Edward Cardinal Egan

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His Eminence Edward Michael Cardinal Egan (born April 2, 1932) is a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. He currently serves as the twelfth bishop and ninth archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York.

Edward Cardinal Egan

Church positions
See	New York
Title	Cardinal Archbishop of New York
Period in office	11 May 2000 – present
Raised to cardinalate	21 February 2001
Predecessor	John Cardinal O'Connor
Successor	incumbent
Previous post	Bishop of Bridgeport
Personal
Date of birth	2 April, 1932
Place of birth	Illinois

Born and raised in the Chicagoland region in Oak Park, Illinois, Egan attended local schools where he received what he described as a calling to Holy Orders. After studies at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Egan entered the University of Saint Mary of the Lake and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. He left the United States to continue religious studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He was ordained there on December 15, 1957. Before returning to the United States, Egan obtained a license in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Egan's administrative expertise began when he was appointed curate of Holy Name Cathedral. He then became private secretary to Albert Cardinal Meyer, Archbishop of Chicago and attained the office of assistant chancellor of the archdiocese. In 1960, Egan returned to the Pontifical Gregorian University where he became assistant vice-rector and repetitor of moral theology and canon law. It was in that capacity that he attained his doctorate in canon law. Returning to the Archdiocese of Chicago, Egan was appointed private secretary to John Cardinal Cody, Archbishop of Chicago. He also became co-chancellor of the archdiocese. In 1971, Pope Paul VI appointed Egan to become an auditor (judge) of the Sacred Roman Rota, the appelate tribunal of the Holy See.

With a great wealth of expertise, Egan was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York on April 1, 1985 by Pope John Paul II. He was ordained to the episcopate on May 22, 1985 becoming titular bishop of the titular see of Allegheny. Upon the episcopal vacancy in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Pope John Paul II appointed Egan Bishop of Bridgeport on November 5, 1988, and Egan was officially took up office on December 14, 1988.

Styles of Edward Cardinal Egan
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	New York

Egan was appointed Archbishop of New York on May 11, 2000 and installed in that position on June 19, 2000. He was elevated to Cardinal on February 21, 2001, helding the Titulus Ss. Ioannis et Pauli. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at The Catholic University of America.

In 2002 the "Institución del Mérito Humanitario" with seat in Barcelona (Spain) awards to him with the "Gran Cruz al Mérito Humanitario".

Egan was criticized in June 2003 for concealing the names of priests who have been accused of child molestation and cleared by the church. His spokesman argued that the innocent should be protected; groups including Voice of the Faithful were critical because the entire process was out of the public view. (See Roman Catholic sex abuse cases.)

Egan was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Egan will be required to offer his resignation as archbishop of New York to the Pope in 2007, when he reaches 75 years of age, as specified in the Code of Canon Law (the Pope is free to delay accepting such a resignation, as was done with Egan's predecessor, Cardinal John O'Connor, who died in office at 80). He will remain a voting member of the College of Cardinals until he turns 80, at which time he will remain a cardinal and participate in discussions, but will not enter the conclave to choose a new pope.

On 11 October 2006 a group of priests called the Committee of Concerned Clergy for the Archdiocese of New York came together and called for a vote of no confidence of the cardinal [1]. They said "at no time has the relationship between the Ordinary and the priests of the Archdiocese been so fractured and seemingly hopeless as it is now". In response to this, Cardinal Egan held a meeting and released a statement which said that a "letter of this sort does a grave disservice to the entire Church". Cardinal Egan responded by writing a letter the full text can be found here:[2].^{[citations needed]}

[edit] Episcopal Succession

Episcopal Lineage
Consecrated by:	Bernardin Cardinal Gantin
Date of consecration:	May 25, 1985
Consecrator of
Bishop	Date of consecration
Josu Iriondo	December 12, 2001
Timothy Anthony McDonnell	December 12, 2001
Dominick John Lagonegro	December 12, 2001
Robert Joseph Cunningham	May 18, 2004
Gerald Thomas Walsh	September 21, 2004
Dennis Joseph Sullivan	September 21, 2004
Charles Daniel Balvo	June 29, 2005

[edit] External links

• Archdiocese of New York - official site
• Village Voice - concerning Egan's alleged closeted homosexuality

Preceded by Walter W Curtis	Bishop of Bridgeport 1988 – 2000	Succeeded by William E. Lori
Preceded by John Cardinal O'Connor	Archbishop of New York 2000 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent