Reflections on Cardinal JJ O' Connor: June 1, 2003 Sisters of Life
In the spring of l984, I had the consummate privilege to narrate the CBS telecast of the Installation Mass of the new Archbishop of New York, John J. O'Connor. He was a relative unknown coming from some place called Pennsylvania. For quintessential New Yorkers like me, anything west of the Hudson is Peoria or maybe Bridgeport.
It was a restless, explosive and somewhat ambiguous era for the country and the Church. We needed a special kind of leader. Everyone was asking: Who is he? Who is he? Who is this new Archbishop?
During the televised Mass the new Archbishop looked squarely into the camera and unambiguously announced: I LOVE YOU.
In the post Mass on air discussion, Jim Jensen, then a senior anchor for CBS asked me: Who is he?
I replied: he just told us. He is a Lover.
Anyone who tries to understand the unique and multi layered personality of Cardinal O'Connor but who does not see this pervasive love quality will miss the meaning of this man of history and man of God.
In a man of his accomplishments, it is easy to amass an impressive list of what he has done. He had a prodigious intellect, IQ almost off the charts, a true thinker. Ph. D in Political Science, MA in psychology and theology. He was a highly successful preacher with a remarkable sense humor. He was a Rear Admiral in the US Navy, with 27 years of service to Naval and Marine personnel. He authored the official handbook for military chaplains and became Chief of chaplains. He authored an immensely popular weekly column of the then Catholic New York. He authored "A Moment of Grace" on the Catechism of the catholic church and Co-authored with Mayor Koch, HIS EMINENCE AND HIZZZONER. He even learned Spanish in his later years.
----- on and on and on - - - - - he ussed his enormous talents in God's service - - - - if the big sin is NOT to use your talents for God, he was sinless.
However, As impressive as they are, it was not his accomplishments that drew people to him. It was the MAN who was Cardinal O'Connor. How come at his funeral, the cathedral was packed wall to wall with people? - - - - -the then pres Clinton and his wife, soon to be pres bush and his wife, all the dignitaries wanted to be there. Even Al Sharpton showed up with his entourage. Why did they want to be there? Why did people revere him so much? Can we say that it was his Integrity, his probity, his fairness, his courage. His authenticity? There were many reasons why he was so respected.
From my point of view, some of these reasons were as follows: he knew the loneliness of command and he manfully accepted the responsibility that HE was the spokesman for the Catholic Church in this area. But he NEVER played to the crowd, never descended to the despicable level of the people pleaser. He articulated bravely and explicitly the teaching of the Church, challenging the fuzzy thinking of New Age type Catholics - - - never with acrimony or harshness or bitterness !! Even when a group of raging protesters desecrated the Blessed Host before his eyes, he, though deeply saddened by the sacrilege, never showed even a hint of anger or hatred. Never. His deep awareness of the value of ALL human beings ( similar to his friend, Mother Teresa of Calcutta) allowed him to love these people even as they attacked what was so precious to him, the Body of the Lord Himself !
He fought for the civil rights of all people with a passion
And for blue collar workers and the rights of unions and picket lines. He had great compassion for the poor-even the dirty, ungrateful poor. And I, half Jewish, recall with pride his ringing homily declaring once again that for Catholics to engage in anti-Semitism is seriously sinful. As is racism and any unjust discrimination. Even while he was reviled and mocked by gay rights people, he was personally attending AIDS patients in St. Clare's hospital. He personified for me the great Christian posture that even should they persecute you and scorn you and say all manner of evil things about you FOR MY NAME'S SAKE then blessed, blessed are YOU!
Never did the Cardinal condemn sinners but after the manner of his Lord only sin!!!!! Of course, he understood and accepted " tough love." No real lover can do otherwise. The absence of tough love means basic underlying hostility and indifference.
At his installation Mass, he had announced that the cornerstone of his episcopacy would be reverence for LIFE ITSELF.
Unabashedly, he promised that he would always come down on the side of life. He urged all of us to CHOOSE LIFE and never death; That it would always be l'chayim and NOT death! At his funeral Mass when it was mentioned that he ALWAYS came down on the side of life as did the Church, the cathedral burst out in spontaneous and extended applause. The sensus fidelium - - - the voice of the Faithful !!!!!!
I was deeply impressed by his love of the priesthood of Jesus Christ in his brother priests. I served for five years on his advisory board for dealing with clerical misconduct and saw how he dealt with the weaknesses of some of his priests. When I counseled one priest in difficulty, I offered five possible ways of helping him-(with increasing financial burden,) the Cardinal instructed me to choose the option most helpful to the priest-regardless of cost. That priest is functioning well and happily today.
Another erring priest client of mine struggling with shame and remorse and discouragement received a letter from the Cardinal saying: I am proud of you!! He praised the priest's energetic and valiant struggle at rehabilitation. This priest's enthusiasm zoomed sky high at the Cardinal's confidence in him and now looks forward to renewed life as a special friend of the Lord's.
Every Wednesday afternoon, the Cardinal's residence was open to any priest, without appointment, simply to drop in to see his eminence-for counseling, advice, encouragement or brotherhood-and a cup of Madison avenue tea. When one of our older Paulists visited him to expresss gratitude for his document on the priesthood, the Cardinal startled passersby on Madison Avenue when HE knelt in front of the old priest and asked for a Blessing. The leading American Catholic churchman kneels publicly before a battered, unknown Antique of a priest !!!!!
What was it about him that fascinated me? I recall when I had the honor of moderating a dialogue between his eminence and the Dali Lama before a huge academic community at Iona college, every one was curious to see this Dali lama with his orange robe, his shaved head, thick horn rimmed glasses, fixed toothy smile and his giggles.
In my opinion, the intellectual disparity between them was gargantuan. Yet the then Archbishop of New York graciously and elegantly threw the focus of the dialogue on his visitor from Tibet! He did not attempt to dominate but only to welcome. No jousting. No sparring. Just a loving welcome.
But the Archbishop could not resist one chance of clerical rascality. Addressing the Dali Lama, as Your Holiness I asked him if he was an atheist. He replied: Yes. Yes. I then asked him for the core of his teaching. He replied: "Do good and avoid evil". Turning to Archbishop O'Connor, I asked: What do you think of that,Your excellency? To which, with twinkling eyes the Archbishop said:
" I disagree with every word of that statement." The audience roared with laughter - - - as did I.
His humanity, his compassion, his brotherhood, his love were cosmic. He could reach out to anyone and anywhere with warmth and feeling. When my own mother died, he quickly offered me his condolences and welcomed me into the orphan status where he was. I narrated the Christmas midnight mass on ch. 11 for 21 years and there I saw him function at his best - - - especially the very last time when he, though seriously ill, presided from a chair-so great was his love for that Christmas Mass and for those people. He wanted one more time to show how he cherished them.
Welcoming visitors to the Mass who might not know the protocols, he would urge them not only to watch Mayor Koch, the Midnight Mass perennial who knew all the moves, but also to do whatever the Jewish Mayor did. When he was saying good bye, presiding for the last time at that Christmas Midnight Mass, he noted that Mayor Koch was a gifted man but most of all gifts, he was "my friend." By a stroke of luck, the camera caught the Mayor's eyes which were filled with tears.
Even at the somber and moving TRE ORE on Good Fridays at the Cathedral, he would always lead the APPLAUSE after the moving rendition of WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD? He was no rigid automaton blindly following unfeeling protocol. He was a lover responding to the moment.
When a frightened permanent deacon read the Gospel at one of the glorious Holy Thursday liturgies, the Cardinal lovingly interrupted the Rubrical flow to comment that he had never heard that Gospel passage read so beautifully. The Deacon has NEVER forgotten that gracious gesture !
When a little kid named John J. O'Connor impetuously wrote the new Archbishop in 1984 stating that they shared the same name, John J. O' Connor, Archbishop of New York invited that kid to appear with him in the Great Pulpit of the Cathedral and to wear the Yankee baseball cap ! I think he was human beyond words - - - and we know that Catholic theology teaches that GRACE BUILDS ON NATURE--- on the human ….. hence there is a lesson to be learned here - -let us strive to be human and natural the O'Connor way - - so that we may reflect in our human lives the face of Jesus!
In the vestibule of your convent on West 51st street, there hangs a picture of the Cardinal which is signed thusly: " to MY sisters……"
This is an affectionate possessive. He loved you SISTERS OF LIFE. He loved what you so nobly do for Life !! For Christ! For the Church! I think that he felt that the foundation of the Sisters of Life was the crowning achievement of his life !!!
His charism to your Congregation should be cherished and safeguarded. After 60+years in the religious life, I am convinced that to the extent that we depart from the charism of Founders, be it Ignatius of Loyola, Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Isaac Hecker, we will falter and be detoured. I urge you to hold fast to his vision and his charism. It can adapt to the contemporary in whatever century! It is quite clear
That God raises up His prophets to meet the needs of the Age. John J O'Connor was raised up by God for many reasons. You, Sisters of Life are one of those glorious reasons.
Cardinal O'Connor was very confident walking in the Lord. He had no identity crisis. He knew exactly who he was and what he was for. At the Consecration Mass of Bishop Robert Brucato, his Eminence gave a classic talk on the Office of Bishop. No ambiguity for him. The term "in persona Christi" was the capstone of his description of the Shepherd of Christ. A man of authority but a man accountable to the Lord. A man with the very power of Jesus to bring the Lord among us at the Mass, to offer what is not given to angels to offer - - to offer God back to God and to ordain others to the priesthood.. And the awesome realization that he, the Bishop, was a successor to the Apostles. Peter and Matthew And Nathaniel !!!!!!
This Cardinal reminded me so much of my patron, the Blessed Apostle Paul. In the Paulist Fathers Mother church of St. Paul the Apostle, there is a beloved painting of the execution of the patron. Around the painting are three statements of Paul from his second letter to Timothy. I think these words can be appropriately applied to Cardinal O'Connor:
1. I have kept the Faith. I hear the Cardinal speak: I have not allowed the ancient Faith to be diluted. I have kept steadfast and have not watered down this Faith to please moderns. I said I will not give in, I will not concede nor surrender nor yield !! I have kept the Faith.
2. I have fought the GOOD Fight. I hear the Cardinal speak: Wherever I found them, I resisted and fought ignorance and cowardice and compromise and evil and bigotry. I fought the good fight.
3. I have finished my course. I hear the Cardinal speak: I stayed the course. I refused to quit. I have not run away from challenges and crosses and pressures. I have stayed to the end !!
Sisters of Life, we all have to come to the end someday. We all have to cross the Great Dark River to the Other Side- - - - Via the good ship to Paradise.
When a Sister of Life comes to that point, perhaps, it would be appropriate if-in the navy tradition-she might say: Request permission to come aboard!!!!!
The Officer of the Deck will be Admiral O'Connor, the Cardinal Archbishop, who will quickly say:
Permission granted, Sister of Life. Welcome aboard and enter into ETERNAL life and joy with the Lord Himself. Well done, thou very good and faithful Sister.
Perhaps, also, because your earthly Founder was a navy man, it would be all right if Sisters of Life practiced some kind of spiritual Salute so that when she is welcomed aboard, her salute will sweep away the stars from the sky to reveal the beautiful face of God Himself.
Sisters of life. Sisters of life. Sisters of life. You had a unique and remarkable founder. If you ever need to ask: Who was he? The answer is simple:
- - - - - - -HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL LOVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He loved God and his fellow human beings and his Church and his country and the Sisters of Life and LIFE itself.
Thanks be to the Good God for Cardinal O'Connor and for his sisters of Life and for life itself and thank God for God.
I am now finished
Praised be Jesus Christ praised be Jesus Christ !!!
Amen and HALLEJUIA !!!