Francis Cardinal Spellman
Encyclopedia
Francis Joseph, Cardinal Spellman (May 4, 1889—December 2, 1967) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was the sixth Archbishop of New York
from 1939 to 1967, having previously served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of Boston
(1932–39). He was created a cardinal
in 1946.
, to William and Ellen (née
Conway) Spellman. His father (1858–1957), whose own parents had immigrated
to the United States
from Clonmel
and Leighlinbridge
in Ireland
, worked in shoemaking
before becoming a grocer
. The eldest of five children, Francis had two brothers, Martin and John, and two sisters, Marian and Helene. As a child, he served as an altar boy
at the Holy Ghost Church. He had a difficult relationship with his strict father, but was very attached to his mother.
Spellman attended Whitman High School because there was no local Catholic school
. He enjoyed photography
and baseball
; he was a first baseman
during his first year of high school until a hand injury forced him to stop playing, and later managed
the team. Following his high school graduation, Spellman entered Fordham University
in New York
in 1907. He graduated in 1911 and decided to study for the priesthood
. He was then sent by Archbishop William Henry O'Connell
to study at the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
. During his years in Rome, Spellman befriended such figures as Gaetano Bisleti
, Francesco Borgongini Duca
, and Domenico Tardini. He also suffered from pneumonia
, leaving his state of health so poor that his superiors
wanted him to leave the North American College. He nevertheless remained and managed to complete his doctorate
.
a priest by Patriarch Giuseppe Ceppetelli
on May 14, 1916. Upon his return to the United States, he did pastoral
work in the Archdiocese of Boston
. Cardinal O'Connell, who had earlier sent Spellman to Rome, took an apparent dislike to the young priest. O'Connell referred to him as a "little popinjay" and later said, "Francis epitomizes what happens to a bookkeeper when you teach him how to read." Spellman served as a chaplain
at St. Clement's Home, an institution for elderly women, before becoming a curate
at All Saints Church in Roxbury
.
Following the United States' entry into World War I
in 1917, he applied to become a military chaplain
in the U.S. Army but could not meet the height requirement. Spellman's comparable application to the U.S. Navy was personally rejected, twice, by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt
. Finally, Cardinal O'Connell assigned him to promote subscriptions for the archdiocesan newspaper
, The Pilot instead. He was named assistant chancellor
(1918) and later archivist
of the Archdiocese. After translating into English
two books written by his friend Borgongini Duca, Spellman was made the first American attaché
of the Vatican Secretariat of State
in 1925. He also worked with the Knights of Columbus
in running children's playground
s, and was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain
on October 4, 1926 by Pope Pius XI
.
In 1927, Spellman established a lifelong friendship with Archbishop Eugenio Pacelli
during a trip to Germany
, where Pacelli was serving as Apostolic Nuncio
. He translated Pius XI's first broadcast over Vatican Radio
in 1931. Later that year, Spellman was charged with smuggling Non Abbiamo Bisogno
, the papal
encyclical
condemning Benito Mussolini
, out of Rome and to Paris
, where he then delivered it to the press; he was subsequently attacked by Italian newspapers. He also served as secretary
to Cardinal Lorenzo Lauri at the 1932 International Eucharistic Congress
in Dublin, and helped reform the Vatican
's press office
, introducing mimeograph machines and issuing press releases
.
of Boston and Titular Bishop
of Sila by Pius XI. He had originally been considered for the bishoprics of Portland
and Manchester
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following September 8 from Cardinal Pacelli (whose old vestment
s Spellman himself wore), with Archbishops Giuseppe Pizzardo
and Borgongini Duca serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Peter's Basilica
. His was the first consecration of an American bishop ever to be held at St. Peter's. He was given as his episcopal motto
: Sequere Deum, meaning, "Follow God."
After his return to the United States, Spellman resided at St. John's Seminary
in Brighton. He was later made pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Newton Center
; he erased the church's $43,000 debt through different fundraising activities and the help of his many rich connections. When his mother died in 1935, her funeral was attended by Governor
James Curley
, Lieutenant Governor
Joseph Hurley
, and many members of the clergy, with the exception of Cardinal O'Connell.
As late as June 1936, polls gave President Roosevelt at best a 50 percent chance of reelection, due largely to the nightly, national radio attacks by Father Charles Coughlin
of Detroit. Spellman arranged with Joseph P. Kennedy to finance a visit by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pacelli. Spellman and Pacelli visited each major Catholic population center. Cardinal Pacelli gagged Father Coughlin. The result of their efforts was the "landslide vote" for Roosevelt in November 1936. Rose Kennedy bluntly asked Roosevelt for Joe's appointment as ambassador to England's Court of St. James's. Pacelli requested a full American ambassador to the Vatican, but the best Roosevelt could do was a "personal envoy". Spellman, by this political maneuver, prevailed over the man who prevented him from becoming a U.S. Navy chaplain in 1917.
as Pope Pius XII
, and one of his first acts was to appoint Spellman the sixth Archbishop of New York
on April 15, 1939. He succeeded the late Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes, and was formally installed
as Archbishop on the following May 23. In addition to his duties as diocesan bishop
, he was named Apostolic Vicar for the U.S. Armed Forces
on December 11, 1939. He spent many Christmas
es with U.S. troops in Japan
, Korea
, and Europe
in this capacity.
During his tenure in New York, Spellman's considerable national influence in religious and political matters earned his residence the nickname of "the Powerhouse". He hosted such prominent figures as Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
, Bernard Baruch
, David I. Walsh
, John William McCormack
, and numerous other politician
s, entertainers, and clergymen. In 1945, he instituted the Al Smith Dinner
, an annual white tie
fundraiser for Catholic Charities
attended by prominent national figures, including presidential nominee
s.
Following his ascension to New York, Spellman also became a close confidante of President Roosevelt. During World War II
, he was chosen by Roosevelt to act as the latter's agent and visit Europe, Africa
, and the Middle East
in 1943, visiting a total of 16 countries in four months. As archbishop and military vicar, he would have greater freedom than official diplomats. Spellman also acted as a liaison between Pius XII and Roosevelt in the Pope's attempts to have Rome declared an open city
and save it from the relentless bombing other European capitals suffered and risk potentially destroying Rome's historical sites and ruins, including Vatican City
. In 1946, he received The Hundred Year Association of New York
's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York".
of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in the consistory
of February 18, 1946; his titular church was the same one held by Pius before he was elected to the papacy.
Vehemently anti-Communist
, Spellman once said that "a true American can neither be a Communist
nor a Communist condoner" and that "the first loyalty of every American is vigilantly to weed out and counteract Communism and convert American Communists to Americanism
". He was firm supporter of Joseph McCarthy
. In 1949, when gravedigger
s at Calvary Cemetery
in Queens
went on strike
for a pay raise, the Cardinal accused them of being Communists and recruited seminarians
from St. Joseph's Seminary
as strikebreaker
s. He described the actions of the gravediggers, who belonged to the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural, and Allied Workers Union of America
, as "an unjustified and immoral strike against the innocent dead and their bereaved families, against their religion and human decency". The strike was supported by such figures as Dorothy Day
and Ernest Hemingway
, who wrote a scathing letter to Spellman. Spellman defended Senator Joseph McCarthy
's 1953 investigations of Communist subversives in the federal government, stating at an April 1954 breakfast attended by the Senator that McCarthy had "told us about the Communists and about Communist methods" and that he was "not only against communism—but ... against the methods of the Communists".
Spellman denounced the efforts of Rep.
Graham Barden
to provide federal funding only to public schools as "a craven crusade of religious prejudice against Catholic children", even calling Barden himself an "apostle of bigotry". The Cardinal engaged later in a heated public dispute with former First Lady
Eleanor Roosevelt
in 1949 when she expressed her opposition to providing federal funding to parochial school
s in her column, My Day
. In response, Spellman accused her of anti-Catholicism
and called her column a "[document] of discrimination unworthy of an American mother". He eventually met with her at her Hyde Park
home to quell the dispute.
Spellman frequently criticized films he perceived to be immoral or indecent. He described Two-Faced Woman
as "an occasion of sin ... dangerous to public morals", The Miracle
(which led to Joseph Burstyn, Inc v. Wilson
) as a "vile and harmful picture ... a despicable affront to every Christian", and Baby Doll
as "revolting" and "morally repellent". His condemnation of Forever Amber
caused producer William Perlberg
to publicly refuse to "bowdlerize
the film to placate the Roman Catholic Church".
As archbishop he assigned Ivan Illich
as pastor to a Puerto Rican parish in Washington Heights, Manhattan
, in 1951. He was instrumental in getting William Brennan
appointed to the Supreme Court
in 1956, but would later regret the decision. Justice
William O. Douglas
once said, "I came to know several Americans who I felt had greatly dishonored our American ideal. One was Cardinal Spellman."
Spellman participated
in the 1958 papal conclave
, which elected Pope John XXIII
. He was considered dismissive of Pope John, and is reported to have said, "He's no Pope
. He should be selling banana
s." In 1959, he served as papal delegate to the Eucharistic Congress in Guatemala
; during his journey, he stopped in Nicaragua
and, contrary to the Pope's orders, publicly appeared with dictator Anastasio Somoza Garcia
.
Despite the fact that John F. Kennedy
was a Catholic, Spellman supported Richard Nixon
in the 1960 presidential election
, due to Kennedy's opposition to federal aid for parochial schools and to appointing a U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
. His support for Nixon ended a long partnership with Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Spellman had previously presided over the weddings of Robert
and Ted Kennedy
.
In his years as a Cardinal he founded and created several private Catholic schools, Cardinal Spellman High School in Boston
and Cardinal Spellman High School in New York
. He also visited Ecuador
where he founded three schools, Cardinal Spellman High School and Cardinal Spellman Girls' School, both in Quito
; and Cardinal Spellman High School in Guayaquil
. All of these school are still currently open.
from 1962 to 1965, and sat on its Board of Presidency. A theological conservative
, he was cautious of aggiornamento
and, before departing to Rome, declared, "No change will get past the Statue of Liberty
." The Cardinal believed that predominantly liberal
clergymen were being appointed to the Council's commissions, and opposed the introduction of vernacular
into the Mass
, saying, "The Latin
language, which is truly the Catholic language, is unchangeable, is not vulgar, and has for many centuries been the guardian of the unity of the Western Church."
Spellman, following the death of John XXIII, participated
in the conclave of 1963
, which resulted in the election of Pope Paul VI
. When The Deputy
, a controversial play about Pius XII's actions during the Holocaust
, opened on Broadway
in 1964, Spellman condemned the play as "an outrageous desecration of the honor of a great and good man". The play's producer, Herman Shumlin
, responded by calling the Cardinal's words a "calculated threat to really drive a wedge between Christians and Jews". He also worked with Manhattan District Attorney
Frank Hogan
in targeting comedian Lenny Bruce
, who often satirized Spellman and was convicted of obscenity
after a widely-publicized six-month trial in 1964.
Although he once expressed his personal opposition to civil rights demonstrations, Spellman declined J. Edgar Hoover
's requests to condemn Martin Luther King, Jr.
, and funded the trip of a group of New York priests and nun
s to the Selma to Montgomery marches
. He opposed racial discrimination
in public housing
but also the social activism of such priests as David Kirk
and the Jesuit brothers, Daniel
and Philip Berrigan
.
, Spellman supported Lyndon B. Johnson
, whose Higher Education Facilities Act and Economic Opportunity Act
had greatly benefited the Church. The Cardinal later agreed to Johnson's requests to send priests to the Dominican Republic
to defuse anti-American
sentiments following the invasion of 1965.
Spellman was an outspoken supporter of the Vietnam War
, to the extent that the conflict became known as "Spelly's War" and the Cardinal as the "Bob Hope
of the clergy". He met Ngo Dinh Diem
in 1950 and, favorably impressed by his strongly Catholic and anti-Communist views, promoted his career; however, he disassociated from Diem before the latter's assassination in 1963. Fearful of Communist gains in Vietnam
, Spellman had urged American intervention since late 1954, but by the 1960s his views were strongly criticized by antiwar activists and even his fellow religious leaders.
When Paul VI visited the United States in October 1965, he indirectly rebuked Spellman's hawkish stance by pleading for peace before the United Nations
. A group of college students protested outside his residence in December 1965 for suppressing antiwar priests, and he later spent that year's Christmas
with troops in South Vietnam
. While in Vietnam, Spellman quoted Stephen Decatur
in declaring, "My country, may it always be right, but right or wrong, my country". He also described Vietnam as a "war for civilization" and "Christ
's war against the Vietcong and the people of North Vietnam
". One priest accused Spellman of "[blessing] the guns which the pope is begging us to put down". In January 1967, antiwar protestors disrupted a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral
. His support for Vietnam, along with his opposition to Church reform, greatly undermined Spellman's clout within the Church and country.
Spellman was awarded the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer Award
by the United States Military Academy
at West Point in 1967. Illustrator Edward Sorel
designed a poster in 1967 titled Pass the Lord and Praise the Ammunition, showing the Cardinal carrying a rifle
with bayonet
, but the poster was never distributed because Spellman died right after it was printed.
Spellman died in New York at age 78, and was buried in the crypt under the altar at St. Patrick's Cathedral
. His funeral Mass
was attended by the likes of President Johnson
, Vice President
Hubert Humphrey
, Robert Kennedy, Jacob Javits, Nelson Rockefeller
, John Lindsay
, Arthur Goldberg
, and Archbishop Iakovos. To date, Spellman's twenty-eight year tenure as Archbishop is the longest one in the history of the Archdiocese of New York.
Journalist Michelangelo Signorile
, who describes Spellman as "one of the most notorious, powerful and sexually voracious homosexuals in the American Catholic Church's history", reported that Cooney's manuscript, The American Pope, initially contained interviews with several people with personal knowledge of Spellman's homosexuality, including researcher and historian C. A. Tripp. According to Signorile, the church pressured Cooney's publisher, Times Books
, to reduce the four pages discussing Spellman's sexuality to a single paragraph. Signorile cites a story that in the 1940s Spellman was carrying on a relationship with a male member of the chorus in the Broadway
revue One Touch of Venus
. Monsignor Eugene V. Clark
, Spellman's personal secretary of 15 years, (he resigned on August 11, 2005 as rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral in response to allegations of adultery with his secretary Laura DiFillpo; he denied the allegations), has denied the allegations, calling them "utterly ridiculous and preposterous".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He was the sixth Archbishop of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
from 1939 to 1967, having previously served as an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
(1932–39). He was created a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1946.
Early life and education
Francis Spellman was born in Whitman, MassachusettsWhitman, Massachusetts
Whitman is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,489 as of the 2010 census. It is notable as being the place where the chocolate chip cookie was invented....
, to William and Ellen (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Conway) Spellman. His father (1858–1957), whose own parents had immigrated
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
and Leighlinbridge
Leighlinbridge
Leighlinbridge is a village on the River Barrow in County Carlow, Ireland. The N9 National primary route once passed through the village, which was by-passed in the 1980s. It now lies on the R705 regional road....
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, worked in shoemaking
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
before becoming a grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
. The eldest of five children, Francis had two brothers, Martin and John, and two sisters, Marian and Helene. As a child, he served as an altar boy
Altar server
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
at the Holy Ghost Church. He had a difficult relationship with his strict father, but was very attached to his mother.
Spellman attended Whitman High School because there was no local Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
. He enjoyed photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
; he was a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
during his first year of high school until a hand injury forced him to stop playing, and later managed
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
the team. Following his high school graduation, Spellman entered Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1907. He graduated in 1911 and decided to study for the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
. He was then sent by Archbishop William Henry O'Connell
William Henry O'Connell
William Henry O'Connell was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1907 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.-Early life:...
to study at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. During his years in Rome, Spellman befriended such figures as Gaetano Bisleti
Gaetano Bisleti
Gaetano Bisleti S.T.D. was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and was former Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education.Gaetano Bisleti was born in Veroli, Italy...
, Francesco Borgongini Duca
Francesco Borgongini Duca
Francesco Borgongini Duca was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Nuncio to Italy from 1929 to 1953, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII.-Biography:...
, and Domenico Tardini. He also suffered from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, leaving his state of health so poor that his superiors
Superior (hierarchy)
In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position at a higher level in the hierarchy than another , and thus closer to the apex. It is often used in business terminology to refer to people who are supervisors and in the military to people who are higher in the...
wanted him to leave the North American College. He nevertheless remained and managed to complete his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
.
Priesthood
Spellman was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest by Patriarch Giuseppe Ceppetelli
Latin Patriarch of Constantinople
The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople was an office established as a result of Crusader activity in the Near East. The title should not be confused with that of the Patriarch of Constantinople, an office which existed before and after....
on May 14, 1916. Upon his return to the United States, he did pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work in the Archdiocese of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
. Cardinal O'Connell, who had earlier sent Spellman to Rome, took an apparent dislike to the young priest. O'Connell referred to him as a "little popinjay" and later said, "Francis epitomizes what happens to a bookkeeper when you teach him how to read." Spellman served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at St. Clement's Home, an institution for elderly women, before becoming a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at All Saints Church in Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
.
Following the United States' entry into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917, he applied to become a military chaplain
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
in the U.S. Army but could not meet the height requirement. Spellman's comparable application to the U.S. Navy was personally rejected, twice, by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. Finally, Cardinal O'Connell assigned him to promote subscriptions for the archdiocesan newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, The Pilot instead. He was named assistant chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
(1918) and later archivist
Archivist
An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media...
of the Archdiocese. After translating into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
two books written by his friend Borgongini Duca, Spellman was made the first American attaché
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
of the Vatican Secretariat of State
Secretariat of State (Vatican)
The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., and performs all the political and diplomatic functions of Vatican City and the Holy See...
in 1925. He also worked with the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
in running children's playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
s, and was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
on October 4, 1926 by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
.
In 1927, Spellman established a lifelong friendship with Archbishop Eugenio Pacelli
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
during a trip to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where Pacelli was serving as Apostolic Nuncio
Apostolic Nunciature to Germany
The Apostolic Nunciature to Germany is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany with the rank of an ambassador. The office of the nunciature has been located in Berlin...
. He translated Pius XI's first broadcast over Vatican Radio
Vatican Radio
Vatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the Vatican.Set up in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave , medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. The Jesuit Order has been charged with the management of Vatican...
in 1931. Later that year, Spellman was charged with smuggling Non Abbiamo Bisogno
Non Abbiamo Bisogno
Non Abbiamo Bisogno is a Roman Catholic Church encyclical published on 29 June 1931 by Pope Pius XI. This encyclical begins with the Pope's protest against the Mussolini's closing of Italian Catholic Action and Catholic Youth organizations. In that same year...
, the papal
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
encyclical
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
condemning Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, out of Rome and to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he then delivered it to the press; he was subsequently attacked by Italian newspapers. He also served as secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to Cardinal Lorenzo Lauri at the 1932 International Eucharistic Congress
International Eucharistic Congress
In the Roman Catholic church, a Eucharistic Congress is a gathering of clergy, religious, and laity to bear witness to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, which is an important Roman Catholic doctrine...
in Dublin, and helped reform the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
's press office
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
, introducing mimeograph machines and issuing press releases
News release
A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy...
.
Auxiliary Bishop of Boston
On July 30, 1932, Spellman was appointed Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Boston and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Sila by Pius XI. He had originally been considered for the bishoprics of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
and Manchester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the region of New England in the United States comprising the entire state of New Hampshire...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following September 8 from Cardinal Pacelli (whose old vestment
Vestment
Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially among Latin Rite and other Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans...
s Spellman himself wore), with Archbishops Giuseppe Pizzardo
Giuseppe Pizzardo
Giuseppe Pizzardo was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities from 1939 to 1968, and Secretary of the Holy Office from 1951 to 1959...
and Borgongini Duca serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
. His was the first consecration of an American bishop ever to be held at St. Peter's. He was given as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: Sequere Deum, meaning, "Follow God."
After his return to the United States, Spellman resided at St. John's Seminary
St. John's Seminary (Massachusetts)
Saint John's Seminary, located in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, is a Catholic major seminary sponsored by the Archdiocese of Boston....
in Brighton. He was later made pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Newton Center
Newton Centre, Massachusetts
Newton Centre is a borough of Newton, Massachusetts. The main commercial center of Newton Centre is a triangular area surrounding the intersections of Beacon Street, Centre Street and Langley Road. It is the largest downtown area among all the villages of Newton, and serves as a large upscale...
; he erased the church's $43,000 debt through different fundraising activities and the help of his many rich connections. When his mother died in 1935, her funeral was attended by Governor
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
James Curley
James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley was an American politician famous for his four terms as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. He also served twice in the United States House of Representatives and one term as 53rd Governor of Massachusetts.-Early life:Curley's father, Michael Curley, left Oughterard, County...
, Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts...
Joseph Hurley
Joseph L. Hurley
Joseph Leo Hurley was an American Democratic politician who served as Lieutenant Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1935 to 1937. Hurley was from Fall River, Massachusetts. He was of Irish descent....
, and many members of the clergy, with the exception of Cardinal O'Connell.
As late as June 1936, polls gave President Roosevelt at best a 50 percent chance of reelection, due largely to the nightly, national radio attacks by Father Charles Coughlin
Charles Coughlin
Father Charles Edward Coughlin was a controversial Roman Catholic priest at Royal Oak, Michigan's National Shrine of the Little Flower church. He was one of the first political leaders to use radio to reach a mass audience, as more than thirty million tuned to his weekly broadcasts during the...
of Detroit. Spellman arranged with Joseph P. Kennedy to finance a visit by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pacelli. Spellman and Pacelli visited each major Catholic population center. Cardinal Pacelli gagged Father Coughlin. The result of their efforts was the "landslide vote" for Roosevelt in November 1936. Rose Kennedy bluntly asked Roosevelt for Joe's appointment as ambassador to England's Court of St. James's. Pacelli requested a full American ambassador to the Vatican, but the best Roosevelt could do was a "personal envoy". Spellman, by this political maneuver, prevailed over the man who prevented him from becoming a U.S. Navy chaplain in 1917.
Archbishop of New York
Following the death of Pius XI, Cardinal Pacelli was electedPapal conclave, 1939
The Papal conclave of 1939 was convoked on the brink of World War II with the death of Pope Pius XI on 10 February that year in the Apostolic Palace. With all 62 living cardinals in attendance, the conclave to elect Pius' successor began on 1 March and ended a day later, on 2 March, after three...
as Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
, and one of his first acts was to appoint Spellman the sixth Archbishop of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
on April 15, 1939. He succeeded the late Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes, and was formally installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
as Archbishop on the following May 23. In addition to his duties as diocesan bishop
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
, he was named Apostolic Vicar for the U.S. Armed Forces
Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, provides the Roman Catholic Church's pastoral and spiritual services to those serving in the United States armed forces or other federal services overseas...
on December 11, 1939. He spent many Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
es with U.S. troops in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in this capacity.
During his tenure in New York, Spellman's considerable national influence in religious and political matters earned his residence the nickname of "the Powerhouse". He hosted such prominent figures as Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Sr. was a prominent American businessman, investor, and government official....
, Bernard Baruch
Bernard Baruch
Bernard Mannes Baruch was an American financier, stock-market speculator, statesman, and political consultant. After his success in business, he devoted his time toward advising U.S. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt on economic matters and became a philanthropist.-Early life...
, David I. Walsh
David I. Walsh
David Ignatius Walsh was a United States politician from Massachusetts. As a member of the Democratic Party, he served in the state legislature and then as Lieutenant Governor and then as the 46th Governor . His first term in the U.S...
, John William McCormack
John William McCormack
John William McCormack was an American politician from Boston, Massachusetts.McCormack served as a member of United States House of Representatives from 1928 until he retired from political life in 1971...
, and numerous other politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s, entertainers, and clergymen. In 1945, he instituted the Al Smith Dinner
Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner is an annual white tie charity fundraiser for Catholic charities, held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York on the third Thursday of October . It is organized by the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation in honor of former New York Governor Al Smith,...
, an annual white tie
White tie
White tie is the most formal evening dress code in Western fashion. It is worn to ceremonial occasions such as state dinners in some countries, as well as to very formal balls and evening weddings...
fundraiser for Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
attended by prominent national figures, including presidential nominee
Presidential nominee
In United States politics and government, the term presidential nominee has two distinct meanings.The first is the person chosen by the primary voters and caucus-goers of a political party to be the party's nominee for President of the United States...
s.
Following his ascension to New York, Spellman also became a close confidante of President Roosevelt. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was chosen by Roosevelt to act as the latter's agent and visit Europe, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 1943, visiting a total of 16 countries in four months. As archbishop and military vicar, he would have greater freedom than official diplomats. Spellman also acted as a liaison between Pius XII and Roosevelt in the Pope's attempts to have Rome declared an open city
Open city
In war, in the event of the imminent capture of a city, the government/military structure of the nation that controls the city will sometimes declare it an open city, thus announcing that they have abandoned all defensive efforts....
and save it from the relentless bombing other European capitals suffered and risk potentially destroying Rome's historical sites and ruins, including Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. In 1946, he received The Hundred Year Association of New York
The Hundred Year Association of New York
The Hundred Year Association of New York, founded in 1927, is a non-profit organization in New York City aimed at recognizing and rewarding dedication and service to the City of New York by businesses and organizations that have been in operation in the city for a century or more and by individuals...
's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York".
Cardinal
Pius XII created him Cardinal PriestCardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of February 18, 1946; his titular church was the same one held by Pius before he was elected to the papacy.
Vehemently anti-Communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
, Spellman once said that "a true American can neither be a Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
nor a Communist condoner" and that "the first loyalty of every American is vigilantly to weed out and counteract Communism and convert American Communists to Americanism
Americanism
Americanism may refer to:* Americanization* A word or phrase considered typical of American English, English as spoken in the United States* An attitude or conviction which gives special importance to the nation, national interest, political system, or culture of the United States* Americanism ,...
". He was firm supporter of Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
. In 1949, when gravedigger
Gravedigger
A gravedigger is a cemetery worker responsible for digging graves used in the process of burial.-Fossors:Fossor or Fossarius , from the Latin verb fodere 'to dig', referred to grave diggers in the Roman catacombs in the first three centuries of the Christian Era...
s at Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Cemetery, Queens
The Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in Queens has the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the United States.The offices of Calvary Cemetery are located at 49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd. in Woodside in the New York City borough of Queens, New York. The cemetery is managed by the Trustees of...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
went on strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
for a pay raise, the Cardinal accused them of being Communists and recruited seminarians
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
from St. Joseph's Seminary
St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie, after the Yonkers, New York neighborhood it is located in, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church...
as strikebreaker
Strikebreaker
A strikebreaker is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who are not employed by the company prior to the trade union dispute, but rather hired prior to or during the strike to keep the organisation running...
s. He described the actions of the gravediggers, who belonged to the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural, and Allied Workers Union of America
United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing, and Allied Workers of America
The United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing, and Allied Workers of America was a CIO-affiliated trade union during the late 1930s and 1940s....
, as "an unjustified and immoral strike against the innocent dead and their bereaved families, against their religion and human decency". The strike was supported by such figures as Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist and devout Catholic convert; she advocated the Catholic economic theory of Distributism. She was also considered to be an anarchist, and did not hesitate to use the term...
and Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, who wrote a scathing letter to Spellman. Spellman defended Senator Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
's 1953 investigations of Communist subversives in the federal government, stating at an April 1954 breakfast attended by the Senator that McCarthy had "told us about the Communists and about Communist methods" and that he was "not only against communism—but ... against the methods of the Communists".
Spellman denounced the efforts of Rep.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Graham Barden
Graham Arthur Barden
Graham Arthur Barden was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1935 and 1961.Born in Sampson County, North Carolina in 1896, he moved to Burgaw, North Carolina at the age of 12, where he attended public schools...
to provide federal funding only to public schools as "a craven crusade of religious prejudice against Catholic children", even calling Barden himself an "apostle of bigotry". The Cardinal engaged later in a heated public dispute with former First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
in 1949 when she expressed her opposition to providing federal funding to parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s in her column, My Day
My Day
My Day was a newspaper column that was written by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt six days a week from 1935 to 1962. In her column, she discussed issues such as race, women, and key events . This column allowed Mrs. Roosevelt to spread her ideas and thoughts to millions of Americans and give them a...
. In response, Spellman accused her of anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...
and called her column a "[document] of discrimination unworthy of an American mother". He eventually met with her at her Hyde Park
Hyde Park, Chicago
Hyde Park, located on the South Side of the City of Chicago, in Cook County, Illinois, United States and seven miles south of the Chicago Loop, is a Chicago neighborhood and one of 77 Chicago community areas. It is home to the University of Chicago, the Hyde Park Art Center, the Museum of Science...
home to quell the dispute.
Spellman frequently criticized films he perceived to be immoral or indecent. He described Two-Faced Woman
Two-Faced Woman
Two-Faced Woman is a romantic comedy made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film stars Greta Garbo, in her final film role, and Melvyn Douglas, with Constance Bennett, Roland Young and Ruth Gordon...
as "an occasion of sin ... dangerous to public morals", The Miracle
L'Amore (film)
L'Amore is an anthology film directed by Roberto Rossellini starring Anna Magnani and Federico Fellini. The two segments are "Il Miracolo" and "Una Voce Umana", the latter based on the play The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau...
(which led to Joseph Burstyn, Inc v. Wilson
Joseph Burstyn, Inc v. Wilson
Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson, 343 U.S. 495 , was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court which largely marked the decline of motion picture censorship in the United States...
) as a "vile and harmful picture ... a despicable affront to every Christian", and Baby Doll
Baby Doll
Baby Doll is a 1956 black comedy /drama film directed by Elia Kazan. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from his own one-act play 27 Wagons Full of Cotton...
as "revolting" and "morally repellent". His condemnation of Forever Amber
Forever Amber (film)
Forever Amber is a 1947 film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde. It was based on the book of the same name. It also starred Richard Greene, George Sanders, Glenn Langan, Richard Haydn, Dolores Hart, and Jessica Tandy...
caused producer William Perlberg
William Perlberg
William Perlberg was an American film producer.William Perlberg was born Wolf Perelberg, son of Israel Jakob Perelberg , a fur manufacturer, and Tajbe Markus. Seven months after his father, he came to the U.S.A...
to publicly refuse to "bowdlerize
Expurgation
Expurgation is a form of censorship which involves purging anything deemed noxious or offensive, usually from an artistic work.This has also been called bowdlerization, especially for books, after Thomas Bowdler, who in 1818 published an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's work that he...
the film to placate the Roman Catholic Church".
As archbishop he assigned Ivan Illich
Ivan Illich
Ivan Illich was an Austrian philosopher, Roman Catholic priest, and "maverick social critic" of the institutions of contemporary western culture and their effects on the provenance and practice of education, medicine, work, energy use, transportation, and economic development.- Personal life...
as pastor to a Puerto Rican parish in Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
, in 1951. He was instrumental in getting William Brennan
William J. Brennan, Jr.
William Joseph Brennan, Jr. was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990...
appointed to the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in 1956, but would later regret the decision. Justice
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
William O. Douglas
William O. Douglas
William Orville Douglas was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. With a term lasting 36 years and 209 days, he is the longest-serving justice in the history of the Supreme Court...
once said, "I came to know several Americans who I felt had greatly dishonored our American ideal. One was Cardinal Spellman."
Spellman participated
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 1958
The following were the cardinal electors in the 1958 papal conclave. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically...
in the 1958 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 1958
The Papal conclave of 1958 occurred following the death of Pope Pius XII on 9 October 1958 in Castel Gandolfo, after a 19-year pontificate. The conclave to elect his successor commenced on 25 October and ended three days later, on 28 October, after eleven ballots. The cardinal electors chose Angelo...
, which elected Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
. He was considered dismissive of Pope John, and is reported to have said, "He's no Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. He should be selling banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s." In 1959, he served as papal delegate to the Eucharistic Congress in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
; during his journey, he stopped in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and, contrary to the Pope's orders, publicly appeared with dictator Anastasio Somoza Garcia
Anastasio Somoza García
Anastasio Somoza García was officially the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1937 to 1 May 1947 and from 21 May 1950 to 29 September 1956, but ruled effectively as dictator from 1936 until his assassination.-Biography:Somoza was born in San Marcos, Carazo Department in Nicaragua, the son of...
.
Despite the fact that John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
was a Catholic, Spellman supported Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in the 1960 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1960
The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party...
, due to Kennedy's opposition to federal aid for parochial schools and to appointing a U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
United States Ambassador to the Holy See
A U.S. Ambassador serves as that country's official representative to the Holy See since formal diplomatic relations began in 1984. Before the establishment of official relations, Myron Taylor served during World War II as an emissary for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1951, President Harry S....
. His support for Nixon ended a long partnership with Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Sr. was a prominent American businessman, investor, and government official....
Spellman had previously presided over the weddings of Robert
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
and Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
.
In his years as a Cardinal he founded and created several private Catholic schools, Cardinal Spellman High School in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Cardinal Spellman High School in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He also visited Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
where he founded three schools, Cardinal Spellman High School and Cardinal Spellman Girls' School, both in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
; and Cardinal Spellman High School in Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
. All of these school are still currently open.
Growing revolution
Spellman attended the Second Vatican CouncilSecond Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
from 1962 to 1965, and sat on its Board of Presidency. A theological conservative
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
, he was cautious of aggiornamento
Aggiornamento
-Code of Canon law:Originally, the word referred merely to an adjournment of the Code of Canon law, as John XXIII said himself in his 1959 speech. However, the Code of canon law was only completed in 1983, after a long delay of 18 years after the end of the Council...
and, before departing to Rome, declared, "No change will get past the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
." The Cardinal believed that predominantly liberal
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
clergymen were being appointed to the Council's commissions, and opposed the introduction of vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
into the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, saying, "The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
language, which is truly the Catholic language, is unchangeable, is not vulgar, and has for many centuries been the guardian of the unity of the Western Church."
Spellman, following the death of John XXIII, participated
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 1963
The following were the cardinal electors in the 1963 papal conclave. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically . Only two out of the eighty electors did not participate in the conclave: József Mindszenty The following were the cardinal electors in the 1963 papal conclave. Arranged by...
in the conclave of 1963
Papal conclave, 1963
The Papal conclave of 1963 was convoked following the death of Pope John XXIII on June 3 of that same year in the Apostolic Palace. After the cardinal electors assembled in Rome, the conclave to elect John's successor began on June 19 and ended two days later, on June 21, after six ballots. The...
, which resulted in the election of Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. When The Deputy
The Deputy
The Deputy, a Christian tragedy , also known as The Representative, is a controversial 1963 play by Rolf Hochhuth which indicts Pope Pius XII for his failure to take action or speak out against The Holocaust. It has been translated into more than twenty languages...
, a controversial play about Pius XII's actions during the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1964, Spellman condemned the play as "an outrageous desecration of the honor of a great and good man". The play's producer, Herman Shumlin
Herman Shumlin
Herman Shumlin was a prolific Broadwaytheatrical director and theatrical producer beginning in 1927 with the play Celebrity and continuing through 1974 with a short run of As You Like It, notably with an all male cast...
, responded by calling the Cardinal's words a "calculated threat to really drive a wedge between Christians and Jews". He also worked with Manhattan District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
Frank Hogan
Frank Hogan
Frank Smithwick Hogan was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Dubbed "Mr. Integrity" due to his perceived honesty and incorruptibility, he was D.A. of New York County for more than 30 years.-Life and career:...
in targeting comedian Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
, who often satirized Spellman and was convicted of obscenity
Obscenity
An obscenity is any statement or act which strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time, is a profanity, or is otherwise taboo, indecent, abhorrent, or disgusting, or is especially inauspicious...
after a widely-publicized six-month trial in 1964.
Although he once expressed his personal opposition to civil rights demonstrations, Spellman declined J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
's requests to condemn Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, and funded the trip of a group of New York priests and nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s to the Selma to Montgomery marches
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...
. He opposed racial discrimination
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
in public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
but also the social activism of such priests as David Kirk
David Kirk (activist)
Father David Kirk was a civil rights and anti-poverty activist. He was reared a Baptist but converted to the Melkite Catholic Church , where he remained for most of his life...
and the Jesuit brothers, Daniel
Daniel Berrigan
Daniel Berrigan, SJ is an American Catholic priest, peace activist, and poet. Daniel and his brother Philip were for a time on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for their involvement in antiwar protests during the Vietnam war....
and Philip Berrigan
Philip Berrigan
Philip Francis Berrigan was an internationally renowned American peace activist, Christian anarchist and former Roman Catholic priest...
.
LBJ and Vietnam
During the 1964 presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
, Spellman supported Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, whose Higher Education Facilities Act and Economic Opportunity Act
Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson on August 20, 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was central to Johnson's Great Society campaign and its War on Poverty. Implemented by the since disbanded Office of Economic Opportunity, the Act included several social programs to promote the health, education,...
had greatly benefited the Church. The Cardinal later agreed to Johnson's requests to send priests to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
to defuse anti-American
Anti-Americanism
The term Anti-Americanism, or Anti-American Sentiment, refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, culture or government of the United States...
sentiments following the invasion of 1965.
Spellman was an outspoken supporter of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, to the extent that the conflict became known as "Spelly's War" and the Cardinal as the "Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
of the clergy". He met Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a...
in 1950 and, favorably impressed by his strongly Catholic and anti-Communist views, promoted his career; however, he disassociated from Diem before the latter's assassination in 1963. Fearful of Communist gains in Vietnam
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that...
, Spellman had urged American intervention since late 1954, but by the 1960s his views were strongly criticized by antiwar activists and even his fellow religious leaders.
When Paul VI visited the United States in October 1965, he indirectly rebuked Spellman's hawkish stance by pleading for peace before the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. A group of college students protested outside his residence in December 1965 for suppressing antiwar priests, and he later spent that year's Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
with troops in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. While in Vietnam, Spellman quoted Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
in declaring, "My country, may it always be right, but right or wrong, my country". He also described Vietnam as a "war for civilization" and "Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
's war against the Vietcong and the people of North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
". One priest accused Spellman of "[blessing] the guns which the pope is begging us to put down". In January 1967, antiwar protestors disrupted a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
. His support for Vietnam, along with his opposition to Church reform, greatly undermined Spellman's clout within the Church and country.
Spellman was awarded the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer Award
Sylvanus Thayer Award
The Sylvanus Thayer Award is an award that is given each year by the United States Military Academy at West Point. Sylvanus Thayer was the fifth superintendent of that academy and in honor of his achievements, the award was created...
by the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point in 1967. Illustrator Edward Sorel
Edward Sorel
Edward Sorel is an illustrator, caricaturist, cartoonist, and graphic designer.Sorel is noted for his wavy pen-and-ink style, which he describes as "spontaneous direct drawing," since he does not use pencil or tracing for guidance...
designed a poster in 1967 titled Pass the Lord and Praise the Ammunition, showing the Cardinal carrying a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
with bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
, but the poster was never distributed because Spellman died right after it was printed.
Later life
In 1966, Spellman offered his resignation to Pope Paul after the latter requested that bishops over 75 retire, but Paul asked him to remain in his post. He led his archdiocese through an extensive period of building the Catholic infrastructure, particularly the construction of numerous churches, schools, and hospitals. He consolidated all parish building programs into his own hands, thereby getting better interest rates from bankers, and convinced Pius XII of the need to internationalize the Vatican's Italy-centered investments after World War II; for his financial skill, he was sometimes called "Cardinal Moneybags".Spellman died in New York at age 78, and was buried in the crypt under the altar at St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
. His funeral Mass
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
was attended by the likes of President Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
, Robert Kennedy, Jacob Javits, Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
, John Lindsay
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay was an American politician, lawyer and broadcaster who was a U.S. Congressman, Mayor of New York City, candidate for U.S...
, Arthur Goldberg
Arthur Goldberg
Arthur Joseph Goldberg was an American statesman and jurist who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor, Supreme Court Justice and Ambassador to the United Nations.-Early life:...
, and Archbishop Iakovos. To date, Spellman's twenty-eight year tenure as Archbishop is the longest one in the history of the Archdiocese of New York.
Homosexuality
John Cooney, one of Spellman's biographers, cited four interviewees who stated that Spellman was homosexual. While Cooney's book offered no direct proof, Cooney was convinced of the veracity of the claims. "I talked to many priests who worked for Spellman and they were incensed, dismayed and angered by his conduct."Journalist Michelangelo Signorile
Michelangelo Signorile
Michelangelo Signorile is a gay American writer, a national talk radio host whose program is aired each weekday across the United States and Canada. He is a political liberal, and covers a wide variety of political and cultural issues...
, who describes Spellman as "one of the most notorious, powerful and sexually voracious homosexuals in the American Catholic Church's history", reported that Cooney's manuscript, The American Pope, initially contained interviews with several people with personal knowledge of Spellman's homosexuality, including researcher and historian C. A. Tripp. According to Signorile, the church pressured Cooney's publisher, Times Books
Times Books
Times Books is a publishing imprint owned by The New York Times Company and licensed to Henry Holt and Company....
, to reduce the four pages discussing Spellman's sexuality to a single paragraph. Signorile cites a story that in the 1940s Spellman was carrying on a relationship with a male member of the chorus in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revue One Touch of Venus
One Touch of Venus
One Touch of Venus is a musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the novella The Tinted Venus by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygmalion myth. The show satirizes contemporary American suburban values,...
. Monsignor Eugene V. Clark
Eugene V. Clark
Eugene V. Clark is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of New York and appointed Monsignor.He resigned on August 11, 2005 as rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral in response to allegations of adultery with his secretary Laura DiFillpo. He denied the allegations...
, Spellman's personal secretary of 15 years, (he resigned on August 11, 2005 as rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral in response to allegations of adultery with his secretary Laura DiFillpo; he denied the allegations), has denied the allegations, calling them "utterly ridiculous and preposterous".
See also
- Cardinal Spellman High School (Brockton, Massachusetts)Cardinal Spellman High School (Brockton, Massachusetts)Cardinal Spellman High School is a private college preparatory high school of Catholic denomination established in 1958 and located in Brockton, Massachusetts. Like their fellow Catholic school and sports rival, Archbishop Williams High School, they operate separately from the Roman Catholic...
- Cardinal Spellman High School (New York City)Cardinal Spellman High School (New York City)Cardinal Spellman High School is a Catholic diocesan high school located in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is named after Cardinal Francis Spellman, the sixth archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York....
Works cited
- Cardinal Spellman High SchoolCardinal Spellman High School (Brockton, Massachusetts)Cardinal Spellman High School is a private college preparatory high school of Catholic denomination established in 1958 and located in Brockton, Massachusetts. Like their fellow Catholic school and sports rival, Archbishop Williams High School, they operate separately from the Roman Catholic...
. n.d. An Historical Sketch of Cardinal Spellman High School. - Catholic Hierarchy (unofficial Website). n.d. Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman.
- Cooney, John. The American Pope: The Life and Times of Francis Cardinal Spellman. New York Times Books 1984.
- DeMarco, Donald. 800,000 Saved by Pius XII's 'Silence'. Catholic Register, May 18, 1998.
- Epstein, Alessandra. 2001. Rebel With A Cause. 201 Magazine. Boston University, College of Communication.
- National Portrait GalleryNational Portrait Gallery (United States)The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in Washington, D.C., administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of famous individual Americans.-Building:...
. Pass the Lord and Praise the Ammunition. Image of the satirical poster of Cardinal Spellman produced in 1967 by Edward Sorel. - Robert I. Gannon: The Cardinal Spellman Story. New York, 1962.
- Loughery, John. 1998. The other side of silence: men's lives and gay identities : a twentieth century history. H. Holt.
- Miranda, Salvador. n.d. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. SPELLMAN, Francis Joseph.
- New York Times. 1954-11-08. Huge Fund to Oust McCarthy Reported; PRIEST SEES MOVE TO OUST M'CARTHY".
- New York Times. 1984, August 4. New book on Cardinal Spellman stirs controversy.
- O'Donnell, Edward T. Spellman leads crusade against communism. Irish Echo Online, 82(44), November 4–10, 2009.
- Quinn, Peter. New York's Catholic Century. (essay) The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, 2006-06-04. - Signorile, Michelangelo. Cardinal Spellman's Dark Legacy. New York Press, 2002-05-07.
- Thornton, Francis Beauchesne. 1963. Our American princes: the story of the seventeen American cardinals. Putnam. (chapter on Spellman pp. 201ff.)
- TIME. 1931-07-13. Everything is Promised.
- TIME. 1932-08-15. Boston's Bishop.
- TIME. 1932-09-19. Crosier & Mitre.
- TIME. 1943-06-07. Odyssey for the Millennium.
- TIME. 1949-03-14. Strike in the Graveyard.
- TIME. 1959-04-11. Cardinal's Birthday.
- TIME. 1959-05-11. Cardinal's Birthday.
- TIME. 1967-12-08. The Master Builder. (obituary of Cardinal Spellman)
- Truman Library. Eleanor & Harry: The Correspondence of Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. 1949.