For the record,he came back from Rome,was made an auxiliary in New York and three years later went to Bridgeport Conn. as Bishop. He was returned to New York on the death of Cardinal O'Conner.
Cardinal Bernardin,standing on "common ground" garbed in his "seamless garment" is responsible for placing many anti-church bishops in position over a period of many years. Very few that he touched were not sullied. If he was involved with a priest or bishop,one must watch that person twice as closely as any other membr of the clergy. It is almost a sure fire way to determine orthodoxy without without looking at what they do or listening to what they say. They willnot be Catholic,they will not be orthodox.(sarc)
Thor frequently intimates that Egan and Bernardin were connected in Chicago but the data shows otherwise. There was another Monsignor Edward Egan who was from Chicago and worked closely with Bernardin and I think Thor 76 confuses them. I don't think it''s fair to impugn Egan for a relationship that wasn't,his deficiencies can stand on his own shoulders.
Thanks for your input.
Sorry but I have to correct you. Egan was Cardional Cody's right hand man in Chicago. That is damning enough by itself. But he was also very close to Bernadin.
Over some 40 years - in Chicago, Bridgeport CT, and in NYC - Egan has made a career of hiding, shuffling around, and defending in the most cognizant and conniving manner the priests guilty of sex crimes. What he has done was done on purpose, knowingly, conspiratorially. Jail is too good for him.
Regarding the financial mess in the Archdiocese of New York, let me fill in the blanks for you. I will not identify the sources for this, so don't ask.
Under O'Connor, Egan was an Auxiliary bishop, and also was the Secretary for Education. Egan, in collusion with Msgr. (later also Auxiliary bishop of Ny, as well as Chancellor and Vicar General) Henry Mansell - now AB of Hartford CT - devised a plan, which they sold to O'Connor which nearly bankrupted the Archdiocese of New York.
Playing up to O'Connor's deep need to be loved and to be perceived as a hero to the poor, their plan was to raise capital funds to endow the support of the inner city schools of the diocese, and to establish a foundation for getting public and private grants/gifts to throw money into what is literally a "black hole".
Please bear in mind that these "Catholic" schools are Catholic in name only, as they serve a mostly non-Catholic student body, in most cases. Also, those of us who are in a position to know such things, know all too well that much embezzling is done in and through the schools finances by apostate priests. I know of one priest who was taking $50,000 per year from the school. He did not get caught - neither do 90% of them, though the Chancery knows of these things.
Back to the Egan/Mansell plot. They did in fact establish the "Inner City Scholarship Fund". However, the attempt to establish the $10 million endowment fund failed. So, they persuaded Cardinal O'Connor to spend vast sums of money - pumping it into the parish schools.........right into the grubby little palms of the embezzling clerics.
For over 14 years, Cardinal O'Connor spent down the PRINCIPAL of the Archdiocesan Endowments funds. I want you to re-read that and let it sink in. He was talked into this, and out of his misplaced desire to be loved by the poor (whom he foolishly thought would actually be helped by this) he did this of his own free will......for over 14 years.
This is plainly financial suicide. At the same time, o'Connor was encouraged by Mansell, Egan, and other like minded syncophants to enlarge the Chancery beaurocracy to unbelievable levels.
To make a joke, descriptive of the situation - there might as well have been a Hispanic Affairs Office, the Hispanic Apostolate, Ministry of Hispanic Affairs, and the Spanish-Speaking Apostolate.........all with their own paid staff, offices, and budget, paid for by this rapidly dwindling Endowment Fund. Of course the parishes were also heavily "taxed" on a monthly basis to pay for this, and there was a huge revamping of the Annual Cardinal's Appeal, reaping very large returns.......none of which were saved or invested!
You must also realize that Egan and Mansell were the architects of the "Realingment Plan" which was to close over half of the churches in Manhattan, and sell the extremely valuable real estate. Cardinal O'Connor wisely balked at this plan, as he did not want to cause such widespread, and irrevokable destruction, which would have deeply offended the people of the Archdiocese who did indeed love him greatly. Thank God for that!
Rising from his deathbed, a few months before he ultimately died from brain cancer, Cardinal O'Connor flew to Rome to beg and plead with the Pope personally, and with the Congregation for Bishops that they NOT appoint Egan as his sucessor. What did O'Connor know of and fear in Egan....whom he personally consecrated as his Auxiliary Bishop in 1983?
Several things. One of them was that "realingment plan" to close many, many churches. Egan was a prime contender for the See of NY, and bragged openly that if he went there that he would be going in to close down churches. Another thing is that he is vehemently opposed to the Pro-life movement. And there are other things.
The first thing which Egan did in his first business day at 1011 First Avenue (Chancery Office of NY) was to order the acquisition of 30 building demolition permnits from the NYC Buildings Department. This was a "done deal". A nearly 20 year old "done deal". And another factor is that he was warmly received by the mostly dissident/apostate priests here......who had been literally salivating for the church closing plan to go into effect. This was a long standing plot, just waiting for the right Bishop to effect it.
Any priest or bishop who salivates for the mass closings of churches serves the Devil. Literally. They know not Christ. I will stand on that statement.
"impugn Egan"????? There is not enough bandwidth here to do the job properly.
Eagan's no Bruskiewicz, that's for sure.
I hear he has really had some problems trying to bring fiscal responsibility to the diocese. I guess he had quite a financial mess staring him in the face.
News to me. I thought O'Connor was supposed to be a good administrator.
For the record,he came back from Rome,was made an auxiliary in New York and three years later went to Bridgeport Conn. as Bishop. He was returned to New York on the death of Cardinal O'Conner.
I didn't remember/know that he was here before. I see I got the CT part right.
Cardinal Bernardin,standing on "common ground" garbed in his "seamless garment"....
Oh please! I'm eating dinner! LOL!
He not only theologically trashed Chicago, but it was disgusting how he so obviously set up the "Common Ground" thing to be his legacy.
I know what you mean, e.g., any liturgical publication that comes out of Chicago should be tossed in the garbage. No need to read it first.
I don't think it''s fair to impugn Egan for a relationship that wasn't,his deficiencies can stand on his own shoulders.
I agree. One must be careful not to spread inaccuracies about any public figure, let alone a Bishop.
You're welcome. :o)