Cardinal McCarrick on Retirement of Cardinal William Keeler and the Appointment of His Successor, Archbishop Edwin O’Brien

July 12, 2007

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, sent the following statement from the Middle East, where he is traveling on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, after learning of the retirement of Cardinal William Keeler as Archbishop of Baltimore and the appointment of his successor, Archbishop Edwin O’Brien:

“Cardinal Keeler's retirement will leave a significant void in our Conference of Bishops. A gentle but forceful leader, he served the Church well as a diocesan bishop, as president of the Conference and in a host of others key responsibilities. He has always been a man of both patience and courage, a leader who led by example and grace. All of us will miss his strong defense of life and his wonderful ability to build strong and valuable relationships with our brothers and sisters of other faith communities. His legacy will be enormous, but for me he will always be a close friend and a dear brother who has been an extraordinary example of what a good bishop should be.

“Archbishop O'Brien's appointment to the Primatial See of Baltimore brings a most experienced and wise prelate to the nation's most historic archdiocese. Known across the world for his deep pastoral concern for the men and women in the Armed Services, whom he has served as chaplain and bishop, he will bring that same pastoral care to the mother diocese of our country.

“The Archbishop and I share much in common. We have been friends for years, having been both ordained for the Archdiocese of New York and been privileged to serve as Secretaries to the Servant of God, Cardinal Terence Cooke. He will be a great successor to the beloved Cardinal William Keeler and I wish him every blessing in his new post.”

Contact:
Susan Gibbs
Director of Communications
301-853-4515
gibbss@adw.org

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