May 22, 2000

O'Connor gets a fitting standing ovation

The bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, by virtue of the city's heavy media concentration, always enjoys a degree of fame and influence. Cardinal John O'Connor, who died after a long battle against brain cancer, used his considerable public talents to become a more effective, which is to say more influential, carrier of the Gospel than any American bishop in memory.

Cardinal O'Connor was unflinching in his faith, and rarely did he shy away from articulating church doctrine merely for the sake of being polite. In a city where degeneracy once was a bizarre mark of civic pride, O'Connor spoke forcefully for the dignity of human life and the sanctity of marriage, among other things.

This aspect of O'Connor's public ministry fittingly sparked a standing ovation during his funeral Mass, as Boston Cardinal Bernard Law eloquently described O'Connor's role in the American Catholic Church:

"He preached most powerfully by his example, the necessity of seeing in every human being &emdash; from the first moment of conception to the last moment of natural death, and every moment in between, particularly in the poor, in the sick, in the forgotten &emdash; the image of a God to be loved and to be served. What a great legacy he has left us in this constant reminder that the church must always be unambiguously pro-life," Cardinal Law said.

Bill Clinton and Hillary were in the audience. They support abortion. Thus they exchanged uncomfortable whispers as those assembled in St. Patrick's Cathedral at that moment broke into loud, raucous applause. They, along with Vice President Gore and Tipper, were among the last to stand. They, too, applauded, weakly.

Somehow one doubts, were the tables turned, that Cardinal John O'Connor would have applauded. He was a leader of great moral strength, and also of great kindness. He already is missed in New York. The nation will miss his strong and steadfast voice as well.