Edmund Cardinal Szoka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Styles of Edmund Cardinal Szoka |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Detroit (emeritus) |
Edmund Casimir Cardinal Szoka, (born September 14, 1927) is an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Formerly the Archbishop of Detroit in the United States, he was created Cardinal Priest (with the title of Ss. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio) in the consistory of June 28, 1988 by Pope John Paul II. He holds the position of President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and Governor Emeritus of Vatican City. It was announced on June 22, 2006, that his resignation had been accepted and that he would officially step down on September 15, 2006. He was replaced by Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, who served in the Secretariat of State as secretary for Relations with States.
[edit] Biography
He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Casimir and Mary (née Wolgat) Szoka, Polish immigrants. He did his primary studies at St. Michael School in Muskegon. He entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Grand Rapids and then St. John’s in Plymouth, Michigan.
He was ordained a priest on June 5, 1954 in Marquette, Michigan and served as parochial vicar of the parish of St. Francis in Manistique, Michigan. In 1955, he became secretary to Bishop Thomas Noa of Marquette. From 1955 and 1962, he also served as chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital. In 1956, he was named Roman Catholic chaplain at K. I. Sawyer AFB Michigan.
From 1957 to 1959, he attended the Faculty of Canon Law at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. Upon returning to the United States, from 1960 until 1971 he served at the matrimonial tribunal of the diocese of Marquette, while at the same time serving as chancellor’s assistant (1962-69), and parish priest (1962-63) of St. Pius X parish in Ispheming on north Lake Superior, parish priest of St. Christopher’s (1963-71), then chancellor of the diocese of Marquette. He also accompanied Bishop Noa to the first session of the Second Vatican Council.
On June 11, 1971, he was appointed Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan by Pope Paul VI and was ordained on July 20. A year later, the Bishops of the 4th pastoral region of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) elected him president for the period of 1972-77. At the same time, he was treasurer and secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Michigan.
On March 21, 1981 he was named Archbishop of Detroit by Pope John Paul II. Since 1981, he also served as president of the Administration Council of the provincial seminary of St. John in Plymouth, Michigan and SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary near Orchard Lake Village, Michigan. He was also a president of the board of directors of the Episcopal Conference of Michigan, member of the executive committee of the Catholic University, president of the Committee for University Relations, Administrator of the National Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, treasurer of the NCCB, and served on committees within the Conference for: human values, bishops, dioceses and provinces, and economic affairs.
He was created Cardinal Priest in the consistory of June 28, 1988 by Pope John Paul II. He became Archbishop Emeritus of Detroit on April 28, 1990, and was named President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See from January 22, 1990 to October 14, 1997.
On October 14, 1997, Cardinal Szoka was named President of the Governatorate of Vatican City State, and on February 22, 2001, President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. Within the Roman Curia his membership is: Secretariat of State (second section), and Causes of Saints, Bishops, Evangelization of Peoples (Congregatio de Propaganda Fide), Clergy, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (congregations).
Szoka was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by: none (diocese erected) |
Bishop of Gaylord 1971 – 1981 |
Succeeded by: Robert J. Rose |
| Preceded by: John Cardinal Dearden |
Archbishop of Detroit 1981 – 1990 |
Succeeded by: Adam Cardinal Maida |
| Preceded by: Giuseppe Cardinal Caprio |
President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See 1990 – 1997 |
Succeeded by: Sergio Cardinal Sebastiani |
| Preceded by: Rosalio Cardinal Castillo Lara SDB |
Governor of Vatican City 2001 – 2006 |
Succeeded by: Giovanni Lajolo |
| Preceded by: None (new office) |
President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State 2001 – 2006 |
Succeeded by: Giovanni Lajolo |
