Francis Cardinal Spellman

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Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman, (4 May 1889 - 2 December 1967) was the ninth bishop - sixth archbishop - of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York. He was born in Whitman, Massachusetts to William and Ellen (neé Conway) Spellman, graduated from Pontifical Urbanian Athenaeum in Rome, and was ordained a priest on 14 May 1916. He became Chancellor of the Boston Diocese in 1922, and was made a Monsignor and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, Massachusetts in July of 1932 and ordained on 8 September with the titular see of Sila. He was appointed Archbishop of New York on 15 April 1939, and on 11 December, appointed Archbishop for the Military Services. Spellman was elevated to cardinal (with the title of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo) on 18 February 1946, and served as archbishop until his death. He is interred in the crypt under the altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Grand Prior of USA of the Souverign Order of Malta. Grand Prior of America of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus

He was to date the longest-serving Archbishop of New York, serving in that position for over 28 years.

Contents 1 Personal life 2 Quotes 3 See also 4 References

Personal life

Since his death, speculation that Spellman was homosexual has been published. One author alleges that "[k]nowledge of Spellman's homosexual activities was common throughout the Archdiocese of New York and political circles during his twenty-eight year tenure as archbishop," and that newspapers including The New York Times refrained from printing this information.^[1]

The galleys of The American Pope: The Life and Times of Francis Cardinal Spellman, John Cooney's 1984 biography of the archbishop, contained four pages of interviews with individuals who related stories of Spellman's alleged affairs with a number of different partners, ^[2] including priests, altar boys, and a Broadway dancer.^[3] The pages were not included in the published version of Cooney's biography. The reason given by the publisher, Times Books, was "We feel we have a responsibility not to publish damaging allegations which cannot be substantiated or which are based on hearsay."

Quotes

"Spellman held his tongue in Rome, where it would be unwise to be indiscreet about the new pope (Pope John XXIII). But when he returned home, the Cardinal announced his disdain. 'He's no Pope,' Spellman scoffed to his aides. 'He should be selling bananas.'" ^[4]

See also

• List of Roman Catholic Bishops and Archbishops of New York
• List of notable cardinals
• Cardinal Spellman High School

Preceded by: Patrick Joseph Cardinal Hayes	Archbishop of New York 1939-1967	Succeeded by: Terence James Cardinal Cooke
Preceded by: John Francis O'Hara (Apostolic Vicar for the Military Services)	Archbishop for the Military Services 1939-1967	Succeeded by: Terence James Cardinal Cooke

References

1. ^ Bronski, Michael. The Pleasure Principle : Sex, Backlash, and the Struggle for Gay Freedom (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000), p. 177.
2. ^ McDowell, Edwin. "Substantiation Is Asked Of Spellman Biographer." The New York Times, August 2, 1984, p. C20.
3. ^ Signorile, Michaelangelo. "Cardinal Spellman's Dark Legacy." New York Press, 15(18), 2002.
4. ^ Cooney, John (1984). The American Pope: The Life and Times of Francis Cardinal Spellman, p.333, New York: New York Times Books. ISBN 0440101948.

• Nicholas Von Hoffman, Citizen Cohn
• Catholic Hierarchy: Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman