Edward Michael Egan | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Archbishop of New York | |
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| Diocese | Archdiocese of New York |
| Appointed | May 11, 2000 |
| Installed | June 19, 2000 |
| Term ended | February 23, 2009 |
| Predecessor | John Joseph O'Connor |
| Successor | Timothy M. Dolan |
| Other post | Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo |
| Previous posts | Bishop of Bridgeport (1988–2000) Auxiliary Bishop of New York (1985–1988) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 15, 1957 by Martin John O'Connor |
| Consecration | May 22, 1985 by Bernardin Gantin |
| Created cardinal | February 21, 2001 byJohn Paul II |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edward Michael Egan April 2, 1932 Oak Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 2015(2015-03-05) (aged 82) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Buried | St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York,New York, U.S. |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Parents | Thomas J. and Genevieve Costello Egan |
| Motto | In the holiness of truth |
Ordination history of Edward Egan | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Styles of Edward Egan | |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | New York (emeritus) |
Edward Michael Egan (April 2, 1932 – March 5, 2015) was anAmerican Catholicprelate who served asbishop of Bridgeport in Connecticut from 1988 to 2000 and asarchbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009. He was elevated to thecardinalate in 2001.
The third of four children, Edward Egan was born on April 2, 1932, inOak Park, Illinois, the son of Thomas J. and Genevieve (née Costello) Egan. His father was a sales manager and his mother was a homemaker and former teacher; his parents' families were fromCounty Mayo andCounty Clare,Ireland. In 1943, Egan and his older brother contractedpolio,[1] causing them to miss two years of school while convalescing at home.
Egan attendedArchbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, where he was electedstudent body president and editor of the student newspaper andyearbook.[2] After graduating from high school in 1951, he enteredSt. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. Egan was then sent to thePontifical North American College in Rome, taking his academic courses in theology at thePontifical Gregorian University.[3]
Egan wasordained to the priesthood at theBasilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio in Rome by ArchbishopMartin O'Connor on December 15, 1957, for theArchdiocese of Chicago.[4]
Egan was awarded aLicentiate of Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University in 1958. After returning to Chicago, the archdiocese assigned Egan as associate pastor ofHoly Name Cathedral Parish, assistantchancellor for the archdiocese, and priest-secretary to CardinalAlbert Meyer.[1] During this time, Egan also taught evening classes for potential Catholic converts and served as a chaplain atWesley Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
In 1960, Egan returned to the Gregorian University in Rome to pursue hisdoctorate. During his studies, he became assistantvice-rector andrepetitor of moral theology and canon law at the North American College. Egan received hisdoctorate in canon lawsumma cum laude in 1964. Back in Chicago, Egan was appointed priest-secretary to CardinalJohn Cody. As his secretary, he "saw Cardinal Cody take the heat for good causes" such as theAmerican civil rights movement andracial desegregation.[5]
Egan was later appointed secretary of the archdiocesan Commissions onEcumenism and Human Relations, sitting on severalinterfaith organizations and establishing dialogue withJews andProtestants.[citation needed] From 1969 to 1971, he served as co-chancellor for the archdiocese. Egan returned to Rome in 1971 whenPope Paul VI named him an auditor of theSacred Roman Rota.
While serving on the Roman Rota, Egan also served as a professor of canon law at the Gregorian University and of civil and criminal procedure at theStudio Rotale.[citation needed] Egan served as a commissioner of theCongregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship and a consultor of theCongregation for the Clergy as well. In 1982, Egan was chosen to be one of the six canonists who reviewed the newCode of Canon Law withPope John Paul II before its promulgation in 1983.
On April 1, 1985, John Paul II appointed Egan as anauxiliary bishop of New York[1] andtitular bishop of Allegheny. He received hisepiscopal consecration at the Basilica of Saints John and Paul on May 22, 1985, by CardinalBernardin Gantin, with ArchbishopJohn O'Connor and BishopJohn Keating serving asco-consecrators. He selected as his episcopalmotto:"In the Holiness of the Truth"Ephesians 4:24. As an auxiliary bishop, Egan served asvicar foreducation.[4]
On November 5, 1988, John Paul II appointed Egan as the third bishop of Bridgeport.[6] He wasinstalled on December 14, 1988.
During his tenure, Egan oversaw the reorganization of Catholic schools. He also raised $45 million for diocesan schools through a fundraising campaign, "Faith in the Future." The diocesanCatholic Charities under his tenure became the largest privatesocial service agency inFairfield County, Connecticut. To support the 12Hispanicparishes in the diocese, he broughtSpanish-speaking priests to Bridgeport fromColombia. Egan also established a home for retired priests and a school for children withspecial needs.[citation needed]
Within theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Egan served as chair of the board of governors of thePontifical North American College and of the Committee on Science and Human Values. He was also a member of the Committee on Canonical Affairs, the Committee on Education, the Committee on National Collections, and the Committee on Nominations, and served two terms on the USCCB administrative board.
John Paul II appointed Egan as archbishop of New York on May 11, 2000, a week after Archbishop O'Connor's death. Egan was installed on June 19, 2000, with sopranoRenée Fleming performing at the ceremony.[7]
On becoming archbishop, Egan prioritized the encouragement of vocations to the priesthood. Besides private initiatives, each year on theFeast of St. Joseph (March 19th), he offered a mass for prospective high school and college men. Egan appointed two priests as vocation directors to aid him in promoting the priesthood, although they were unable to reverse the declining trend.
Egan was elevated to thecardinalate by John Paul II at theconsistory of February 21, 2001,[8] becoming thecardinal-priest of theBasilica of Ss. Ioannis et Pauli in Rome As cardinal, one of Egan's main concerns was the archdiocesan seminary inYonkers, New York.[citation needed] In March 2001, he announced the restructuring of the seminary faculty. AStaten Island pastor, Reverend Peter Finn, was chosen as seminary rector. The minor seminary, then located inRiverdale, Bronx, was moved to the campus of the major seminary.
Egan was a prominent influence in New York City after theSeptember 11, 2001, attacks at theWorld Trade Center in Manhatta.[9] According to an article inCatholic New York:
"The cardinal responded to the disaster – ministering to the injured and anointing the dead atSt. Vincent's Hospital and atGround Zero itself. He planned a center for victims' families at theNew School and an interfaith service atYankee Stadium. Egan also offered masses at St. Patrick's Cathedral in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and funerals there and around the archdiocese for months."[10]
In 2002, theInstitución del Mérito Humanitario inBarcelona, Spain, awarded Egan the "Gran Cruz al Mérito Humanitario". Also in 2002, John Paul II named Egan to theSupreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, the church's highest court of canon law. For retired priests, Egan established the John Cardinal O'Connor residence in 2003 at the previous site of the minor seminary in Riverdale.[11]
In 2003, Egan was accused of concealing the names of priests who had beenaccused of child molestation, but found not guilty by the church.[citation needed] His spokesman argued that the innocent should be protected, while groups such asVoice of the Faithful criticized the process as being out of the public view. Egan participated in the2005 papal conclave in Rome that selectedPope Benedict XVI. In 2006, Egan began hosting a weekly program onThe Catholic Channel ofSirius Satellite Radio. He discussed events in the archdiocese and issues in the church. The channel also broadcast his Sunday mass from the cathedral.[12]
Egan in January 2007 announced the closure of ten under-utilized parishes and the merger of 11 other parishes. He stated that this was, "based on the migration of Catholics in the inner-city to the outer boroughs". He also announced the establishment of five new parishes; three inOrange County. New York, one inStaten Island and one inDutchess County, New York. Building projects were also approved for nine parishes.[13] The closures caused some discontent among the affected parishes.[14]
On December 15, 2007, Egan celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest.Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to theCongregation for the Oriental Churches on January 26, 2008. Egan then hosted thepapal visit to New York during April 2008, marking the 200th anniversary of the diocese. In 2009, Egan publicly condemned controversial statements made byRichard Williamson, anexcommunicated Catholic bishop, about the reality of theHolocaust.[15]
On April 2, 2007, Egan offered his letter ofresignation as archbishop of New York toPope Benedict XVI, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. Egan was the first archbishop of New York to retire; all previous archbishops had died in office.[16] Egan's resignation became official on February 23, 2009, when Benedict XVI appointed ArchbishopTimothy Dolan as his successor. Dolan took possession of the archdiocese on April 15, 2009.
Egan served as a member of the board of trustees atthe Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a founding member of the board of governors atAve Maria School of Law inNaples, Florida. When Egan reached age 80 in 2012, he ceased to becardinal-elector.
Egan was admitted toSt. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan on April 4, 2009, experiencing stomach pains. He was released on April 7th, and later implanted with apacemaker.[17][18] Egan was well enough to preside over major liturgical services for the April 9th to 12thEaster Triduum, days before the arrival of his successor.[19]
Egan died on March 5, 2015, at theNYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan ofcardiac arrest.[20] HIs death was announced by Dolan.[20] Many bishops released statements mourning Egan.[21][22][23] From March 9th to March 10th, his body lay in state atSt. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. It was flanked by an honor guard of members of theNew York City Police Department, theFire Department of New York, the Knights of Columbus, the Knights and Ladies of Malta and theKnights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre.
Dolan on March 10th celebrated arequiem mass for Egan at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The mass was attended by bishops from around the United States, including CardinalsWilliam Levada,Justin Rigali,Sean O'Malley,Roger Mahony,Daniel Dinardo and McCarrick. The apostolic nuncio to the United States,Carlo Maria Viganò, read a letter fromPope Francis. The mass was also attended by New York MayorBill de Blasio and former mayorsMichael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani andDavid Dinkins, along with GovernorAndrew Cuomo. After the mass, Egan wasinterred in the crypt of the cathedral beneath the high altar.
In an article published next to a photo of afetus in the womb, Egan compared toleratingabortions to the reasoning used byAdolf Hitler andJoseph Stalin to commit mass murders. Egan believed that Catholic politicians who supportabortion rights for women should be forbiddencommunion on grounds of public scandal. In April 2008, after newspapers published photographs of Giuliani receiving communion at a mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral offered by Benedict XVI, Egan issued a public statement:
The Catholic Church clearly teaches that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God. Throughout my years as Archbishop of New York, I have repeated this teaching in sermons, articles, addresses, and interviews without hesitation or compromise of any kind. Thus it was that I had an understanding with Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, when I became Archbishop of New York and he was serving as Mayor of New York, that he was not to receive the Eucharist because of his well-known support of abortion. I deeply regret that Mr. Giuliani received the Eucharist during the Papal visit here in New York, and I will be seeking a meeting with him to insist that he abide by our understanding.[24]
In a radio interview in March 2009, Egan stated thatclerical celibacy in theLatin Church could be open to discussion.[25][26] He added, "I think it has to be looked at, and I'm 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." He further noted thatEastern Catholic married men were allowed to be priests with "no problem at all."
Egan later moderated his statement, saying, "Celibacy is one of the Church's greatest blessings. I will have to be more careful about trying to explain a somewhat complicated matter in 90 seconds."[27]
Egan assailed the notion ofsame-sex marriage and criticized Hollywood for "desecrating" marriage and destroying "something sacred and holy." Egan said the specter of legal same-sex marriage would have a devastating effect on traditional values already eroded by a crudepop culture, theNew YorkDaily News reported.[28]
In April 2002, in a letter read out at mass, Egan apologized saying for the sexual abuse scandal in Bridgeport.
"If in hindsight we also discover that mistakes may have been made as regards prompt removal of priests and assistance to victims, I am deeply sorry."[29]
TheConnecticut Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that the Diocese of Bridgeport release records detailingallegations of sexual abuse by priests in the diocese. The ruling covered over 12,600 pages of documents from 23 lawsuits against six priests that have been under seal since the diocese settled the cases in 2001.[30]
Egan in 2012 retracted his 2002 apology for sexual abuse crimes in Bridgewater. In an interview withConnecticut Magazine,he said: "I never should have said that," and "I don't think we did anything wrong." He repeatedly denied that any sexual abuse happened while he was leading the diocese[31][32]In 2018, ReverendBoniface Ramsey said that he once tried to speak with Egan concerning McCarrick's sexual activities, but Egan "didn't want to hear it."[33] McCarrick maintained his innocence, but the Vatican found him guilty of sexual abuse crimes andlaicized him in 2019.[34][35]
In October 2019, formerConnecticut Superior Court Judge Robert Holzberg released the results of his investigation, commissioned by BishopFrank Caggiano, into the diocese's handling of accusations of sexual abuse by its priests. Holzberg found that all three of Bridgeport's bishops over 40 years had consistently failed to fulfill their moral and legal responsibilities.
Holzberg found that Egan took a "dismissive, uncaring, and at times threatening attitude toward survivors"; he characterized Egan's behavior as "profoundly unsympathetic, inadequate, and inflammatory". Holzberg said that Egan broke a 1971 Connecticut State law by failing to report abuse allegations and that he deliberately concealed the reasons for transferring abusive priests.[36] Among other findings, in a July 12, 1993, letter to diocesan counsel Renato Ottaviani, explaining his refusal to seek the involuntarylaicization of serial abuser Reverend Raymond Pcolka, Egan wrote:
"... it is obvious that there can be no canonical process either for the removal of a diocesan priest from his priestly duties or for the removal of a priest from his parish when there is serious reason to believe that the priest in question is guilty of the sexual violation of children, and especially when he has confessed such a violation to the bishop or a delegate of the bishop. For the bishop who would countenance such a process would be opening the way to the gravest of evils, among them the financial ruin of the diocese which he is to serve."[37]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Titular Bishop of Allegheny 1985–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Bishop of Bridgeport 1988–2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Archbishop of New York 2000–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Cardinal-Priest of Santi Giovanni e Paolo 2001–2015 | Succeeded by | |
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