His tenure in New York had mixed reviews. His priority was to restore financial stability to the deficit-ridden archdiocese, and he did it by closing or merging parishes and schools and by raising millions from corporations and wealthy laymen. But he also drew bitter complaints from affected parishioners and priests. He tried to recruit more priests, but with little success.
Friday, March 06, 2015
Cardinal Edward Egan Dies At Age 82
Cardinal Edward M. Egan, former head of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, died yesterday at the age of 82. As reported by the New York Times, Egan was "a stern defender of Roman Catholic orthodoxy." For example, Egan argued that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani should not have received Holy Communion during Pope Benedict XVI's 2008 visit to the U.S. because of Giuliani's support of abortion rights. (See prior posting.) The Times summarized Egan's years in New York:
