John Cardinal Carberry
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Cardinal Carberry (July 31, 1904—June 17, 1998) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1968 to 1979, and was created a cardinal
in 1969. He previously served as Bishop of Lafayette in Indiana
(1957–65) and Bishop of Columbus
(1965–68).
, New York
, the youngest of ten children of James Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (née O'Keefe) Carberry. His father worked as a clerk
at Kings County
Court
. He received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Boniface Church in his native city. In 1919, at age 15, he enrolled at Cathedral College
. He there excelled in both baseball
and the violin
.
From 1924 to 1930, Carberry studied for the priesthood
in Rome
, where he resided at the Pontifical North American College
. He earned a doctorate in philosophy
(1929) and a doctorate in theology
(1930) from the Pontifical Urbaniana University
.
a priest by Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani in Rome. Following his return to New York, he was assigned as a curate
at St. Peter's Church in Glen Cove
, where he remained for one year. He continued his studies at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, where he received a doctorate in canon law
in 1934. He then served as a curate at St. Patrick's Church in Huntington
for one year.
From 1935 to 1940, Carberry was loaned to the Diocese of Trenton
in New Jersey
, serving as secretary to Bishop Moses E. Kiley
and assistant chancellor
of the diocese. He also taught at Cathedral High School in Trenton
from 1939 to 1940. Returning to New York, he taught at St. Dominic High School
in Oyster Bay
before serving as professor of canon law
at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington from 1941 to 1945.
Carberry was an official
is of the Diocese of Brooklyn
from 1945 to 1956, serving as chief judge of the diocesan court. He also served as diocesan director for radio and television, becoming known as the "radio priest." He was named a papal chamberlain
on February 3, 1948, and raised to the rank of domestic prelate
on May 7, 1954. From 1955 to 1956, he was president of the Canon Law Society of America
.
of the Diocese of Lafayette
, Indiana
, and titular bishop
of Elis
by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following July 25 from Bishop Raymond Augustine Kearney, with Bishops George W. Ahr
and John Benjamin Grellinger
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. He selected as his episcopal motto
: Maria, Regina Mater (Latin
: "Mary
, Queen and Mother"). His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Mary on August 22 of that year.
Upon the death of Bishop John George Bennett
, Carberry succeeded him as the second Bishop of Lafayette
on November 20, 1957. He convened the first diocesan synod
and established the Diocesan Council of Men and the Society for Priestly Vocations during his tenure. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
between 1962 to 1965. During its third session, he addressed the Council on Dignitatis Humanae
, the declaration on religious liberty
.
, Ohio
, by Pope Paul VI
on January 16, 1965. He was installed at St. Joseph's Cathedral on the following March 25. During his tenure in Columbus, he implemented the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and supported the civil rights and ecumenical
movements. He established the Clergy Advisory Council, and oversaw the renovation of St. Joseph's Cathedral after issuing regulations for liturgical changes. He also bought a new building to centralize the offices of the diocesan chancery. In 1966, he was named by Cardinal Francis Spellman as vicar delegate of the Military Ordinariate for Ohio, West Virginia
, Kentucky
, Tennessee
, Mississippi
, and Alabama
.
As a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
, Carberry served as chairman of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs from 1965 to 1969. He helped found the Inter-Church Board for Metropolitan Affairs, the first organization in the United States uniting Protestants and Catholics for ecumenism and social action. In January 1968, he became the first Catholic bishop to receive the Ohio Council of Churches' annual "Pastor of Pastors" award.
. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Louis
on March 25 of that year. Carberry was considered more theologically conservative
than his predecessor, Cardinal Joseph Ritter. One publication even described him as being "threatened by a world he does not understand." He strongly defended Humanae Vitae
, and created the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Commission. During the 1976 presidential election
.
Paul VI created him Cardinal Priest
of S. Giovanni Battista de Rossi a via Latina
in the consistory
of April 28, 1969. In 1972, Carberry established the Urban Services Apostolate for inner-city parishes in the archdiocese. He was elected vice-president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1974, and was a delegate to the World Synod of Bishops in 1972, 1974 and 1976. Carberry initially opposed the reception of communion by hand, believing it was irreverent and risked the possibility of stealing Hosts
to use at Black Mass
es. However, he later permitted this practice in St. Louis in 1977. That same year, he ordained the first permanent deacon
s in the archdiocese.
He was one of the cardinal electors
who participated in the conclaves
of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I
and John Paul II
, respectively. Carberry helped lead an internal campaign against the liberal
Archbishop Jean Jadot
, the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, whom he perceived as "destroying the Catholic Church in the United States." He was a vocal critic of the television sitcom Maude
, which he said "injected CBS-TV as advocate of a moral and political position that many not only oppose but find positively offensive as immoral...The decision to secure an abortion or the decision to have a vasectomy
, even for those who choose them, is hardly a joke."
, then serving as Bishop of Mobile
. After suffering a stroke
in 1988, he moved into St. Agnes Home in Kirkwood
.
Carberry later died at St. Agnes Home, at age 93. He is buried in the crypt of the Cathedral of St. Louis.
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 served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1968 to 1979, and 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 1969. He previously served as Bishop of Lafayette in Indiana
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana was established by Pope Pius XII on October 21, 1944, from the territory of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. At that time, there were 54 parishes. The diocese contained approximately 31,700 Roman Catholics at its inception...
(1957–65) and Bishop of Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
(1965–68).
Early life and education
John Carberry was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, 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...
, the youngest of ten children of James Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (née O'Keefe) Carberry. His father worked as a clerk
Court clerk
A court clerk is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining the records of a court. Another duty is to administer oaths to witnesses, jurors, and grand jurors...
at Kings County
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
. He received his early education at the 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:...
of St. Boniface Church in his native city. In 1919, at age 15, he enrolled at Cathedral College
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary (Queens)
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary is a private, Roman Catholic high school and seminary in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn...
. He there excelled in both 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...
and the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
.
From 1924 to 1930, Carberry studied 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....
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...
, where he resided 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...
. He earned a doctorate in philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(1929) and a doctorate in theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
(1930) from the Pontifical Urbaniana University
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
.
Priesthood
On June 28, 1929, Carberry 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 Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani in Rome. Following his return to New York, he was assigned as 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 St. Peter's Church in Glen Cove
Glen Cove, New York
Glen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 26,964....
, where he remained for one year. He continued his studies at the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he received a doctorate in canon law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
in 1934. He then served as a curate at St. Patrick's Church in Huntington
Huntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan...
for one year.
From 1935 to 1940, Carberry was loaned to the Diocese of Trenton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes the counties of Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer ....
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, serving as secretary to Bishop Moses E. Kiley
Moses E. Kiley
Moses Elias Kiley was a Canadian-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Trenton and Archbishop of Milwaukee .-Early life and education:...
and 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....
of the diocese. He also taught at Cathedral High School in Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
from 1939 to 1940. Returning to New York, he taught at St. Dominic High School
St. Dominic High School (Oyster Bay, New York)
St. Dominic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Oyster Bay, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre.-Background:St. Dominic was established in 1928...
in Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay (town), New York
The Town of Oyster Bay is easternmost of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the only town in Nassau County that extends from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the town population was...
before serving as professor of canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington from 1941 to 1945.
Carberry was an official
Official
An official is someone who holds an office in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority .A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public...
is of the Diocese of Brooklyn
Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes territory that was previously part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, was established as a separate diocese in 1853 when the City of Brooklyn was separate from New York City....
from 1945 to 1956, serving as chief judge of the diocesan court. He also served as diocesan director for radio and television, becoming known as the "radio priest." He was named a papal 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 February 3, 1948, and raised to the rank of domestic prelate
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 May 7, 1954. From 1955 to 1956, he was president of the Canon Law Society of America
Canon Law Society of America
The Canon Law Society of America is a professional association dedicated to the promotion of both the study and the application of canon law in the Catholic Church. The Society's membership includes over fifteen hundred men and women who reside in forty-three countries...
.
Bishop of Lafayette in Indiana
On May 3, 1956, Carberry was appointed coadjutor bishopCoadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of the Diocese of Lafayette
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana was established by Pope Pius XII on October 21, 1944, from the territory of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. At that time, there were 54 parishes. The diocese contained approximately 31,700 Roman Catholics at its inception...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 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 Elis
Elis
Elis, or Eleia is an ancient district that corresponds with the modern Elis peripheral unit...
by 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....
. He received his episcopal
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....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following July 25 from Bishop Raymond Augustine Kearney, with Bishops George W. Ahr
George W. Ahr
George William Ahr was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Trenton from 1950 to 1979.-Biography:...
and John Benjamin Grellinger
John Benjamin Grellinger
John Benjamin Grellinger was the Roman Catholic titular bishop of Syene and the Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay....
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 the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. He selected 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...
: Maria, Regina Mater (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...
: "Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, Queen and Mother"). His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Mary on August 22 of that year.
Upon the death of Bishop John George Bennett
John George Bennett
John George Bennett was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Bishop of Lafayette in Indiana from 1945 to 1957....
, Carberry succeeded him as the second Bishop of Lafayette
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana was established by Pope Pius XII on October 21, 1944, from the territory of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. At that time, there were 54 parishes. The diocese contained approximately 31,700 Roman Catholics at its inception...
on November 20, 1957. He convened the first diocesan synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
and established the Diocesan Council of Men and the Society for Priestly Vocations during his tenure. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second 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...
between 1962 to 1965. During its third session, he addressed the Council on Dignitatis Humanae
Dignitatis Humanae
Dignitatis Humanae is the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom. In the context of the Council's stated intention “to develop the doctrine of recent popes on the inviolable rights of the human person and the constitutional order of society”, Dignitatis Humanae spells out the...
, the declaration on religious liberty
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
.
Bishop of Columbus
Carberry was appointed the seventh Bishop of ColumbusRoman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, by 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...
on January 16, 1965. He was installed at St. Joseph's Cathedral on the following March 25. During his tenure in Columbus, he implemented the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and supported the civil rights and ecumenical
Catholic Church and ecumenism
The Catholic Church has been heavily involved in the ecumenical movement since the Second Vatican Council .- Before the Second Vatican Council :...
movements. He established the Clergy Advisory Council, and oversaw the renovation of St. Joseph's Cathedral after issuing regulations for liturgical changes. He also bought a new building to centralize the offices of the diocesan chancery. In 1966, he was named by Cardinal Francis Spellman as vicar delegate of the Military Ordinariate for Ohio, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
As a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, Carberry served as chairman of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs from 1965 to 1969. He helped found the Inter-Church Board for Metropolitan Affairs, the first organization in the United States uniting Protestants and Catholics for ecumenism and social action. In January 1968, he became the first Catholic bishop to receive the Ohio Council of Churches' annual "Pastor of Pastors" award.
Archbishop of St. Louis
On February 14, 1968, Carberry was appointed the fifth Archbishop of St. Louis, MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Louis
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, was completed in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, as the archdiocesan replacement for the Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France...
on March 25 of that year. Carberry was considered more theologically 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...
than his predecessor, Cardinal Joseph Ritter. One publication even described him as being "threatened by a world he does not understand." He strongly defended Humanae Vitae
Humanae Vitae
Humanae Vitae is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and issued on 25 July 1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and the continuing proscription of most forms of birth...
, and created the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Commission. During the 1976 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1976
The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate, against the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, the Democratic...
.
Paul VI created him Cardinal Priest
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...
of S. Giovanni Battista de Rossi a via Latina
San Giovanni Battista de Rossi (church)
S Giovanni Battista de Rossi is a church in Rome. It is dedicated to Saint John Baptist de Rossi .Saint John Baptist was canonized in the year 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. This church was commissioned by Pope Pius XII in 1940 with the services of the architect Tullio Rossi...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of April 28, 1969. In 1972, Carberry established the Urban Services Apostolate for inner-city parishes in the archdiocese. He was elected vice-president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1974, and was a delegate to the World Synod of Bishops in 1972, 1974 and 1976. Carberry initially opposed the reception of communion by hand, believing it was irreverent and risked the possibility of stealing Hosts
Sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, sometimes called the lamb, altar bread, host or simply Communion bread, is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist.-Eastern Catholic and Orthodox:...
to use at Black Mass
Black Mass
A Black Mass is a ceremony supposedly celebrated during the Witches' Sabbath, which was a sacrilegious parody of the Catholic Mass. Its main objective was the profanation of the host, although there is no agreement among authors on how hosts were obtained or profaned; the most common idea is that...
es. However, he later permitted this practice in St. Louis in 1977. That same year, he ordained the first permanent deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s in the archdiocese.
He was one of the cardinal electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclaves, August and October 1978
The following were the cardinal electors in the papal conclaves of August and October 1978. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically .Because there was such a brief period between the two conclaves, the lists of electors...
who participated in the conclaves
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
and John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, respectively. Carberry helped lead an internal campaign against the 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...
Archbishop Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot was a Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as apostolic delegate to the United States from 1973 to 1980, and President of the Secretariat of Non-Christians from 1980 to 1984.-Biography:...
, the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, whom he perceived as "destroying the Catholic Church in the United States." He was a vocal critic of the television sitcom Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, which he said "injected CBS-TV as advocate of a moral and political position that many not only oppose but find positively offensive as immoral...The decision to secure an abortion or the decision to have a vasectomy
Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering into the seminal stream...
, even for those who choose them, is hardly a joke."
Later life and death
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Carberry resigned as Archbishop of St. Louis on July 31, 1979. He was succeeded by Bishop John L. MayJohn L. May
John Lawrence May was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Mobile and Archbishop of St. Louis .-Early life and education:...
, then serving as Bishop of Mobile
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile
The Archdiocese of Mobile is a Roman Catholic archdiocese comprising the lower 28 counties of Alabama. It is the metropolitan seat of the Province of Mobile, which includes the suffragan bishopric sees of the Diocese of Biloxi, the Diocese of Jackson, and the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama...
. After suffering a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 1988, he moved into St. Agnes Home in Kirkwood
Kirkwood, Missouri
Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west...
.
Carberry later died at St. Agnes Home, at age 93. He is buried in the crypt of the Cathedral of St. Louis.