Abbey-Roads2

Photo credit: CNN

I have friends who sought Cardinal Egan’s help when he was in charge of the Bridgeport diocese.  From what I understand, he wasn’t the most warm and understanding priest they ever dealt with - in fact, he snubbed them. 

“When the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, John O’Connor had been informed of Egan’s nomination by the Pope as Auxiliary Bishop, he wrote  to his priests explaining that he had not personally chosen Monsignor Egan to be his auxiliary. To this day many people wonder at the Pope’s decision to place Egan in New York, after the fact that Egan had been promised he would be named coadjutor to  Cardinal Medeiros of Boston. ( Bernard Law got the position instead.)” - Adapted from Wikipedia

John Paul II, appointed Egan Bishop of Bridgeport.  From there, he took NYC.

Call me cynical, but he seems to be more a career churchman - ambitious and anxious for position, power, and prestige - more a beaureucrat and businessman than priest.  As Cardinal Archbishop of New York, he’s got the power, sans the devotion of his flock.

Yesterday, the Cardinal pulled a fast one, locking a priest out of his parish Church, one constructed through the hard work and sacrifice of Latvian immigrants.  Here is an excerpt from the story:

“February 27, 2007 — Edward Cardinal Egan pulled a fast one on a lower Manhattan parish pastor yesterday, summoning the priest to meet with him - then dispatching security guards to permanently lock the cleric’s church doors.” - read on at the New York Post

As everyone knows, major diocese throughout the country are closing Churches.  (It’s an athiest’s dream in a way.)  Is it because of the priest shortage?  Perhaps the fallen away who no longer attend Church?  Does it have anything to do with the confusion in the liturgy and moral teachings of the Church?  Or could it have more to do with diocese defaulting because of legal costs due to the clergy scandal?  After all, property in Manhattan is at a premium - selling Church property would rake in the cash big time.

Whatever - Cardinal Egan doesn’t seem to be much of a people person unless he’s dealing with the elite.