Richard James Cushing | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal,Archbishop of Boston | |
 | |
| See | Boston |
| Installed | September 25, 1944 |
| Term ended | September 8, 1970 |
| Predecessor | William Henry O'Connell |
| Successor | Humberto Sousa Medeiros |
| Other post | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna |
| Previous post |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 26, 1921 by William Henry O'Connell |
| Consecration | June 29, 1939 by William Henry O'Connell |
| Created cardinal | December 15, 1958 byJohn XXIII |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard James Cushing (1895-08-24)August 24, 1895 |
| Died | November 2, 1970(1970-11-02) (aged 75) |
| Motto | Ut Cognoscant Te (That they may know thee) |
| Coat of arms |  |
Ordination history of Richard Cushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an Americanprelate of theCatholic Church. He served asarchbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made acardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder of new churches, schools, and institutions. Unlike his predecessor, he was on good terms with practically the entireBoston elite, as he softened the traditional confrontation between the Catholic Irish and the Protestant upper-class. He built useful relationships with Jews, Protestants, and institutions outside the usual Catholic community. He helped presidential candidateJohn F. Kennedy deflect fears of papal interference in American government if a Catholic became president.
Cushing's high energy level allowed him to meet with many people all day, often giving lengthy speeches at night. He was not efficient at business affairs, and when expenses built up he counted on his fundraising skills instead of cost-cutting. Cushing, says Nasaw, was "fun-loving, informal, and outgoing. He looked rather like a tough, handsome, Irish cop and behaved more like a ward politician than a high church cleric."[1] His major weakness in retrospect was overexpansion, adding new institutions that could not be sustained in the long run and had to be cut back by his successors.[2]
Richard Cushing was born in City Point in theSouth Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, on August 24, 1895.[3] The third of five children, he was the son of Patrick and Mary (née Dahill) Cushing.[4] His father came fromGlanworth,County Cork, and his mother fromTouraneena,County Waterford, both in Ireland.[5] Patrick Cushing arrived in Boston in 1880.[6] He worked as ablacksmith, earning $18 per week in the trolley repair pits of theBoston Elevated Railway, the public transit system.[7]
.jpg)
Cushing received his early education at Perry Public Grammar School in South Boston, as there was noparochial school for boys in Gate of Heaven Parish.[8] A compulsive truant, Cushing dropped out of high school in his freshman year.[7] He subsequently enteredBoston College High School, aJesuit college preparatory school.[4] His cousin, a priest of theArchdiocese of New York, paid Cushing's tuition. He graduated from Boston College High School in 1913, receiving honors for Latin and Greek. Cushing was torn for a time between careers in religion and politics.[7] He originally aspired to be a politician, even earning money by speaking for politicians from the back of wagons.[6] He twice considered joining the Jesuits,[6] but came to the conclusion he "was cut out more for the active life and not the teaching apostolate."[citation needed]
Cushing enteredBoston College in 1913[3] He participated in the Marquette Debating Society and was elected vice-president of his sophomore class. DuringWorld War I, theRMSLusitania was sunk in May 1915 by a GermanU-boat, killing over 100 Americans. After the sinking, Cushing enlisted in theUnited States Army. However, due to his asthma, he was medically discharged after a few weeks.
After his rejection by the Army, Cushing finally decided to become a priest. He began his studies for thepriesthood atSt. John's Seminary in theBrighton section of Boston in September 1915.[4] The archdiocese wanted to sent Cushing to Rome to continue his studies at thePontifical North American College, but the escalation ofU-boat activity in the Atlantic Ocean made the trip too dangerous.[citation needed]
On May 26, 1921, Cushing wasordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston by CardinalWilliam Henry O'Connell at theCathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.[9] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Cushing as acurate at St. Patrick's Parish in theRoxbury neighborhood, where he remained for two months. He was then transferred to St. Benedict's Parish inSomerville, Massachusetts.[4]
In 1922, Cushing appeared unannounced at O'Connell' residence to request an assignment as amissionary.[10] Cushing told O'Connell that he wanted to "take heaven by storm."[6] O'Connell denied his request. Instead, he appointed Cushing as assistant director of the diocesan chapter of theSociety for the Propagation of the Faith, an organization dedicated to raising funds for missions.[3] Cushing was promoted to director in 1929.[11] The Vatican elevated Cushing to the rank ofmonsignor on May 14, 1939.[11]
On June 10, 1939, after Auxiliary BishopFrancis Spellman of Boston was namedarchbishop of New York, Cushing recommended to the Vatican that Cushing replace him. He was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of Boston andtitular bishop ofMela byPope Pius XII.[9] Cushing received hisepiscopalconsecration on June 29, 1939, from O'Connell at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, with bishopsJohn Bertram Peterson andThomas Addis Emmet,SJ, serving asco-consecrators.[9] Cushing took as his episcopalmotto:Ut Cognoscant Te (Latin: "That they may know thee").[citation needed]
As an auxiliary bishop, Cushing continued to serve as director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He was also namedpastor of Sacred Heart Parish inNewton Centre, Massachusetts.[12] Following O'Connell's death in April 1944, Cushing was elected asapostolic administrator of the archdiocese.[3]
.jpg)
Cushing was named the third archbishop of Boston by Pius XII on September 25, 1944, honoring O'Connell's earlier request to the pope that Cushing succeed him.[9]
During his time as archbishop, Cushing oversaw the construction of over 80 chapels and churches in the archdiocese. He saw the need to make it easier for people to worship in different locales. In Boston, he opened theSt. Francis Chapel at thePrudential Center for office workers in theBack Bay district and for dock workers theOur Lady of Good Voyage Chapel in South Boston . For travelers, he established Our Lady of the Railways Chapel atSouth Station in downtown and Our Lady of the Airways Chapel atLogan International Airport in theEast Boston district. At the 1969 dedication of the St. Francis Chapel, Cushing told the attendees that he wanted St. Francis to be an "ecumenical chapel. We want people of all faiths to come here and speak to God through their own prayers."[13]
Cushing was a member of theThird Order of St. Francis and the national protector of the Third Order in America. While leading theNational Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Rome in 1948, he made a side trip toAssisi, Italy, the birthplace ofSaint Francis,[14] Prior to embarking on the trip, he joked that the closest he had ever been to Rome wasCastle Island in South Boston.[15] While in France, French Foreign MinisterRobert Schuman awarded Cushing theLegion of Honour.[16][17]
During Cushing's tenure, Boston would see theexcommunication of ReverendLeonard Feeney for repeated refusals to be summoned to Rome. Feeney refused to back down from his position, although it has been reported that he was ultimately reconciled with the Church before his death.[18] Cushing approved the moving of at least two priests into new parishes during the 1960s despite allegations of sexual misconduct.[19]
Cushing was createdcardinal-priest of theChurch of Santa Susanna in Rome byPope John XXIII in theconsistory of December 15, 1958. Cushing served as acardinal elector in the1963 papal conclave that electedPope Paul VI.[9]
Due to advanced illnesses, Cushing's resignation as archbishop of Boston was accepted by Paul VI on September 8, 1970. Remarking on Cushing's retirement, US SenatorTed Kennedy stated:
For three-quarters of a century [Cushing's] life has been a light in a world that cries out for illumination. He will never have to account for his stewardship, for if his goodness is not known to God, no one's ever will be.[20]
On November 2, 1970,All Souls Day, Cushing died of cancer while sleeping at his residence in Brighton at age 75. He was surrounded by his brother and sisters, along with his successor, ArchbishopHumberto Medeiros. Cushing was buried inHanover, Massachusetts, at the Portiuncula Chapel on the grounds of theCardinal Cushing Centers.[21][22][23]
A close friend of theKennedy family, Cushing officiated at the marriage of US SenatorJohn F. Kennedy andJacqueline Lee Bouvier atSt. Mary's Church inNewport, Rhode Island, in 1953. During the ceremony, Cushing read a special prayer for the couple from Pius XII. Over the coming years, Cushing baptized many of the Kennedy family children. He delivered the prayer invocation at the 1961inauguration of Kennedy as president of the United States in Washington.[24]
After Kennedy was assassinated inDallas, Texas, in November 1963, Cushing officiated at hisfuneral mass atSt. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington. The day before the funeral, he delivered atelevisedeulogy for Kennedy. Cushing in 1968 defended Jacqueline Kennedy from criticism after she married shipping magnateAristotle Onassis. As a result, Cushing received a large amount ofhate mail and was contradicted by theVatican.[24]
Cushing's work contributed to making the Catholic Church acceptable to the general population at the time of Kennedy's candidacy in 1960 for the presidency. Part of this work included reaching out to the non-Catholics of Boston after "the muscular style of involved Catholicism that Cardinal O'Connell brought to bear on issues of his day - religious, social, and political - in Boston and Massachusetts".[25]
After the first meeting between Church and Freemasonry which had been held on April 11, 1969, at the convent of the Divine Master inAriccia, he was the protagonist of a series of public handshakes between high prelates of the Roman Catholic Church and the heads ofFreemasonry.[26]
In 1964, Cushing praised the Protestant evangelist ReverendBilly Graham and encouraged Catholics to attend his crusades.[27][28]
From the start of Cushing's tenure as archbishop, he sought closer relations with the Jewish community.[29] The authorJames Carroll has attributed Cushing's outlook to the marriage between his sister Dolly Cushing and a Jewish man, Dick Pearlstein. According to Carroll, marriages between Jews and Catholics at this time were very uncommon. Cushing made many visits to the couple's house and was on very good terms with Pearlstein.[30]
In November 1948, Cushing became the first Catholic archbishop to address theUnion of American Hebrew Congregations at their convention in Boston. He acknowledged that a "staggering" number of Americans held racial and religious prejudices. Cushing attacked communism,fascism and all ideologies that threaten the religious freedom of people.[31]
Cushing was honored byB'nai B'rith as it "Man of the Year" in 1956 for "a lifetime of distinguished service to the cause of human brotherhood under God and in further recognition of great leadership in the fields of education and community relations."[32] He was a close correspondent withRobert E. Segal, executive director of theJewish Community Relations Council of Boston, who played a key role in improving Jewish-Catholic relations.[29] Cushing also maintained close contacts withAbram L. Sachar, the historian and president ofBrandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Cushing strongly condemnedCommunism. In 1947, theEpiscopal clergymanGuy Emery Shipler went with several other ministers toYugoslavia. As part of their tour, they inspect the cell of imprisoned ArchbishopAloysius Stepinac. After returning to the United States, Shipler said that he saw no proof of religious suppression by the communist regime of PresidentJosip Broz Tito. Cushing condemned this statement, called the group anti-Catholic and accusing them of selling out to Tito.[33]
In an interview in June 1959, during theCold War between the United States and theSoviet Union, Cushing suggested that American high schools provide courses on communism so that teenagers would learn about its "intrinsic evil.[34] In November of that year, after theCuban Revolution of 1955 to 1959, Cushing condemned Cuban PresidentFidel Castro from impounding Catholic revenues in Cuba and suggested that he was a communist.[35] In 1962 Cushing was a member of a fundraising committee organized by theCuban Families Committee for Liberation of Prisoners of War, which sought to raise money to pay the ransom set byFidel Castro for the release of those taken captive as a result of theBay of Pigs Invasion.[36]
At theSecond Vatican Council in Rome between 1962 and 1965, Cushing played a vital role in draftingNostra aetate, the 1965 document that officially exonerated the Jews of killing Christ. His emotional comments during debates over the drafts were echoed in the final version:
We must cast the Declaration on the Jews in a much more positive form, one not so timid, but much more loving ... For the sake of our common heritage we, the children of Abraham according to the spirit, must foster a special reverence and love for the children of Abraham according to the flesh. As children of Adam, they are our kin, as children of Abraham they are Christ's blood relatives. 2. So far as the guilt of Jews in the death of our Savior is concerned, the rejection of the Messiah by His own, is according to Scripture, a mystery—a mystery given us for our instruction, not for our self-exaltation ... We cannot sit in judgement on the onetime leaders of Israel—God alone is their judge. Much less can we burden later generations of Jews with any burden of guilt for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, for the death of the Savior of the world, except that universal guilt in which we all have a part ... In clear and unmistakable language, we must deny, therefore, that the Jews are guilty of our Savior's death. .[37]
He was deeply committed to implementing the council's reforms and promotingrenewal in the Church.[38]
In 1964, Cushing strongly denounced racism, saying that a "racist Christian" was a contradiction. He praised clergy who were participating in theAmerican Civil Rights Movement.[39]
In May 1961, Spellman delivered hisGood Friday sermon at thePentagon in Arlington, Virginia. It was titled "Power - Divine and Human."[40] Speaking during the height of theCold War, he spoke about how God has great power, but often shows restraint in its use. Nations should do likewise, particularly in the exercise of their military might.[41]
The following institutions were named after Cushing:
In 1959, Cushing published his only book, a biography of Pius XII. It is an almosthagiographic biography, written shortly after the death of the pontiff.[51] Cushing depicted Pius as the "Pope of Peace" who, armed only with the spiritual weapons of his office, triumphed over insidious attacks that seemed about to destroy the center of Christendom.[citation needed]
His other writings included:
Articles
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
Media related toRichard James Cushing at Wikimedia Commons
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Boston 1944 – 1970 | Succeeded by |
| 1950s | |
|---|---|
| 1960s | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
