbishop of the New York Archdiocese, had no patience of protesters or reporters covering the protests outside a Midtown church yesterday.
(gothamist.com, September 24, 2007) Some people have been upset their local churches have been closed by the Catholic Church, most notably parishioners Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, who have been protesting the February closing every weekend since February. And yesterday, outside of St. John the Baptist on West 31st Street, Our Lady Queen of Angels parishioners-turned-protesters gathered to ask Egan, "Why have you abandoned us?"
The Daily News reported this exchange between Egan and the media:
"You just have to ignore all this and grow up," Egan said when asked about the Catholics gathered outside in protest of the closure of their beloved church, Our Lady Queen of Angels.
When pressed, Egan, who had just finished celebrating Mass at St. John the Baptist on W. 31st St., said, "Oh, for heaven's sake."
Egan left the church through a back door, avoiding the 30 protesters.
Before stepping into a waiting van, Egan again refused to discuss the protest.
"Madam, get serious," he said. "This is important. Go in and look at reality."
The New York Archdiocese closing of churches has been driven by immigration and other demographic changes. The News points out that there are three churches within walking distance of Our Lady Queen of Angels, but many parishioners feel very strongly about their church, even holding a funeral for a fellow parishioner outside the closed church. And in one of the other parish closings, a Lithuanian Church downtown was shut in a sneaky fashion: The priest was called to a meeting with Cardinal Egan, and while he was gone, the church was locked!
Earlier this year, New York magazine examined Egan's career and how other priests can't wait to get rid of him (he's expected to retire soon).
A Sunday in June
Jun 12, 2007
In the Holiness of Truth - June 7, 2007.
In 1904, Reverend Raymond Walsh, O.F.M., a Franciscan friar, celebrated the first Mass in the City of Yulan in Sullivan County. The liturgy took place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Kinnelly who, shortly thereafter, gave the Archbishop of New York land in Yulan for a future parish church.
Father Walsh and his growing Catholic community began immediately to raise funds for the church, assisted in their efforts by such famous entertainers of the day as Eddie Cantor and Irving Berlin, who during the summer appeared in various vacation hotels in the area. Thus, on July 14, 1907, St. Anthony of Padua Parish Church was dedicated by the Most Reverend Thomas F. Cusack, an Auxiliary Bishop to the Archbishop of New York, John Cardinal Farley.
In the 1930s, the church burned to the ground. In spite of the heavy burdens of an economic depression that was raging in every corner of the nation, the church was rebuilt and stands today as a remarkable tribute to the faith, generosity and—one might add—excellent taste of all who were involved. It is a simple structure, but handsome and marvelously devotional.
Last Sunday, June 3, I left Manhattan shortly before 8 a.m. to make my way up to Yulan for the 100th anniversary of the parish and church of St. Anthony of Padua. The rain fell throughout our journey, at some points so heavily that we could hardly see out of the car windows. Nonetheless, once all the celebrants had vested in the rectory and were ready to move over to the church, the rain stopped, the sky cleared and the sun appeared. The pastor, Reverend Anthony Moore, O.F.M., explained why. Early in the morning he had had a conversation with St. Anthony, and everything worked out exactly according to plan.
The Mass was inspiring, attended, as it was, by the Provincial of the Holy Name Province of the Friars Minor, Very Reverend John F. O'Connor, O.F.M., and clergy and religious from surrounding parishes. At the conclusion, Father O'Connor gave St. Francis medals to Mr. Carl Hentschel, the oldest member of the parish who will be celebrating his 100th birthday this year; to Mr. and Mrs. Chet Oset, both of whom have lived in the parish for more than 80 years; and to 20 other members of the parish community who have over the years been deeply involved in parish undertakings.
From the church we went to a hotel a few miles away for a splendid luncheon. I raised a toast to the parish, the pastor and the Holy Father and then explained to the packed dining room that I had to get back to St. Patrick's Cathedral for a Mass with the Puerto Rican community. All seemed to understand, as we got into the car for a speedy return to New York City.
In the Cathedral an immense crowd was praying the Mass with the Most Reverend Félix Lázaro Martínez, Bishop of Ponce in Puerto Rico, as principal celebrant. Some months before I had invited him to be with us for this Mass, and he had graciously accepted. After the final blessing, I spoke to the congregation about the countless blessings that the Puerto Rican people had brought to the City and Archdiocese of New York and encouraged all to be active in their parishes, as examples of dedicated followers of the Lord.
Then, to complete a beautiful celebration, I blessed over 100 "Hijas de Maria" (Daughters of Mary) who, in white veils, brought flowers to be placed before an image of the Virgin. My predecessor, John Cardinal O'Connor, had asked the Holy See to recognize the Association of the "Hijas de Maria" canonically, and it was my privilege to implement the affirmative decision from Rome. It is an outstanding organization of girls and young women who commit themselves to lives in imitation of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and do immense good throughout the Archdiocese—in parishes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and all kinds of neighborhood institutions of education and charity. As I sprinkled them with holy water, I begged the Mother of God to assist us in making their numbers increase greatly over the years to come.
The liturgy in Yulan and the liturgy in the Cathedral would have been more than enough to make my Sunday in June truly memorable. But there was something else as well.
With me during our five-hour drive to and from Yulan was a publication titled The Dunwoodie Review that I had received in the mail a few days earlier. It is issued by our major seminary, St. Joseph's in Yonkers, and contains articles by professors, students and alumni. And it is first class in every sense.
The articles by professors are four in number. The first is by Sister Sara Butler, M.S.B.T., S.T.D., Professor of Dogma at the Seminary and a member of the Pontifical Theological Commission. It concerns the ordination of women. The second is by Reverend Joseph T. Lienhard, S.J., S.T.D., Professor of Dogma at the Seminary and also at Fordham University. It concerns the reactions of the Fathers of the Church to the Arian heresy of the fourth century. The third is by Reverend Monsignor Kevin P. O'Brien, Ph.D., Spiritual Director at the Seminary. It concerns prayer in the life of a priest. The fourth is by Reverend Monsignor Hugh F. McManus, Ph.D., Professor of Homiletics at the Seminary and Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Scarsdale. It concerns the manner in which homilies are to be delivered. All are incredibly interesting and powerfully written.
The articles by seminarians of St. Joseph's Seminary are two in number. The first is by Mr. Christopher Argano, who will be ordained in 2009. It concerns the theology of creation. The second is by Mr. Vincent Druding, who will be ordained also in 2009. It concerns purgatory. Both are very timely and very well written too.
The three longest articles are by alumni, and I found them all not only interesting and well-researched, but also extraordinarily thought-provoking. The first is by Reverend William Cleary of the Ordination Class of 2004 who is a parochial vicar at St. Frances de Chantal parish in the Bronx. It concerns the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in each of us. The second is by Reverend James Collins of the Ordination Class of 2004 who is a parochial vicar at St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus parish on Staten Island. It concerns the sacrificial character of the Mass. The third is by Reverend Brian Taylor of the Ordination Class of 2006 who is a parochial vicar at St. Joseph's parish in Bronxville. It concerns human dignity as understood by the French theologian Henri du Lubac. From all three I learned much, and I look forward to reading them again.
There is a column in a New York newspaper that frequently ends with the exclamation: "Where but in New York!" As I finished the day on June 3, this was the question that came to mind. Where but in the Archdiocese of New York could one rejoice with the members of a country parish as it celebrates its centennial, pray with a Cathedral filled with devout faithful from Puerto Rico, and be amazed and instructed by the remarkable learning of professors, alumni and students of the local seminary. We have so much for which to be thankful, and I am especially grateful that in preparation for our Bicentennial celebration we have a whole year to explore the wonders of the Archdiocese, and to discover new ones as well. The Lord has blessed us mightily. May His name ever be praised.
Copies of The Dunwoodie Review can be obtained from St. Joseph's Seminary, 201 Seminary Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. 10704. Cost is $25 and checks should be made payable to The Dunwoodie Review; donations are accepted.,
With prayerful best wishes, may I remain
Very truly yours in Christ,
Edward Cardinal Egan
Archbishop of New York
Retirement watch begins as Egan hits 75
May 05, 2007
When Pope Paul VI amended Canon Law in 1966 to require that bishops submit retirement papers at the age of 75, Cardinal Francis Spellman was already 77. But New York's long-ruling archbishop died in office the following year, showing early on how fickle the pope can be about accepting those papers.
(THE JOURNAL NEWS, April 2, 2007) Never mind. Whenever a big-name bishop nears the three-quarter century mark, speculation swirls about whether he will be asked by the pope to lean his staff in a corner for special occasions.
This will be especially true today, when Cardinal Edward Egan turns 75.
From the day Egan came to New York in 2000, becoming the region's 12th Catholic boss, it's been widely believed that he would be the first to leave office alive. He was a Roman at heart, the conventional wisdom held, who would close parishes and schools and balance the budget before being rewarded with a plum spot in the Vatican bureaucracy.
Then came the national sex-abuse crisis and widespread dissatisfaction with how Egan handled several high-profile cases.
Priests began to complain about a lack of leadership and pastoral touch, criticisms that were echoed in an anonymous letter in the fall that provoked tremendous discussion about Egan's future.
In December, Egan talked openly in a TV interview about the possibility of retirement: "I think that if I retired I would, maybe, take a little trip and have a little relaxation, but ultimately, sure, I would want to be back in New York."
So what does it all mean? Only Pope Benedict XVI knows.
"There's a lot of buzz, but it's possible that nothing will change for a long time," said Rocco Palmo, overseer of the closely watched Catholic insider blog, Whispers in the Loggia. "Unless Egan indicates that he wishes to go earlier, and I don't see that happening, he's a good bet to stick around at least through the year, if not longer. New York is still the most visible post in American Catholicism, and when it does come down, it will be Benedict's most significant appointment to a diocese to date."
Egan has two significant milestones coming up, which Palmo and others believe Egan will celebrate as archbishop of New York.
On April 15, he will preside over a special Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral to kick off a year of events commemorating the bicentennial of the Archdiocese of New York, which will fall on April 8, 2008.
And on Dec. 15 of this year, Egan will celebrate his 50th anniversary as a priest.
"John Paul was very sympathetic to the argument that if a bishop has an anniversary coming up, he should stay," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican." "It's hard to say what Benedict will do."
So everyone is left to try to read the Roman tea leaves.
On the one hand, Benedict accepted the retirement of former Dallas Bishop Charles Grahmann last month, only eight months after Grahmann turned 75.
On the other hand, Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit is 77 and Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore is 76 - and both are still serving.
George Weigel, an influential Catholic theologian with close ties to the Vatican, wrote in an e-mail about Benedict's initial bishop appointments: "The long-term tale will now be told, however, with appointments to such major sees as Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Louisville, Detroit, Seattle, Portland and New York, all of which are likely to happen in the next two years or sooner."
But then Weigel denied he has inside information about Egan's future.
"I have no idea," he said. "Neither does anyone else."
The question many are asking is whether the increasingly open criticism of Egan from priests will affect his future.
Terrence Tilley, a theology professor at Fordham University and a longtime follower of the comings and goings of bishops, said public grumbling from priests might have the opposite effect from what's intended.
"I would expect a Roman response to be increased support for Egan," he said. "By that I mean I would not expect his mandatory retirement to be accepted. I think he'll stay awhile. They tend to support those who face difficulties."
Who might have a say in Egan's future? The new papal nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, who arrived last year, is a decorated Vatican diplomat. He is said to pay close attention to the media and his opinion on bishops - whatever it might be - weighs heavily in Rome.
There are also several Americans on the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, which oversees the selection of bishops and other matters. Among them is Cardinal William Levada, former archbishop of San Francisco and Benedict's successor as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Cardinal Bernard Law, the ousted archbishop of Boston, also serves on the congregation.
"Everyone and their mother wants their voice heard on New York," Palmo said.
Joseph Zwilling, Egan's spokesman, said that the digital era is perfect for the spread of rumors and handicapping, but that Egan is unconcerned.
"I know people like to speculate, and 10 years ago we didn't have all these blogs, which fuel the fires for those interested in guessing games," Zwilling said. "The cardinal has been going around telling the priests, 'Don't worry, I'll be here for another 150 years.' This is not something he's focused on at all."
In the end, it's all up to Benedict. Canon 401 requests that a bishop offer his papers upon turning 75 to the pope, "who will make provision after he has examined all the circumstances."
"The pope considers how things are going in a diocese, any other factors, and makes his decision," said Monsignor Joseph Giandurco, a canon lawyer and pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Suffern. "It can range from immediate acceptance of a bishop's resignation to allowing him to stay indefinitely. This Holy Father has done both."
Giandurco noted that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger submitted his resignation at 75 to Pope John Paul II.
"It was not accepted," he said. "At age 78, he was elected pope. One never knows what the Lord has in store."
As the Rev. Michael T. Martine, professor of canon law at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, put it, "It's whatever the Holy Father wants."
One thing the pope can't control is the inevitable conjecture over who may replace Egan, whether next year or in five years. It's a popular guessing game among priests, active laypeople and church analysts, even though there appears to be no real favorite this time around.
During the final period of Cardinal John O'Connor's tenure, the popular choices were Archbishop Edwin O'Brien and Bishop Henry Mansell, both former auxiliary bishops in New York. But another former New York auxiliary bishop who was right up Interstate 95 in Bridgeport, Conn., was John Paul's choice.
"The way I read Pope Benedict, he seems to be appointing people who are pastoral and teaching bishops rather than confrontational bishops," Reese said. "John Paul liked bishops like Cardinal O'Connor, who would tell it like it is and fit right in in New York. Benedict has been appointing people who are more soft-spoken, I would say. But again, who knows?"
O'Brien and Mansell are still considered contenders, and have lingered for more than a decade at the top of many lists. O'Brien remains head of the military archdiocese and Mansell now leads the Archdiocese of Hartford.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee is the fast riser.
Some say they feel that two current New York auxiliaries, Dennis Sullivan and Gerald Walsh, are in the running.
The name of Archbishop Roberto González Nieves of San Juan started coming up during O'Connor's tenure. Could he be New York's first Hispanic cardinal?
But it's all guesswork. And Egan may not need a successor for some time.
O'Connor reached his 75th birthday in 1995. But he died in 2000 at the age of 80 - as archbishop of New York.
Who's who
Possible contenders for future archbishop of New York
- Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee, 57. The St. Louis priest is a former rector of the prestigious North American College in Rome. Took over in Milwaukee in 2002 under difficult circumstances. Young and personable.
- Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, turns 68 on Sunday. One of the best-known Catholic figures in New York and a "leading contender" for many years. Was an auxiliary bishop in New York and twice the rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers. Head of the military archdiocese, which includes Catholics in the U.S. military around the world. Still a regular visitor to New York. Some say his time has passed.
- Archbishop Henry Mansell, 69. The New York priest served at St. John & St. Paul in Larchmont early on. Was an auxiliary bishop under O'Connor before leaving for Buffalo in 1995. Became archbishop of Hartford in 2003. Would be a short-timer at this point in his career. A transitional cardinal?
- Archbishop Roberto González Nieves, 56. Young, charismatic and Puerto Rican. Born in New Jersey but grew up in Puerto Rico. Served in the Bronx as a young priest. Has served as archbishop of San Juan since 1999. Has friends and supporters across the country. An obvious choice to appeal to New York's growing Latino community. But may be too young.
- Bishop Dennis Sullivan, 62. A parish priest for his whole career before being tabbed an auxiliary bishop in 2004. Was pastor at the time of St. John & St. Paul in Larchmont. Spent 21 years at St. Teresa's in Manhattan. As co-vicar general of the archdiocese, he has led planning for the realignment of parishes. Down to earth and generally popular.
Other names mentioned:
- Bishop Gerald Walsh, 64, auxiliary bishop of New York and vicar of development.
- Bishop Timothy McDonnell, 69, of Springfield, Mass., a former auxiliary of New York.
- Archbishop John Myers of Newark, 65, formerly bishop of Peoria, Ill.
- Bishop Arthur Serratelli, 62, of Paterson, N.J.
At 75, a Battle-Tested but Unwavering Cardinal
Apr 25, 2007
He has shuttered half-empty churches, faced down disgruntled parishioners and retired an unsightly $20 million deficit, all in the name of putting the Archdiocese of New York on sturdy fiscal legs.
(New York Times, April 23, 2007) So the question for Cardinal Edward M. Egan arises: Will this white-haired prince of the Roman Catholic Church follow the lead of other large dioceses and release the archdiocese’s financial reports to the public?
Cardinal Egan considers the idea for a second or two, and offers a smile more suggestive of steel than humor. Wall Street titans sit on his finance council and study his ledgers. The cardinal sees no point in public inspection.
“I am transparent to the best possible people,” he said in a rare interview in his 20th floor office on First Avenue in Manhattan. “So when you say, ‘We don’t know,’ well, my ‘we’ knows.”
In the dusk of his half-century-long career, Cardinal Egan remains something of a riddle. He turned 75 this month and thus, in accordance with church law, he has submitted his resignation as archbishop to the Vatican. As Pope Benedict XVI weighs the cardinal’s future — he can ask him to stay on or to step down — the challenges facing the second-largest archdiocese in the nation extend well beyond uncertain finances.
The core of the New York archdiocese’s 2.5 million Catholics is slowly shifting to the northern suburbs, resulting in the closing of some churches in the city and the building of new ones in the suburbs. A majority of the students in the inner-city parochial schools are non-Catholic; 98 percent of the students graduate from high school, but the church subsidizes much of the cost.
And the ranks of priests continue to dwindle, as fewer and fewer young men appear willing to take vows of celibacy. (The archdiocese inducted about half a dozen new priests last year, and the average priest in the United States is older than 60.)
Appointed archbishop seven years ago, Cardinal Egan reasoned that his greatest immediate challenge was to straighten out the financial problems that afflicted the archdiocese. He tended quickly to his listing ship, paring budgets, closing parishes, installing nine finance directors to oversee the archdiocese’s 10 counties, and working with wealthy laity to raise the many millions of dollars needed to keep this vast machine of churches, schools and charities running.
But to this day, it is difficult to draw the precise measure of his accomplishments. Before Cardinal Egan arrived, the archdiocese had run an annual $20 million operating deficit, which it was financing partly by borrowing internally. Church officials declined to give details on the nature of this borrowing, other than to acknowledge that it created a new mountain of debt, totaling more than $40 million.
Cardinal Egan says — without offering a look at any ledger sheets — that he wiped out the operating deficit within two years. As for the $40 million worth of internal debt, last week church officials said they were paying it off at a rate of $3 million per year.
But on Friday, a spokesman for the archdiocese, Joseph Zwilling, said the archdiocese would retire that internal debt by midsummer. He offered few details about this sudden turn.
“Money we had has been put aside and invested and is now sufficient to pay off the debt,” Mr. Zwilling said. “We had some surpluses and fund-raising, although I don’t have a breakdown.”
An accomplished fund-raiser, the Cardinal also declines to talk about his work in that realm, save to describe himself a “a beggar” at the doorstep of wealthy benefactors. And he has refused to release even a bare-boned accounting of the archdiocese’s finances, although four of the five largest dioceses in the nation — Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Brooklyn — have done so.
He raises a forefinger in caution. He’s quite clear about his mistrust of the press.
“Do we want to leave ourselves open?” Cardinal Egan asked, referring to public disclosure of church finances. He rolled his eyes. “Oh, what fun people could have!”
A number of prominent Catholics, however, have embraced openness as a crucial step toward regaining the trust of parishioners disenchanted by financial malfeasance and sexual abuse in dioceses around the country.
The Archdiocese of Boston, which covered up hundreds of cases of sexual abuse by priests and suffered the loss of tens of millions of dollars in lawsuits as a result, now releases voluminous financial statements, listing debts and its five highest-paid contractors.
Kerry A. Robinson, executive director of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management, which draws 180 executives from the secular and religious worlds, argues strongly that holding everyone publicly accountable, from parish councils to bishops, makes moral and practical sense.
“Catholics have risen in affluence and influence, and they give a lot more when they know how the money is used, invested and reported,” said Ms. Robinson, who stressed that she had not examined the New York archdiocese. “If a diocese is run in an authentic and transparent way, it becomes worthy of generosity.”
To supporters and critics alike, Cardinal Egan’s resistance to public inspection and to calls for reform follow the pattern of his tradition-bound church career. He is a man of Rome — a Romanist in the argot of church insiders — learned in canon law and philosophy, and a confidant of the late Pope John Paul II. Early in his career he served as a top assistant to Cardinal John Patrick Cody of Chicago, a man with a reputation for brooking little dissent and disliking outside scrutiny.
Last fall Cardinal Egan repelled two small rebellions, one by priests who accused him of being arrogant and of failing to attend to the spiritual needs of the faithful, and another by parishioners who challenged his closing of churches. He replied to his priestly critics by writing an angry letter accusing them of a “vicious attack” intended to smear him. These unhappy few, he argued, were upset only because he had cracked down on child-abusing priests. (He also expressed his displeasure to the 42-member Presbyteral Council, a consultative priests’ “senate,” which then passed a resolution of support for him.)
He also let the police go into an East Harlem church to arrest some protesters.
“He’s brought to the table some amazing organizational strengths, but also some real weaknesses,” said Wallace A. Harris, chairman of the Presbyteral Council and pastor of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Harlem. “He wants to hear your opinion, but only if it’s absolutely necessary. You don’t like to say it’s a weakness, but he may not have the ability to listen well.”
Cardinal Egan shakes his head at mention of such complaints. He counsels no worry.
“When I came here, I told everyone what I would do, and quite frankly, I did it,” Cardinal Egan said. “I had to deal with the sex scandal, and I did. I had to realign, and I did. I wanted peace in my diocese, and it’s peaceful.”
His smile is broad. “It’s all been a colossal success,” he said.
But Thomas Hyland, a managing partner at a large law firm and an influential layman in Westchester, worries about the future. “These Cardinals are C.E.O.’s of vast and troubled organizations,” he said. “The financial situation is overwhelming.”
Powerful Pulpit, and Friends
There are few better perches in American Catholicism than the pulpit at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Cardinal Francis Spellman stood there in the 1960s and inveighed against “Godless Communism,” and in the 1980s, Cardinal John J. O’Connor spoke against abortion and for the rights of striking workers.
Cardinal Egan visits many parishes, writes a monthly column in the newspaper Catholic New York and delivers an affecting homily. He even pokes fun at his stentorian voice, which his nieces say calls to mind Darth Vader.
He has spoken out against the war in Iraq, and against abortion. But while other bishops walk picket lines, or threaten to deny communion to politicians who favor abortion rights, he as often stays his tongue or favors a muted tone.
“I’ve done everything I can to stay out of conflict that was not immediately part of the Catholic faith,” the Cardinal says. “I’ve handled it right, quite frankly.”
Cardinal Egan is not without influential friends.
Stephen Sweeny, president of New Rochelle College, a Catholic institution, lavishes praise on the cardinal’s dedication to education. The Rev. Joseph P. LaMorte, a pastor in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and a member of the Presbyteral Council, notes that the cardinal found the money to build a pleasant retirement home for priests. And Denis P. Kelleher, chairman of Wall Street Access, a money management firm, recalls warm evenings at the cardinal’s residence, with wealthy givers in couches and chairs and His Eminence on his beloved grand piano.
“He’s a most gracious host, most charming,” said Mr. Kelleher.
But the Cardinal keeps a distance from the larger city. Current and retired politicians, business union leaders and other prominent New Yorkers, Catholic and non-Catholic, as often shrug at the mention of his name.
“I’ve never met him, and our absence of a relationship is intriguing,” says Kathryn S. Wylde, president of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit group representing the city’s leading corporations. She served on public policy committees with Cardinal O’Connor. “I’m sure Egan is a leader inside the church, but not outside.”
Born to an upper-middle class family in a Chicago suburb, Cardinal Egan suffered polio as a child; a powerfully built man, he moves with a halting step to this day. As a young priest, he passed less than a year in a parish before departing for Rome for years of training and work as a canon lawyer and judge. He became private secretary to Cardinal Cody in 1965.
A cultural storm was washing over the American Catholic Church.
The F.B.I. told Cardinal Cody that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a communist and sexual deviant, and Cardinal Cody’s enthusiasm cooled for Dr. King. He discouraged support of him, even as the cardinal’s parish priests stripped off their collars and marched with Dr. King.
An association of Chicago priests voted no confidence in Cardinal Cody. (Faced with his own rebellion last fall, Cardinal Egan angrily invoked his long-ago loyalty to Cardinal Cody as a model).
Young Egan kept an eye on the unruly priests for Cardinal Cody
“Priests were getting arrested and speaking out, and Ed Egan was this button-down Romanist trying to rein things in,” said John T. McGreevy, a professor of history at the University of Notre Dame and author of “Parish Boundaries: The Catholic Encounter with Race in the Twentieth-Century Urban North.”
“You could argue he’s consistent,” Mr. McGreevy said. “Egan wasn’t interested in changing the world in 1968, and he’s not interested in that in 2007.”
Cardinal Egan later served a term as auxiliary bishop under Cardinal John J. O’Connor. Theirs was a far frostier relationship. The gregarious Cardinal O’Connor wrote a letter to his priests noting that Bishop Egan was not his choice as auxiliary.
In 1988, Auxiliary Bishop Egan became bishop of Bridgeport. There he shored up Catholic schools and installed financial controls. He also declined to divulge cases of abuse by clergy members, and allowed priests who underwent counseling to continue working long after allegations surfaced.
In videotaped testimony in 1997, he argued that the diocese held no legal sway over priests. “Every priest is self-employed,” Bishop Egan said. “He pays his taxes four times a year.”
Five years later, Cardinal Egan offered a conditional apology: “If in hindsight we discover that mistakes may have been made as regards prompt removal of priests and assistance to victims, I am deeply sorry.” The Bridgeport diocese has so far legally forestalled the release of its records.
Battling a Deficit
Cardinal Egan arrived in New York in 2000, where he faced the task of cleaning the fiscal stables. The late Cardinal O’Connor was no financial manager; he had run a $20 million annual operating deficit and declined to close near-vacant parishes. As former Mayor Edward I. Koch said of his late friend: “Cardinal O’Connor was a great man, but he was like the Pentagon. He was incapable of saving money.”
Cardinal Egan laid out a painstaking course for closing parishes. Each parish prepared reports. Diocesan officials visited, studying maps and demographics, and agreed to close fewer parishes than first planned.
But when the archdiocese released the final list of 21 parish closings and a furor arose, Cardinal Egan viewed discussion as closed. (He opened his press conference by talking of finances restored and parishes saved, saying: “I’m delighted to be able to share with you a lot of good news.”) When parishioners loudly protested at Our Lady of Vilnius, a Lithuanian national parish in Manhattan, the cardinal invited the administrator to his office. He had the church doors padlocked while they talked.
“We sent people to attend Mass there: Not a word of Lithuanian,” Cardinal Egan said, explaining why he closed the church. “The pastor speaks not a word, can’t read it, can’t write it. They average around six people at the early Mass.”
He slapped the arm of his chair. “Is there any person in the world who has sanity who would keep open deserted churches?” he said. “I made a good move.”
Perhaps, though, even some traditional support for New York’s cardinals has drained away of late. At a Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner in Rye, N.Y., last month, Catholic donors gave a loud ovation to a priest who had publicly challenged Cardinal Egan.
The cardinal’s problem, said Terrence W. Tilley, a professor of theology at Fordham University, is that he understands management but misses the subtle chemistry that binds a parish.
“This realignment symbolized his technocratic management style,” Mr. Tilley says. “People have buried parents, baptized babies and celebrated weddings in these places. The best parishes are sacred places, and a leader acknowledges that heartbreak.”
Such talk exasperates Cardinal Egan. To reduce his career to a knack for numbers strikes him as demeaning; he is not, he insists, some priestly accountant who dryly recites numbers and awaits his flock’s approval.
“I don’t expect a secular newspaper to capture this, but this question of whether I can eliminate debts: That’s not why I’m here,” he said. “That’s not who I am.” He shifts his eyes towards the ceiling. “I often wonder: What must John Paul think of this? He didn’t send me here for ‘fiscal reasons.’ ”
Now he leans forward, his eyes searching.
“I could have done something else in my life,” he said. “But I decided to do this. I wanted to preach a God-given means of salvation. So much of what we’ve been talking about, these anonymous letters and complaints and questions about ‘transparency’? It’s peripheral. All of this passes.”
Correction: April 24, 2007
Because of an editing error, a front-page article yesterday about the challenges facing Cardinal Edward M. Egan, the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York who turned 75 this month, referred incorrectly to the resignation he has submitted to the Vatican, in accordance with church law. He offered to resign as archbishop — not cardinal, a lifetime position. The article also misspelled the given name and surname of the president of the College of New Rochelle, who praised the cardinal’s dedication to education. He is Stephen Sweeny, not Steven Sweeney.
Approaching 75th Birthday, Feels 'Indebted' to the Lord
Apr 06, 2007
On April 2, Cardinal Egan will celebrate his 75th birthday, a special occasion in its own right but also the day that he is required by Church law to submit his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI.
(cny.org, March 29, 2007) The cardinal recently reflected on his tenure as Archbishop of New York, including his plans for the future, and addressed a number of other issues during an interview in his office at the New York Catholic Center. The interview was conducted by John Woods, Editor in Chief of Catholic New York.
What is on your mind as you approach this milestone in your life?
I look back on 50 wonderful years. The Lord blessed me with two devoted parents who were in Rome with me when I was ordained to the priesthood and in spirit with me throughout my years of service in Chicago and my early years in the Roman Curia. Both have gone to the Lord, and I will never cease to be indebted—deeply indebted—to them.
The years were wonderful also because they gave me the opportunity to be what I wanted to be from my high school days forward—a priest at the service of the Lord and the Lord's People. In the seminary I always expected that I would one day be a pastor in a parish. As a matter of fact, I headed a parish for less than a year. Still, I have tried as a teacher, a member of the Roman Curia, and a bishop to be a pastor insofar as I could, preaching, administering the sacraments and guiding the faithful in the works of justice and charity. This has been the fulfillment of my dreams, and for this I am indebted—deeply indebted—to the Lord.
Naturally there is more widespread focus on your birthday this year because at age 75, ordinaries are required to submit their resignation to the Holy Father. Would you like to continue as Archbishop of New York?
Every bishop must send in his resignation at 75 because of the norm of the Code of Canon Law, Canon 401, No. 1, to be exact. Cardinal O'Connor did so when he celebrated his 75th birthday. It is up to the Holy Father whether the bishop continues in office and, if he does, for how long. My letter will be sent, and I will do as I am told.
Last night a brother bishop telephoned me to chat. He recounted all that he is doing now that he is retired. "I am busier than ever," he reported. I hope that, when I am retired, I will be able to say the same. Much of my time over the past seven years has been taken up with administrative duties. It will be great to switch over to more clearly pastoral works, though I would insist that the administrative duties are pastoral in their own special way.
What are the big responsibilities that you see just ahead?
There are three matters of particular concern. The first is to see the realignment program to a conclusion. I believe it has already been a great success thanks in large measure to the work of Bishop Dennis Sullivan and Msgr. Douglas Mathers. Realignment consumed much time and energy, but it set us on a proper path for the future. We have to adjust to changes. Otherwise, we will not be able to serve our people as they need and deserve to be served. Two Sundays ago I celebrated the expansion of a parish church in Rockland County. This Sunday I will be doing the same in Westchester County. We are a growing, expanding community of faith, and realigning was needed and will continue to be needed over the years that lie ahead.
The second major effort is taking our first steps toward a program of Catholic Educational Communities so as to help all parishes become involved in maintaining and strengthening the great treasure that is our Catholic schools. This will be a real challenge for our dedicated pastors and their devoted parishioners. Frankly, I have been immensely encouraged by the response to date. Similar undertakings have worked well in other dioceses. I pray every day that it will work wonders for us.
The third major initiative is, of course, a proper celebration of our 200th birthday. Two centuries ago, Pope Pius VII, freed from Napoleon's prison, was able to create what was then the Diocese of New York covering the entire State of New York and the northern half of the State of New Jersey. There have been many changes in our geography because of the growth in various areas and the movement of peoples. All the same, we are 180 miles long and serving the three boroughs of the City of New York and seven counties north of the City. Our parishes number over 400. Our schools number almost 300. Our charities have expanded to the largest charitable operation in the nation. Our catechetical programs are greatly admired. Our seminary system is thriving and the number of seminarians increasing. We have a fine Catholic newspaper, also the largest in the nation. We have a new radio station, The Catholic Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. And to all of this and more, we have added a splendid Bicentennial Campaign to strengthen our parishes financially and to ensure a solid future for our schools, charities, seminaries, and retired clergy and religious. There is much to celebrate; and more importantly, there is much for which we should be down on our knees in gratitude to our loving God. I am looking forward to a year of prayer and of rejoicing in every corner of the Archdiocese.
A recent initiative that you have supported and taken an active role in has been the establishment of Sirius Satellite Radio's The Catholic Channel. What benefits does an initiative like this bring to the archdiocese and to you personally?
Yesterday I walked into the dining room of St. Joseph's Seminary to participate in a dinner for young men considering a vocation to the priesthood. We had just had Mass, and one of the young men who was seated in a front row came up to chat. He told me that he had heard my program, "A Conversation With the Cardinal," on The Catholic Channel a few days earlier and my Mass in the Cathedral for St. Patrick's Day as well. About each he had questions, and they were truly great questions. When I left him, I went over to our Director of Communications, Mr. Joseph Zwilling, who put The Catholic Channel together, told him of my conversation, and thanked him once again for what he has achieved. The Gospel message in a variety of forms is going out over the airwaves seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and tens of thousands in the United States and Canada are hearing it. We are truly blessed, and I pray every day that, as the years pass, we will be a blessing to an ever larger audience.
As you look over your seven years as Archbishop of New York, what are you most proud of?
It is difficult to limit myself to just a few reasons for what I hope is legitimate pride. Nonetheless I will try.
My first reason to be proud is the excellence of our parishes. When I came to New York as the Archbishop, I told myself—and any who would listen—that my focus would be on the parish; and I gave my reason. It is in the parish that the Gospel is proclaimed, the Mass is celebrated, and the Lord's lessons in justice and charity are lived out by most of our Catholic faithful. Whatever else we do, we must "do" parish well. And from my visits throughout the Archdiocese over the past seven years, I am convinced that parish life in the Archdiocese of New York is outstanding in countless ways. No two parishes are the same, and each has taught me something beautiful and holy that I will always cherish. Yes, I confess: I am first and foremost proud of the parishes of this great Archdiocese.
I am also proud of the way we have lived our archdiocesan life over these years. In an era of turmoil and confrontation in so many quarters of the nation and the Church, the People of God of the Archdiocese of New York have maintained unity, balance and peace. In my estimate, this has been a key to so much that has gone so well. We are not after one another about matters of liturgy, music and such. We are together in our commitment to the dignity of the human person and the preciousness of human life. We are in agreement about the major social issues of the day and are able to deal with differences not only with thoughtfulness but also with mutual respect. All of this I am convinced, draws us closer to the Lord and makes us more attractive to those who might think of joining our ranks. In briefest terms: I am proud of our style, and I consider it the style the loving Savior expects of His followers.
Finally, my chest swells with what I hope is an acceptable measure of pride when I visit our seminaries and see the kind of formation the future priests of the Archdiocese are being given. We have outstanding seminary professors, spiritual directors and administrators, supported by generous benefactors, selfless volunteers and a most capable staff. This past week I led our seminarians in a day of recollection. What they took away from it I do not know, but I do know what the day did for me. It bestowed upon me a precious gift of encouragement from the Lord through his future priests, along with that bit of pride the Good Lord allows us.
Do you have any special plans for your birthday?
I will not be making a lot of my birthday. My parents and siblings are all deceased. Still, I did some birthday celebrating recently with my Chicago relations; and I will be doing something similar with my relations in Virginia and Maryland. Also, there will be a special Mass with those who work with me at the Catholic Center and a quiet get-together with lay friends in a few weeks. My intention is to make the Bicentennial celebration of the Archdiocese the celebration for my 50th anniversary as a priest and my 75th anniversary as a grateful son of a marvelously kind and generous God.
How would you like to be remembered as an Archbishop of New York?
To whatever extent I am remembered, may it be for being a priest who preached Jesus Christ "in season and out of season," who enthusiastically brought the Mass and sacraments to God's Holy People, and who took stands when they needed to be taken.
In this last regard, I have tried not to proclaim my own personal positions but the positions that I understood to be those of Christ and His Church. Not all have agreed, and this is understandable. Nonetheless, I have made my mind known, especially in quarters in which there could be results, as regards abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, a living wage, the treatment of prisoners, health care, parental choice in education, the right of Catholic institutions of charity and health care to do their work in accord with Catholic teaching, racial and religious discrimination, and even the handing out of condoms on the street. My purpose was always to win people to my point and to encourage members of our parishes to become involved in the same issues with all the enthusiasm they could muster.
If I am remembered for any of this, I shall be both pleased and grateful.
Catholic cardinal, bishop decry NYC free condom plan as ‘tragic, misguided’
Feb 20, 2007
New York City’s decision to distribute millions free condoms is “tragic and misguided” that degrades society and encourages promiscuity, said the city’s top Catholic leaders.
NEW YORK (Catholic Online, 2/19/2007) – In a Feb. 15 joint statement reacting to a new condom give-away that began throughout the city on Valentine’ Day, Cardinal Edward Egan of New York and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, N.Y., warned that the city’s health department plan will "degrade societal standards."
"The decision of the City of New York to distribute [an estimated 26] million free condoms to the public – and minors as well, according to news reports – is tragic and misguided," the two prelates said.
"Our political leaders fail to protect the moral tone of our community when they encourage inappropriate sexual activity by blanketing our neighborhoods with condoms," the statement said.
In decrying the $1.5 million condom plan that replaces a distribution program that costs the city about $720,000 annually, Cardinal Egan and Bishop DiMarzio said "the taxpayers' money that is being spent to distribute condoms and promote the attitude that 'anything goes' would be far better spent in fostering what is true and what is decent."
The city’s health department distributed a reported 18 million free condoms last year through its health clinics and community groups.
Yet, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the condom initiative on a Feb. 16 radio show as a “real world” tactic to combat HIV/AIDS, saying that "this is not an issue of faith, this is a health issue for the city."
Pro-Abort Politicians "Friends of Mine"
Jan 27, 2007
Edward Cardinal Egan, as archbishop of New York city, arguably one of the two most important Catholic prelates in the United States, indicated in a January 5 interview on NBC, that he had little problem with politicians, even Catholic politicians, who repudiate moral principles on such issues as abortion, euthanasia and marriage.
Cardinal Egan, Archbishop WuerlNEW YORK, January 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The NBC interviewer, David Ushery, asked for the Cardinal's response to the pro-abortion stance of three of the most prominent politicians in New York, presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Rudolph Giuliani, and ex-governor of New York George Pataki.
Cardinal Egan responded, "They're all friends of mine."
"Governor Pataki's a friend of mine, Mayor Giuliani's a friend of mine, Senator Clinton is a friend of mine and whomever else you want to name."
The Cardinal added, "I think I'm a good friend of all three of these people, whom you've mentioned or whom I've mentioned. And I wish them all the best, and they've been very good to us. And I will vote, I assure you, right here in the New York, and that will be one vote. I won't ask you to vote the way I think you ought to vote."
Commenting on the interview, Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, editor of the respected Catholic magazine First Things, noted that the politicians Egan referred to were not "struggling with the moral questions involved or trying to reconcile their position with the Church's teaching."
Neuhaus writes that Egan "was making a statement of momentous political consequence" in which "he seemed to be saying, as far as he is concerned, that the Church has no problem with pro-abortion politicians."
Cardinal Egan's statement coupled with the refusal of Washington's Archbishop Wuerl to respond to the same issue, Neuhaus says, indicates that there is "no suggestion by the bishops that [the politicians'] longstanding and adamant support for the unlimited abortion license should be a matter of concern."
Fr. Richard John Neuhaus Neuhaus' comments reflect the increasingly vocal frustration of lay Catholics, in dozens of online news forums and popular weblogs. They condemn what they see as the inaction of their prelates who regularly stage once-a-year pro-life events or statements but maintain an equivocal position in the political sphere.
A Catholic who maintains a popular weblog from Los Angeles under the name "Quintero," often focuses on the apparent complicity of some Catholic leaders in what he calls the "abortion establishment."
He writes in response to Cardinal Egan's interview, that Catholic priests and bishops need to "sever ties with their buddies in the abortion establishment," or risk losing all credibility with their flock.
Quintero succinctly sums up the tone of hundreds of comments recorded all over the Catholic internet world: "When people see Cardinals, bishops and priests helping pro-abortion politicians, will they take that as a pro-life message or a pro-abortion message? …[T]he bishops need to excommunicate the Catholic pro-aborts, not mingle with them!"
A one-on-one with Cardinal Egan
Dec 22, 2006
New York's highest ranking Catholic leader is blasting the news media for covering dissension within the local church -- dissension that Cardinal Edward Egan insists doesn't exist.
(New York - WABC, December 20, 2006) - He spoke exclusively with Eyewitness News anchor Diana Williams.
Cardinal Egan rarely grants interviews, but the head of New York City's archdiocese visited our studios on Wednesday to deliver a Christmas message and to set the record straight about an anonymous letter posted on a blog that criticized both his leadership and his management style.
Cardinal Egan had a spring in his step today despite full knee replacement surgery almost four months ago and reports this fall of dissension in the ranks among priests in his archdiocese. That dissension surfaced in a letter posted anonymously on an Internet Web site describing the cardinal as disinterested and dishonest towards his priests.
It led to an emergency meeting of the 40 member priests council and a statement supporting Cardinal Egan. Today for the first time the cardinal talked about the scathing letter -- a letter he doesn't believe was written by a priest.
"My own guess is this was written by a layman. I know no priest who are involved with this and language is such that it doesn't sound like it came from a priest," he said.
But there are some in the archdiocese who have questioned the cardinal's leadership. Unlike his predecessors, he rarely speaks to the media. Some say he's been all but invisible during his six years leading New York's Catholic Church. The cardinal today defended his low profile.
"I have been vocal where I should be in the parishes, in schools, in charities," he said.
And he differs with those who question his relationship with the archdioceses more than 600 priests despite reports of low morale.
Diana Williams: "Is it your sense that priests are satisfied with your leadership right now? ... Is there a message you would like to pass on to all the priests?
Cardinal Egan: "I would say to priests that they can just look at this 6 and a half years and see I'm 100 percent one of them."
The cardinal was quite candid with us on a number of other issues.
Cardinal Egan has been New York's archbishop for the past six years. But this April, the cardinal turns 75 and is required to submit his resignation to the pope. It is at the pope's discretion whether to accept that resignation -- and it comes at a time when the cardinal is fending off reports of dissension among priests in his archdiocese.
The cardinal doesn't look or act his 74 years after knee replacement surgery he says his health is better than ever. The financial health of the archdiocese of New York is good too, despite the painful process of closing up to 31 parishes and 14 schools.
But internally, the cardinal is battling criticism about his leadership style -- a style very different from his predecessors.
Cardinal Egan Speaks Out On Dissenting Priests
Dec 21, 2006
New York's Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal Edward Egan, who has steered clear of the media for most of his six year tenure, addressed the issue of alleged dissension among the ranks of New York priests on Thursday, suggesting it's from only a few.
(CBS/AP, Dec 21, 2006) NEW YORK He said, "(Dissension) is perfectly normal. But please, for heaven's sake, how many more days do you want to spend on it? An anonymous letter on a blog?"
It was a letter last October on a Catholic news blog called "Whispers in the Loggia," from a group of priests, that cited poor moral among diocesan priests, accused the cardinal of an arogant and ruthless manner, and called for a vote of "no confidence. When asked who was behind the letter, Egan said, "I have no idea, and I don't think it's interesting."
After the letter surfaced, the cardinal's response was to consult with 40 priestly advisers who dismissed the letter and issued a statement supporting the cardinal.
Yet a number of clergy members have privately told CBS-2 there is dissatisfaction with the cardinal, but the priests won't go public for fear of retribution.
Egan oversees an archdiocese of 2.5 million Catholics, with 700 diocesan priests.
Cardinal Egan, who had knee-replacement surgery four months ago, Thursday distributed Christmas gifts at the Mercy Center, a Catholic charity in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, where he said it's not known how long he'll stay in the job after he reaches retirement age in the spring. "If I'm here till 150 years old, you'll just have to put up with me," he said,
On his 75th birthday on April 2, the Cardinal must submit a letter of resignation to the Vatican. It's up to the Pope as to whether Egan is kept on, or retired.
Cardinal Egan meets with clergy
Nov 01, 2006
An important meeting took place today between Edward Cardinal Egan and his council of priests. The issue is what appears to be growing unrest among the clergy of the New York Archdioceses.
(New York - WABC, October 16, 2006) - Cardinal Egan is the subject of a highly critical letter circulated among priests. It accuses the cardinal of deception and dishonesty.
The anonymous letter takes issue with the Egan's decision to attend a conference in Rome just two days after the 9/11 terror attacks.
The letter is calling for a vote of "no confidence" after six years of Egan's role as cardinal.
Observers believe the letter and the vote is part of plan to ease Egan out of his position when he turns 75 next year.
Full Text of Letter
The following is the full letter sent by a group calling themselves "A Committee of Concerned Clergy for the Archdiocese of New York" to New York area priests asking for a vote of "No Confidence" in Cardinal Edward Egan, who became archbishop in 2000.
It was originally published by the Web site WhispersInTheLoggia.com.
October 2006
Dear Brother Priest:
A Committee of Concerned Clergy for the Archdiocese of New York has met to discuss the critical condition of the Archdiocese of New York. As you would understand, because of the severely vindictive nature of Cardinal Egan,this committee must remain anonymous. This letter is being sent to many priests throughout the Archdiocese so that at each Vicariate meeting a formal vote of "NO Confidence" can be exercised with regard to Cardinal Edward Egan in his role as Archbishop of New York. As you know, the collective memory of the presbyterate cannot recall a time in recent history when the morale of priests has been so broken and low. Some of our elderly priests can well recall the Cardinal Spellman years. Many remember the tenure of Cardinal Cooke and certainly everyone remembers Cardinal O'Connor. At no time has the relationship between the Ordinary and the priests of the Archdiocese been so fractured and seemingly hopeless as it is now.
Since his arrival in New York, the Cardinal has given his time, attention and interest to matters financial while paying little or no attention to the spiritual needs and concerns of the priests and faithful of the Archdiocese. During the last six years the Priests of the Archdiocese of New York have been patient, understanding, tolerant and loyal. Several attempts have been made to open avenues of communication with the Cardinal but to avail. During the last six years, the Cardinal's relations with the Priests of New York have been defined by dishonesty, deception, disinterest and disregard. Far too many of our brothers can speak personally of the arrogant and cavalier manner in which they have been treated by the Cardinal. Early in his tenure, the cruel and ruthless way in which several priests who served on the seminary faculty were dismissed, was an adumbration of how many other priests would also be treated. Time and again, the Cardinal fails to be the Father that every bishop must be to his priests.
With regard to important policies and decisions that impact upon the welfare of the Archdiocese, it is evident that the Cardinal does not seek advice or counsel from the many competent and experienced priests who so faithfully serve as pastors and members of his chancery staff. Instead, it is regrettably and seemingly apparent that the Cardinal relies on the advice of his priest-secretary [Msgr Gregory Mustaciuolo] who enjoys a most limited and meager pastoral experience.
The Fifth Anniversary of September 11th was a sad reminder of the Cardinal's decision to leave New York only two days after the attack, during a time when the city desperately needed a spiritual leader. How sad, painful and disappointing it was to hear the tabloids referring to the then Mayor Giuliani as the "Shepherd of the City". Since that time, the Cardinal has continued to fail in his role as Shepherd. Pope John Paul II referred to New York as the Capital of the World. How unfortunate it is that the voice of the Archbishop of New York is almost never heard in that "Capital". The Cardinal demonstrates an unnatural fear of the media and he forfeits the great opportunity to employ the media as a means of addressing the many contemporary questions of faith and morals. It is unthinkable that in this millennium a Successor to the Apostles would shrink from such a valuable opportunity for evangelization and hide himself within the walls of his residence.
Sadly, it is evident that this Cardinal is unable to deal with the complexities, problems and challenges of an Archdiocese of the magnitude and diversity of New York. For these reasons and more, the Priests of the Archdiocese of New York must express a vote of NO CONFIDENCE. Such a vote would encourage the Papal Nuncio and the Holy Father to strongly consider accepting the Cardinal's resignation in April,2007, when he reaches the age of retirement, rather than at a future and uncertain date before his 80th birthday, as can often be the case with retiring Cardinals. The search for a new Archbishop should begin sooner rather than later. Rome must know that the priests and people of New York desperately need a Bishop who will be "strong, loving and wise" (II Timothy: 1:7): a Bishop who will love his priests, seeing them as his spiritual sons and faithful assistants: a Bishop who will begin the healing that is so desperately needed in this Archdiocese: a Bishop who will preach and teach without fear of seeing his name in a newspaper: a Bishop who will truly see holiness in Truth.
The Committee suggests that at each vicariate meeting a secret ballot be taken in which each priest who is present could vote. It was thought that only priests and no deacons should participate in this vote. The votes should be counted at that meeting and the tally registered on the enclosed form. The form should be signed by two witnesses and a copy sent to each of the Vicars General. It would be incumbent upon the Vicars General to report the vote to the Papal Nuncio. At this important and critical moment, let us move forward with prayerful courage.
After prayeful consideration, I cast my vote as:
NO CONFIDENCE in Cardinal Egan: _______
CONFIDENCE in Cardinal Egan:______
ABSTENTION: _____
Statement of the Priest's Council of the Archdiocese of New York In Response
October 16, 2006
"The Priest's Council of the Archdiocese of New York met for two hours today with His Eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan. As representatives of the clergy of the Archdiocese, we came together to meet with our Archbishop and to discuss with him the letter that has circulated among some of the priests and in the media.
We are appalled that the letter was sent anonymously, and that it can and has been used by those who seek to damage the Church. As today's meeting has shown, it is possible to meet and discuss any issue with Cardinal Egan, and if any priest has a concern he can raise it and discuss it at any time. A letter of this sort does a grave disservice to the entire Church, and to this Archdiocese in particular.
We are also upset and dismayed that our Archbishop has been personally vilified in this manner. At today's meeting, the members of the Priest's Council reiterated their support for His Eminence. We stand with him in confidence, and look forward to his continued ministry to the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New York."
New York cardinal strikes back at priest-critics
Oct 24, 2006
In a tough response to priests who circulated an anonymous letter criticizing his leadership, New York's Cardinal Edward Egan has implied that the criticism was prompted by priests who have been accused of molesting young people.
Oct. 24 (CWNews.com) - In a letter to priests of the New York archdiocese, dated October 20, the cardinal promised to take action against priests who, after having been accused of sex-abuse violations, bring their complaints to the media.
The anonymous letter circulated by some New York priests earlier this month did not mention sex-abuse accusations. However, Cardinal Egan said in his response, "At the core of the letter… are stories that are being told by priests who have been found guilty of sexually abusing minors."
The cardinal said that anonymous accusations have damaged the archdiocese, especially because the media have amplified the priests' complaints. "This situation cannot be allowed to continue," he said in his October 20 letter.
The cardinal affirmed that the archdiocese has been fair and thorough in investigating complaints against priests, and expressed confidence that a thorough investigation of each case would demonstrate the fairness of the Church policies. However, he charge, priests who complain to the mass media are not forced to back up their complaints. "Unfortunately, no one challenges what they have to say," he said.
In the future, Cardinal Egan warned that after a priest is found guilty of sexual abuse, "if he is reported to be speaking untruthfully about the matter, he will be called in to see me and invited to write a letter correcting his statements and offering his apology. His letter will then be made public."
If the priest refuses to make a public apology, the cardinal continued, he will be brought before a special archdiocesan panel to review his case. While promising to abide by the panel's decision, the cardinal said, "I have no doubt what the conclusion of the panel will be."
In his October 20 letter Cardinal Egan does not address the specific complaints listed in the anonymous letter, which charged that his leadership has been characterized by arbitrary decisions and a lack of contact with the New York archdiocesan clergy. Those complaints appeared to reflect widespread opinions among New York priests, not merely those accused of sexual abuse.
Cardinal's Low Profile Attracts Attention
Jul 31, 2006
When President Bush deployed the first veto of his presidency on a bill that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research last week, Edward Cardinal Egan was not available for comment.
(New York Sun, July 28, 2006) A few weeks earlier, after New York's highest court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage, the cardinal, spending two weeks in Vatican City for a series of meetings, was silent.
Had Cardinal Egan's predecessor, John Cardinal O'Connor, been at the helm of the powerful Archdiocese of New York, some said, decisions about embryonic stem cell research or gay unions, both of which the Catholic Church explicitly opposes, might have warranted a public statement, even a press conference where reporters could all but count on a witticism or two.
Cardinal Egan is 74, and papal law requires bishops to submit an offer of resignation at age 75, when the pope can accept or reject the proposition.
If Benedict XVI were to review Cardinal Egan's record now, he'd find that the cardinal has erased the archdiocese of New York's $20 million annual operating deficit, in part by making tough decisions such as closing 16 diocese schools. He'd also find that Cardinal Egan, the former bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., keeps a more modest public profile than did O'Connor, who led the Archdiocese of New York for 16 years until his death in 2000.
The sprawling archdiocese is home to about 2.5 million Catholics, and comprises Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx, in addition to Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties.
The editor in chief of a New York-based religion journal, First Things, Father Richard John Neuhaus, said the cardinal's priority seems to be reconciling church finances. He praised the cardinal for facilitating a smooth church realignment, including school closings, which has been "relatively peaceful" when compared to diocese shake-ups in cities like Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland.
Father Neuhaus, speaking by phone from Krakow, Poland, where he teaches during the summer, said he knows of few people who have cultivated an intimate personal relationship with Cardinal Egan. "He seems to have great confidence in his own judgment," he said. "New York is the capital of the world, and it's certainly the communications capital of the world. It strikes many people as strange that the institutional leadership personified in the archbishop of New York is largely absent from public life. I, too, think that is missed."
Being an extrovert is not a prerequisite for Cardinal Egan's job, an area Catholic lay leader, Peter Flanigan, who lives in Manhattan, said. "Cardinal Egan wouldn't get up with a Yankees' baseball cap while giving a homily at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and he wouldn't stand on a soapbox at the strike of Daily News typesetters," Mr. Flanigan said, referring to two of O'Connor's headline-making feats. "It is a legitimate comment that Cardinal Egan is less gregarious, and that people find him somewhat less easy to relate to, but I have always found him to be an extremely warm and compassionate human being."
A founder and board member of two programs that subsidize Catholic School tuition for poor, inner-city students, Mr. Flanigan has worked closely with Cardinal Egan since the latter was the New York Archdiocese's Vicar for Education in the 1980s. Mr. Flanigan hailed Cardinal Egan's efforts to confront the debt that the church had incurred under the leadership of his predecessor. "Cardinal Egan turned that around, cutting expenses and raising money," he said. "Neither of those seem like very pastoral activities, but they are the responsibility of the cardinal."
Calling Cardinal Egan "a good CEO," another New York Catholic who had spent 17 years as a brother in the Marist order before retiring, Francis Sheridan, said the cardinal's leadership style reflects his formation, working for 14 years as a Vatican Court judge. "He was trained in the bureaucracy of the Vatican," Mr. Sheridan said. "He wasn't trained as a pastor. I don't think he looks for wisdom from the bottom — not from the lay people and not from the clergy."
An archdiocese spokesman, Joseph Zwilling, said Cardinal Egan's personality and leadership style differ from his predecessor. "Any religious leader needs to be true to himself, and be genuine and sincere in his own beliefs," he said. "Cardinal O'Connor wouldn't have been successful trying to be like Cardinal Cooke," — who preceded him — "and Cardinal Egan is not Cardinal O'Connor. He is who he is."
Mr. Zwilling said the cardinal is committed to improving the financial wellbeing of the diocese and to moving resources to stay current with demographic shifts. The archdiocese eradicated its $20 million annual operating deficit within two years of Cardinal Egan's appointment and is now paying down the money it owes to the church's loan fund, he said.
Mayor Koch was close friends with O'Connor — the two dined together about six times a year, and, co-authored "His Eminence and Hizzoner: A Candid Exchange," in 1989. He said he has great respect for the current cardinal. "He doesn't have the same charisma, but intelligence, courage, integrity — he has all of that," Mr. Koch said. "Did people respond more warmly to one over the other? Yes, to Cardinal O'Connor. But do people have a sense of respect and affection for Cardinal Egan? Yes, it's just different."
It's a mistake to judge Cardinal Egan by the "headlines he makes," a spokesman for the New York State Catholic Conference, Dennis Poust, said. "There is no single mold of a cardinal," he said. "It's like corporations. Some have charismatic CEOs like Lee Iacocca, and some have quieter, behind-the-scenes leaders. That doesn't necessarily make one more effective than the other."
Howard Rubenstein, whose public relations firm handles press for the archdiocese, said the contrast between Cardinal Egan and O'Connor is marked. "Possibly, more people had personal access to the other cardinal," he said. "It's two absolutely different styles. Same religion, different people."
Mr. Rubenstein applauded Cardinal Egan for his absolute devotion to the church, his graciousness, quiet humor, and humility. "I'll say, ‘Why don't you do this or that?' and he'll say, ‘I'd rather not,'" said Mr. Rubenstein, at whose home the cardinal, a classical pianist, has played. "I'm in the publicity business, and I'm impressed with his modesty. He holds back. He's not a showboat."
A Catholic priest and theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, Richard McBrien, said Cardinal Egan "is obviously different from Cardinal O'Connor in preferring anonymity over the public stage. Indeed, he seems to have made only a slight impact in New York and even less nationally. I assume that's exactly the way he wants it."
The pastor emeritus of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Tappan, N.Y., John Dwyer, who has met with Cardinal Egan four times, said though the leader may not wow crowds, one-on-one or in small groups he is warm and personable. "He does the job as well as you can do it, but the expectations are somewhat unrealistic," said. "We look back fondly on the past, and say, ‘Why can't he be like his predecessor?' It's the incumbent that takes the heat, and only later can we say that he did a good job — all things considered."
A spokesman for the conservative Catholic lay organization, Opus Dei, Peter Bancroft, said the cardinal is competent and likeable. "People who have had an opportunity to talk to him know he's very personable and kind," he said.
At Fordham University's Francis and Ann Curran Center for Catholic Studies, the co-director, James Fisher, said some of the cardinal's detractors might be forgetting the controversies that at times marked O'Connor's career. Shortly after he was appointed to lead the New York Archdiocese, there was a public feud with then Governor Cuomo, after O'Connor said he would not rule out excommunicating the governor because the politician favored abortion rights; and a comment conflating abortion with the Holocaust, angering Jewish leaders.
"There's always a tendency to soften things in retrospect," Mr. Fisher said. Despite a rocky start, Catholic-Jewish relations flourished during O'Connor's tenure. The cardinal was recognized for his efforts to establish diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel, which were formalized in 1993; and for his public statement to the Jewish community six years later, expressing "abject sorrow for any member of the Catholic Church, high or low, including myself, who may have harmed you or your forebears in any way."
The national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, praised O'Connor's commitment to bolstering the relationship between Catholics and Jews. "That's a hard act to follow," he said.
Mr. Foxman said Cardinal Egan's May address at the Jewish Center, an Orthodox synagogue on Manhattan's Upper West Side, lacked substance. In the speech, the Catholic leader joked about acquiring a taste for smoked salmon and gefilte fish. "His presence, being invited and accepting the invitation, is more significant that the message he delivered," Mr. Foxman said.
Cardinal Egan, while more reserved, is a good friend of the Jewish community, Mr. Foxman said. "He's not demonstrably warm and fuzzy, and that's okay as long as the essence is respect and appreciation for each other," he said. "That's what really counts — not theatrics. I know some people miss the theatrics."
The Curran Center's Mr. Fisher said he does not see the contrast in personality or leadership style as emblematic of any major shift within the Catholic Church or the Archdiocese of New York, where the cardinal's residence has long been known as "the Powerhouse." "There's no reason to think we won't see another highly charismatic cardinal in New York," he said. "I don't think we're necessarily moving away from that."
But others say the era of the enchanting, larger-than-life cardinals with ostensibly unlimited access to the political powers-that-be is over. The editor of the biweekly Catholic opinion journal, Commonweal, Paul Baumann, said the shift has everything to do with the demographic profile of America's Catholics. "It has changed so dramatically, "Mr. Baumann said."It's no longer an ethnic subculture; it's no longer largely an urban community — like everyone else, they've taken off for the suburbs; it's no longer a largely poor and working class community, for whom the Catholic Church historically provided schooling, and jobs and hospitals. That world has disappeared, and with it that temporal political power of the cardinal."
Cardinal Urges Jews, Catholics To Find Joint Causes
Jun 14, 2006
Some praise his lecture at an Orthodox synagogue as warm and friendly, while others say it lacked substance.
(The Jewish Week, 6/02/2006) Cardinal Egan told a Jewish Center audience Tuesday night, “We’re all aiming in the same direction. We all have the same destiny — the destiny that God gave us.” Richard Levine
Two days after the Pope visited Auschwitz, an occasion that drew criticism from some Jewish leaders for what could have been said but wasn’t, Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, told a largely Orthodox synagogue audience Tuesday that local Jews and Catholics should work together on issues of common concern.
Cardinal Egan, the leader of New York’s Catholic Church, made his call at The Jewish Center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where he delivered the third annual May and Samuel Rudin Lecture.
In a speech of more than 30 minutes, the cardinal made a passing reference to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Poland and recalled at another point that he, too, had been to Auschwitz and Dachau, a death camp in Germany. But he didn’t comment on the pope’s remarks at Auschwitz, either in his speech or when asked about them later by The Jewish Week.
Instead, Cardinal Egan seemed to adhere closely to prepared remarks about the past, present and future of Catholic-Jewish relations, especially in light of the recent 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the church’s 1965 declaration on relations with non-Christian religions.
The declaration starts by saying that “we all come from the hand of one God,” Cardinal Egan said, and it makes clear that “we’re all aiming in the same direction. We all have the same destiny — the destiny that God gave us.” Therefore, he added, divisions between communities of faith simply don’t make sense.
The cardinal also told his audience that the bulk of Nostra Aetate, Latin for “In Our Time,” focuses on the church’s relations with Jews, saying, in effect, that the faith of Catholics “is the faith of Abraham.” It also addresses what he called the “crux” of the problem that has often existed between the two religions, the cardinal continued — the charge by some people that Jews are at fault for Christ’s death. Nostra Aetate, he said, quotes from the scriptures in saying that that isn’t so.
Cardinal Egan also spoke about his personal experience growing up in a family and a community, Oak Park, Ill., that he said were free of anti-Semitism. His family maintained friendly ties to Jewish neighbors, he indicated, adding that he “never knew” anything was amiss in Catholic-Jewish relations until he grew older.
The Catholic leader concluded his speech by recalling his work with rabbis in Chicago, where he held several positions within that city’s diocese and helped lead an interfaith effort on behalf of the civil-rights movement.
As a result of that experience, Cardinal Egan said, he believes that, in working together, different communities can achieve “what Nostra Aetate was aiming for — unity and love.” Local Jews and Catholics “have a golden opportunity to get together and do things together,” the cardinal said, suggesting that both communities look for the issue or cause today that, like the civil-rights movement, could draw them closer. “Let’s identify it, and let’s get together.”
The cardinal’s speech, part of a lecture series that brings religious leaders, scholars and other public figures to the synagogue, came as Jewish leaders both locally and throughout the world reacted to the pontiff’s latest visit to Auschwitz, which he also visited in 1979 and 1980.
While the German-born pope spoke about “forgiveness and reconciliation,” kissed the cheeks of a Jewish survivor and wrestled publicly with questions of faith, he did not decry anti-Semitism or ask pardon for the sins of Germans or Catholics during World War II. He also placed blame for the Holocaust on Hitler’s regime, avoiding what the New York Times called “the painful but now common acknowledgement among many Germans that ordinary citizens also shared responsibility.”
Asked about the response from Jewish leaders, some of whom said the pope missed a unique opportunity in Poland, Cardinal Egan gently deflected the question, asking rhetorically, “You don’t want me to say anything negative about it [the pontiff’s visit]?” Smiling, he then turned away to enter a reception following his lecture.
Meanwhile, members of the Jewish Center audience had a mixed reaction Tuesday night to the cardinal’s speech.
One middle-aged man, who declined to give his name, said he saw Cardinal Egan’s remarks as “a very warm introduction” to the Jewish and, particularly, the Orthodox community. But he also said earlier that he believed the cardinal said very little of substance.
Sara Teitler, another member of the audience, said Catholics and Jews “need a dialogue about anti-Semitism — about what’s going on in England, in France,” none of which she heard in the cardinal’s talk. The upsurge in anti-Semitism, she added, is the issue that Catholics and Jews should be addressing together.
But Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said Cardinal Egan “made a great effort to show how comfortable he was with a Jewish audience. … He was comfortable enough to suggest that we should be doing something together.”
Foxman also rejected suggestions that the cardinal should have addressed anti-Semitism abroad or Muslim extremism. “He doesn’t pretend to be global,” he said, nor does he try to be a foreign-policy expert. “His main responsibility is to shepherd — to provide for the needs of his flock — and he sees the Jewish community as a partner in that.”
Jesus theories 'science fiction'
May 09, 2006
Edward Cardinal Egan used his Easter homily Sunday to rail against alternative theories about the life of Christ that he said were undermining Catholicism.
(South Florida Newday, April 17 2006) A standing-room-only crowd of at least 2,500 ticketed parishioners packed St. Patrick's Cathedral for the Cardinal's 10:15 a.m. Mass.
Egan took issue with a U.S. News & World Report magazine story on a controversial new book called "The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity," by a religious studies professor at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
The book by James Tabor claims that Jesus was the son of a Roman soldier and that he wanted to establish a worldwide dynasty led by 12 tribal leaders, with his brother James, rather than Peter, as its leader.
Tabor also takes issue with a translation of an original Greek text, released recently, in which Judas is depicted not as a traitor, but as acting on a request by Jesus to hand him over to the Romans.
Egan didn't mince words in offering his opinion of Tabor's book.
"What he has to say is science fiction out of control," the cardinal said.
And, "The one about Judas that has gotten so much attention - I laugh at that one," he said.
Egan used his sermon to encourage Roman Catholics to read the Bible more often, suggesting a minimum of 20 minutes a week.
"All of this nonsense has taken hold, and maybe it's a blessing. Maybe it will motivate you and me to read about Jesus Christ right from the source," he said. "Next year when Time and Newsweek do the silly articles, you will be prepared."
Egan's homily also touched on less controversial themes, including the Bible's message that, "We are to love our neighbors as ourselves."
The speech struck a chord with Vince Kastor of Fanwood, N.J., who attends Mass at St. Patrick's every year with his family.
"Cardinal Egan was in rare form today. This is the first time since I've gotten here that he's talked about current events," said Kastor, adding that he was happy Egan was "leading the flock."
But stances such as Egan's have turned off Marybeth Sullivan, 35, a saleswoman from Manhattan who was waiting to attend the noon Mass.
"They denied the Gospel of Mary and now they're trying to debunk the Gospel of Judas," said Sullivan. "Every time current events gives [the church] a chance to reflect and move forward, they've made the wrong decision."
Cardinal Egan Makes Official Announcement of Catholic School Closings
Mar 20, 2006
The Archdiocese of New York is looking to close as many as a dozen Catholic schools by this summer as part of a massive reorganization plan.
(ny1.com, March 17, 2006) Edward Cardinal Egan made the announcement in a column in the "Catholic New York" newspaper.
The Church will also realign some 20 parishes.
No specifics schools were named, but most of the affected schools will be in the southern part of the archdiocese.
Egan says the Church is increasing enrollment at schools while decreasing the number of buildings. He says this is due to many Catholics moving out of Manhattan to upstate counties like Rockland and Orange.
However, the schools could stay open if they find the finances.
A number of Catholic schools also closed last year.
Edward Cardinal Egan Greets Royal Couple of the House of Savoy and Savoy Orders at a Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Jan 16, 2006
Edward Cardinal Egan greets Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Emmanuel Philibert and Princess Clotilde of Savoy, at a Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, ending their two-day visit to New York City organized by the American Delegation of Savoy Orders and its charity, the American Foundation of Savoy Orders.
New York, New York (PRWEB) January 6, 2006 -- The Prince is the grandson of the last King of Italy, Umberto II, who died in 1983. The Knights and Dames of the American Delegation of Savoy Orders and their guests were invited by their confrere, Cavaliere di Gran Croce Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, to participate in the solemn Mass at the Cathedral of St. Patrick at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday morning, December 11th. Some three-dozen members of the Savoy Orders participated, along with a large number of family and friends. The Cathedral was filled to capacity, with over 3000 attending the Mass.
Edward Cardinal Egan greets Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Emmanuel Philibert and Princess Clotilde of Savoy, at a Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, which culminated the royal couple’s whirlwind two- day visit to New York City. The Prince is the grandson of the last King of Italy, Umberto II, who died in 1983. The Knights and Dames of the American Delegation of Savoy Orders and their guests were invited by their confrere, Cavaliere di Gran Croce Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, to participate in the solemn Mass at the Cathedral of St. Patrick at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday morning, December 11th. Some three-dozen members of the Savoy Orders participated, along with a large number of family and friends. The Cathedral was filled to capacity, with over 3000 attending the Mass.
Before the Mass, His Eminence greeted Their Royal Highnesses Prince Emmanuel Philibert and Princess Clotilde of Savoy and the American Delegate, Cavaliere Di Gran Croce Avv. Carl J. Morelli. Members of the Savoy Orders, including Their Royal Highnesses, participated in the procession to the altar together with the celebrants, other ministers of the altar, and the seminarians from St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, who were visiting that day.
Members of the Savoy Orders and their guests were seated in a reserved section in the front pews of the Cathedral. His Eminence very graciously recognized and welcomed Their Royal Highnesses and the members of the Savoy Orders from the altar. His Eminence counted himself as a member of the Orders, and praised the charitable work of the Savoy Foundation. At the prayer of the Faithful, His Eminence added a special prayer for the members of the Orders, and for the continued success of their charitable endeavors through the American Foundation of Savoy Orders.
The American Foundation of Savoy Orders is a tax exempt U.S. charity whose philanthropic work in North American is supported by members of the American Delegation. The Foundation is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Their Royal Highnesses, Savoy Delegate Carl J. Morelli, and Dr. Sergio Pellecchi were invited to bring up the gifts at the offertory.
Following the Mass, His Eminence met with Their Royal Highnesses, Delegate Carl J. Morelli, Dr. Pellecchi and the members of the Savoy Orders in their Church Robes to pose for photographs. The Orders’ participation in the Mass at St. Patrick’s was coordinated by Cavaliere David V. Skoblow. The Mass at the Cathedral seemed a very fitting way to end a splendid weekend of festivities in honor of the Royals visit to New York.
About The American Delegation of Savoy Orders
The American Delegation of Savoy Orders, which includes the United States and Canada, is part of the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy, and is among the oldest orders of chivalry in the world. Their origins and their principles, traditions and humanitarian goals, like those of Royal House of Savoy that has the hereditary right to confer them, date back a thousand years. HRH Prince Victor Emmanuel IV, Prince of Naples, is Head of the House of Savoy and Grand Master of the Savoy Orders. His son, Prince Emmanuel Philibert, is Grand Chancellor of the Savoy Orders.
http://www.savoia.org
Cardinals call for sacrifice, focus on God
Dec 26, 2005
Roman Catholic cardinals celebrated midnight mass in several U.S. cities calling on the faithful to focus on God to see them through troubled times.
NEW YORK, Dec. 25 2005 (UPI) -- Cardinal Edward Egan told a packed St. Patrick's Cathedral that included New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani and police Commissioner Ray Kelly, the story of Jesus is one of self-sacrifice, the New York Post reported Sunday.
"The Lord has promised that we will never be tried beyond our capacities," the cardinal said.
800 People attended sermon with the Cardinal
Oct 24, 2005
About 800 people attended the service to come together in prayer and to catch a glimpse of Cardinal Egan, the Archbishop of New York.
(News 10 Now, 10/17/2005) Catholics say the Eucharist, or the celebration of the Last Supper of Christ, is one of the most significant rituals of the Catholic Church.
"On the night before he died he took bread into his hands, blessed it, gave it to his apostles and said this is my body this is my blood he said of the wine. Nothing could be clearer than that and for me, nothing is a better guarantee of holiness than the Eucharist," said Edward Cardinal Egan, the Archbishop of New York.
The year of the Eucharist was opened by the late Pope John Paul the second last year, and parishioners here in Syracuse were excited to have a man responsible for selecting a new Pope celebrate the closing of the Eucharist here in Syracuse.
"I was highly impressed. He's an excellent speaker and he has a deep, deep devotion for the Eucharist.," said Rita Kisil, a Westvale Resident.
"It's just nice to have him here in Syracuse with us, it adds a lot to the celebration," said Father George Hartnett of St. Cecilia’s Church in Solvay.
"And for us here in Syracuse, to have one of the ones who was there to actually choose the new pope, Cardinal be here in Syracuse to help us close out the Eucharist for us. It shows that Syracuse is a special place to be," said Dan Gibbons, a Lafayette Resident.
Parishioners also participated in communion, the symbolic sharing of bread and wine.
The celebration ending the Year of the Eucharist will conclude this month with a special assembly of Bishops at the Vatican.
New York cardinal dedicates 1st church in US for Pinoys
Aug 16, 2005
THE "CHURCH of Filipinos," the first in the United States and only the second in the world dedicated as such, will be officially designated today in New York City, Church officials said yesterday.
(Inquirer News Service, July 30, 2005) Named the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz, its adjoining hall will also be formally dedicated to the memory of the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, and named after him.
NY cardinal's choice
Fr. Erno Diaz, coordinator of the Filipino Apostolate in the Archdiocese of New York, said the Chapel, located at 378 Broome St. in Lower Manhattan, will now be named "San Lorenzo Ruiz Church" following its designation on June 15, 2005 as the official "Church of Filipinos" by Archdiocese of New York Edward Cardinal Egan.
Cardinal Egan also appointed Diaz as Director of the Filipino Apostolate, with a three-year term starting Sept. 1, 2005.
"We thank the Almighty for the historic gift of this church that services the tri-state Eastern seaboard population of about
300,000 Filipinos. It is the first church in the United States to be officially designated as 'Church of Filipinos' and second in the world, the first being the Filipino Church in Rome," Diaz said.
Arroyo invited
He said since President Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to grace the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York for a meeting of heads of state on the UN Millennium Development Goals, the Chief Executive was invited to preside over the official designation of the Church of Filipinos and the dedication of the Cardinal Sin Memorial Hall.
40th day
As the occasion coincides with the 40th day of the passing of Cardinal Sin, Fr. Diaz said a special requiem memorial Mass will be held at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Church in honor of the revered cardinal who, according to Diaz, was "very close to our parish, the Most Holy Crucifix."
Remembering Sin
"It was here in 1984 that the cardinal [Sin] came to rally support for the canonization of then Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz. Two years before Edsa I, he already manifested a clear sign that he was going to lead the people in Edsa. He said Mass in a jampacked St. Patrick's Cathedral and from the pulpit, he led the people in singing "Pilipinas Kong Mahal," which moved many of us to tears," Diaz said.
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Executive Director Cecile Guidote Alvarez, who met with Diaz during his recent Manila visit, said the Cardinal Sin Memorial Hall could be a center for culture and values education outreach for Filipinos abroad, especially in New York and New Jersey.
Cultural link
"Through this new Filipino church, the NCCA hopes to create a cultural link with Filipino communities overseas and touch base with them and their children, reminding them and teaching them of the rich cultural heritage of their motherland, also in line with the NCCA's effort to provide Kalahi Cultural Services overseas," she stressed.
Catholic memorial to promote prayer at ground zero
May 31, 2005
Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York dedicated a Catholic memorial at ground zero May 22 to serve as a complement to the national memorial planned for the site of the World Trade Center destroyed Sept. 11, 2001.
NEW YORK (CNS, May-23-2005) -- St. Joseph's Chapel, located near ground zero on the ground floor of a seven-story apartment building in lower Manhattan's Battery Park City, has been renovated and designated as the Catholic memorial.
Visitors to ground zero will be able to walk a few steps toward the Hudson River and enter an environment keyed to the same theme but designed to encourage prayer and meditation.
In the homily at the dedication Mass, Cardinal Egan said the grace of God had "its own way of taking over," and could have an impact even on casual visitors to the renovated chapel.
"My dream is that many will come and look around, and hear that 'God so loved the world he gave his only Son,'" he said in an allusion to the Gospel reading of the Mass from the third chapter of John.
St. Joseph's is a chapel of St. Peter Parish, the first Catholic parish established in New York.
Previously on the site cleared for the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, the chapel again found its life disrupted in its new location by the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001.
All the residents of the area had to leave for a time, and the chapel was used first by government relief agencies as their command station and later by construction workers, police and others as a place for rest and counseling.
Cardinal Egan noted that although "everything was ruined" in the chapel it was back in operation a year later.
Since then, the congregation that gathers there has been developing the chapel as the Catholic memorial to Sept. 11. The cardinal described it as "a gift to New York and a gift to the nation."
After more than 30 artists submitted proposals, John Collier of Dallas was chosen to produce four statues as memorials to groups affected by the tragedy: St. Joseph, patron of construction workers; St. Michael the Archangel, patron of police; St. Florian, patron of firefighters, and St. Mary Magdalene, first witness to the Resurrection and "apostle to the apostles."
Father Kevin V. Madigan, pastor of St. Peter, wrote in a background piece distributed at the Mass that the statue of St. Mary Magdalene honored those in the planes that crashed into the towers, those who came from outside New York to help at ground zero and "those who came to the site to mourn their beloved dead."
The faces portray the "rosary of suffering" that the sculptor Auguste Rodin said he was seeking to show in his noted work, "The Burghers of Calais," Father Madigan said.
In an interview after the Mass, Collier said he did not try to copy Rodin, but considered Rodin's work especially beautiful and studied it carefully. So when he is trying to create something beautiful, viewers may see the Rodin influence, he said.
Those attending the dedication Mass included several other artists who contributed to the Catholic memorial, representatives of groups honored in the art works, public officials and a representative of the Muslim community, Imam Nayeem Mohammed.
Letters from Rudolph W. Giuliani, mayor of New York at the time of the 2001 attack, and current Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg were read.
Other artistic works commissioned to portray themes of the memorial included a terra cotta rendering of Our Lady of Guadalupe as patroness of the Americas by Brett Slavin of Ryebrook; an icon of Sts. John and Paul, Roman soldiers martyred together and patrons of Cardinal Egan's titular church in Rome, by Sister Cecelia of the Nuns of New Skete in Cambridge; stained-glass "Windows of Life and Renewal" by Guy Kemper of Louisville, Ky.; a translucent glass wall with abstract designs behind the altar, by Christopher Cosma of Brooklyn; and two works by Polish immigrant Wiktor Szostalo -- a sculptured torso of Christ and a glass rendering of the vision in the second chapter of Isaiah of swords beaten into plowshares.
Lawrence R. Hoy of Port Chester, who has done many religious designs, including the altar and related structure for the 1995 Mass of Pope John Paul II in New York's Central Park, served as the overall design consultant.
As the theme of the Catholic memorial, Father Madigan chose the statement of Jesus in chapter 12, verse 24, of John's Gospel: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."
"We are trying to say through these beautiful works of art that even though there was death and destruction all around us that terrible day, the results of hatred and violence, there were also the signs of regeneration, rebirth and renewal," he wrote.
Conclave Accommodations Won't Be Plush
Apr 07, 2005
Cardinal Edward Egan says the residence he and his colleagues will share while choosing the next pope wouldn't be confused with the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
(nrvtoday.com, April 6, 2005) Before departing New York, Egan told reporters that popes -- believing conclaves were taking too long -- have kept accommodations simple so the cardinals don't get too comfortable.
He says the Santa Marta residence has 120 rooms for the 117 cardinals, and that each room has only a bed, a dresser, a desk and a chair.
Asked whether he might vote for an African or Latin American pope, Egan replied that he'll vote for whomever "would do the best job."
Cardinal Edward Egan, Archbishop of New York, with reporters Egan says the Santa Marta residence facility where cardinals will stay during the conclave is nothing fancy.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington D-C, with reporters McCarrick says he'll approach the conclave with humility.
Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, with reporters George says an American cardinal isn't likely to be the next pope.
Letter of Resignation of Rev. Fr. Charles Murr
Oct 21, 2004
On Friday, April 2, 2004, I resigned as pastor of the Parish of St. Francis de Sales. I am writing to you now to explain the circumstances that led me to make this decision.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CHURCH
135 EAST 96TH STREET
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10128
April 5, 2004
To the Parish of St. Francis de Sales and the Children and Parents of the St. Francis de Sales School/St. Lucy Academy:
On Friday, April 2, 2004, I resigned as pastor of the Parish of St. Francis de Sales. I am writing to you now to explain the circumstances that led me to make this decision.
Our parish school, the St. Francis de Sales School/St. Lucy Academy, currently faces some grave problems. One concerns financial management. Contrary to the policies of the Archdiocese, no financial statements for the school have been prepared for any period after August 31, 2001, and thus no one knows what the financial condition of the school actually is. It is clear, however, that for several years the school has not been making required payments for insurance and pension benefits, and the Archdiocese calculates that the school owes the Archdiocese over $638,000. Although I attempted to work with the administration of the school to prepare the needed financial statements, the school’s administration consistently failed to cooperate with me, and, on the advice of the Parish Council, I notified the Archdiocese in January that I intended to replace the principal and vice principal of the school. The Archdiocese accepted this decision and last week resolved to send officials from the chancery to begin preparing and auditing financial statements for the school.
The second problem at the school concerns religious instruction. On the most recent administration of the Archdiocese’s standardized religion test last June, approximately 66% of our students failed. The major reason for this was that several of our teachers were not committed to teaching the Catholic faith. One teacher, for example, was taking her students to non-Catholic religious services on Sunday mornings. Another refuses to teach her students to make the Sign of the Cross. Others do not teach those doctrines of the Catholic faith with which they disagree. To rectify these problems, I appointed a new Director of Religious Education for the school this year, but the teachers who were hostile to Catholic doctrine disrupted his classes, belittled him in front of his students, instructed his students to ignore him, and even spread slanderous reports about him. I thus determined that the employment contracts of these teachers would not be renewed for the coming academic year, and on April 1, I informed these teachers accordingly.
It has been reported to me that, on April 1, at least some of these teachers held their students after school, read to them my letter declining to renew their employment contracts, and provided their own comments on the matter. Predictably, they reduced many children to tearful hysteria. The behavior of these teachers was reprehensible; they intentionally inflicted harm on innocent children in order to advance their own private interests. On behalf of the school, I apologize to these students and their parents for the grossly unprofessional conduct of these teachers.
On Friday afternoon, Msgr. Thomas Gilleece, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, informed me without further explanation that, by order of the Cardinal, I was to renew the employment contracts of the principal, the vice principal, and all the affected teachers. Since I could not in good conscience, as a pastor charged with the care of souls, comply with this order, I resigned as pastor of the Parish of St. Francis de Sales and as administrator of the Parish of St. Lucy. On Saturday, April 3, the members of the Parish Council wrote Cardinal Egan informing him that they shared my views regarding the need to reform the school and had concluded that they could not in good conscience as faithful Catholics be associated with his order to reinstate the principal, the vice principal, and the affected teachers. The members of the Parish Council thus resigned their positions. The Parish Trustees likewise resigned. As of the date of this letter, none of us has received any reply from the Cardinal.
It has been a great honor to serve as your pastor. You will all remain in my prayers.
Servus, in Christo Jesu,
Fr. Chas. Theo. Murr
My Approach Has Always Been to Ask for Laicization
Sept 18, 2004
Following are excerpts from an interview with Cardinal Edward M. Egan, as recorded by The New York Times, 16 August 2002.
I think what we are doing and have done is correct. I believe that the Dallas decisions pretty much reflect what we did and are doing. They don't go as far as we do, because my approach has always been to ask for laicization [leaving the priesthood]. If I didn't get it, all right. ...
I think my approach is the proper approach at this time, yes. ...
If you take it out of the context of the times, right now I have less and less confidence in depending upon the medical and the psychiatric community to tell me if the person can control this sort of thing, or has controlled it. My experience is that sometimes they're right, and sometimes they're wrong. They're probably right more than they're wrong. But it's too dangerous, it seems to me, to do anything now but to play always on the side of safety. My first consideration has to be protection, to see there is no harm done. While I will be sending these people to these institutions or whatever, maybe not the same ones, my trust in their ability to analyze and figure it out and forecast is significantly diminished. ...
I think that we handled the matters properly. I think we're handling them properly now. Everything happens at a time, with a certain amount of information and a certain amount of insight, and to take yesterday and to judge it in terms of today, it sells newspapers. ...
The way we've done it is proper. I think we've handled it in a very serious way. Every one who has been a victim has certainly been spoken to and helped in every way, in a proper context. ... Everybody has a different way of dealing with things. I think we've dealt with them properly. ...
Following are excerpts from an interview yesterday with Cardinal Edward M. Egan, as recorded by The New York Times (16 August 2002).
El cardenal Egan bendecirá la clausura de la cita republicana
Sept 10, 2004
El cardenal Edward Egan retoma la tradición de los grandes prelados norteamericanos muy involucrados en la vida pública del país. En la foto, durante la celebración del 12 de Octubre en las calles de Manhattan.
(elsemanal digital.com, 09 de septiembre de 2004) Tras el típico discurso apoteósico de aceptación de la candidatura por George Bush, sólo habrá una intervención: la de Edward Egan para impartir una bendición episcopal a los asistentes.
1 de septiembre. Es tan sencillo de decir como habría sido difícil de creer hace sólo unos años: la convención republicana que se celebra esta semana en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York no la clausurará el virtual candidato del GOP (Great Old Party) a la Presidencia de los Estados Unidos, George W. Bush, sino el arzobispo católico de la diócesis neoyorkina.
Según el programa oficial de la convención, el jueves 2 de septiembre se producirán una serie de intervenciones que irán preparando el discurso oficial de aceptación de la candidatura por parte del actual inquilino de la Casa Blanca. Pero tras la apoteosis de Bush, que es metodista, los asistentes no se disolverán, como ocurriría en cualquier acto similar de un partido político europeo: todos juntos recibirán la bendición del cardenal Edward Egan. Y no será una más junto a actos religiosos de otras confesiones, sino el colofón único de estos cuatro días de despegue electoral de la plataforma Bush-Cheney.
La creciente cercanía de Bush a la Iglesia católica
Egan, de 72 años, fue elevado al cardenalato por Juan Pablo II en el consistorio de febrero de 2001, menos de un año después de sustituir al cardenal John O´Connor, tras su fallecimiento en mayo de 2000. La invitación a participar en el principal evento republicano que tendrá lugar antes de las elecciones de noviembre vino del mismo partido del elefante (el animal que le sirve de logotipo), y dada su trascendencia ha tenido que contar con el visto bueno directo de George W. Bush.
Lo cierto es que al presidente norteamericano cada vez le agrada más figurar en congresos y celebraciones católicas. A principios de agosto asistió en Dallas (Texas) a la convención anual de los Caballeros de Colón, una de las organizaciones católicas de mayor relieve en el país y a la que pertenece su hermano, el gobernador de la Florida, Jeb Bush. Ante los 2500 congresistas mencionó su reciente visita a Juan Pablo II: "Estar en su presencia es una experiencia impresionante", dijo. Asimismo, recordó que su Gobierno ha prohibido el aborto en avanzado estado de gestación y "defenderá enérgicamente" esta medida, y que dictó leyes que penalizan como delitos diferentes los cometidos contra una mujer embarazada y contra su hijo, si éste sufre daños durante la agresión a la madre. Y en otro orden de cosas, concluyó: "Considero que el Gobierno debe situarse junto a los grupos basados en la fe, no contra ellos".
Más convicción que votos
Como político en campaña, Bush desea con estas afirmaciones seducir al votante católico. Sin embargo, una encuesta dada a conocer el lunes señala que sólo un 49% de los católicos que se inclinarán por Bush consideran "muy importante" el tema del aborto, por debajo de la guerra de Irak, el terrorismo, los valores morales en general y la economía. No es, por tanto, un cálculo electoral el que mueve al presidente, sino el resultado de una convicción profunda.
¿Cómo olvidar, además, los graves problemas padecidos por la Iglesia en Estados Unidos durante 2001-2002 a causa de los casos de pederastia de ciertos sacerdotes, y lo mucho que esos desgraciados delitos han minado su prestigio? El ofrecimiento de Bush al cardenal de Nueva York es toda una mano tendida para ayudar a la jerarquía católica al reencuentro con la opinión pública norteamericana.
La proximidad de Bush a la Iglesia católica es tanto más llamativa cuanto que su partido responde a una tradición protestante. Pero los tiempos cambian. Contribuye también la cada vez mayor presencia hispana en Texas, donde el hoy presidente fue el único gobernador reelegido en muchos años, y mantenía una buena relación con las comunidades mexican y mexican-american.
Ahora bien, que el mismísimo cardenal de Nueva York sea quien despida la convención republicana "en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo" (o incluso si tiene lugar algún recorte ecuménico en atención a la diversidad de los presentes) es, como diría el castizo, para frotarse los ojos.
Benediction for the 2004 Republican National Convention
Sept 09, 2004
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery at the 2004 Republican National Convention on Thursday, September 2, Evening Session 7:45 - 11:15 P.M. EDT.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is the Benediction by Cardinal Egan, remarks as prepared for delivery at the 2004 Republican National Convention:
My dear friends:
As you conclude the work of this national convention, allow me to invite you for a brief moment to set aside all other thoughts and concerns, so that together we might raise our minds and hearts in prayer to the One God and Father of us all.
Almighty and Eternal Lord, our lands are fertile.
Our towns and cities are enriched with the wonders of science, industry,and commerce. We are a splendid blend of peoples and cultures from every corner of the earth.
Even more, we are creatures of Your hand, fashioned in Your image, and placed here to live as You would have us live, so that, when the course of our lives has run, we might spend an eternity in Your presence.
Filled, Heavenly Father, with gratitude for all of this, we come before you humbly and lovingly to ask You to make us what You wish us to be.
Make us, Lord, a people of wisdom and understanding who resort to conflict only when all hope of peace is lost.
Make us, Lord, a people of justice who revere the rights of others, and especially that precious right to live which resides in children coming into this world and in the aged and infirm departing from it.
Make us, Lord, a people of genuine compassion who, feeling within ourselves the pain and hurt of the hungry, the homeless, the abandoned, and the stranger, come willingly and generously to their aid.
Make us, Lord, a people who at all times and in all circumstances, live lives that bespeak virtue, modesty, and cleanness of heart.
In a word, Merciful God, make us "holy," as You are holy.
All of this we ask with the utmost of confidence in Your loving providence, as we pray on this occasion a most special prayer for those who in this noble land guide, serve, and lead us - our President and Vice President here with us this evening, our legislators and judges, our police-officers and fire-fighters, our clergy, our educators, our social-workers, our medical practitioners, our public servants, the myriad of volunteers who give of themselves in every area of human need, and, in a most particular way, our brave and devoted military in lands across the sea, whose loved ones yearn and pray for their return, as do we.
Lord of all, we are Your children, "one nation under God," a people called to be a light of righteousness in a troubled world, a city set on a mountain- top from which all humankind might draw strength, inspiration, and hope.
Help us to measure up to this wondrous calling, this unique vocation, as You send us forth from this place in peace, justice, compassion, virtue and holiness now and forever.
Edward Cardinal Egan wows at St. Patrick's cathedral
USA/ Visita Papa, Cardinale Egan: Giuliani non doveva fare comunione