Archbishop Dolan Remembers Cardinal John Foley for His Kindness, Dedication to Church, Communications

WASHINGTON—Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Cardinal John Foley, who died December 11 in Philadelphia, “embodied the best of what it means to be a communicator, a priest and a believer,” whose “kindness and love for Christ’s Church will

WASHINGTON—Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Cardinal John Foley, who died December 11 in Philadelphia, “embodied the best of what it means to be a communicator, a priest and a believer,” whose “kindness and love for Christ’s Church will remain with all who encountered him.”

Cardinal Foley served as president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in Rome from 1984-2007, when Pope Benedict XVI appointed his grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a post he held until 2011. Cardinal Foley was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2007.

The full text of Archbishop Dolan’s statement follows:

Whether in his role as President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications for over 20 years, or earlier as editor of Philadelphia’s Catholic Standard "& Times or a reporter in Rome covering the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal John Foley embodied the best of what it means to be a communicator, a priest and a believer. He was a beloved figure in the Catholic Press and, as the voice of the Vatican’s Midnight Mass for 25 years, brought the Good News to Catholics all over the globe.

He urged the Church to be transparent and saw media as vital to society and worthy of respect. He was the mastermind behind the coverage of the funeral of Pope John Paul II, recognizing the need to facilitate media efforts at the passing of a Church and world figure like no other in the modern age. Such foresight united the world in prayer.

More recently, as Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, he reached out in a particular way to Christians in a troubled part of the world. His kindness and love for Christ’s Church will remain with all who encountered him.

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Keywords: Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Cardinal John Foley, tribute, Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Philadelphia, Catholic Standard "& Times, Equestrian Order (Knights) of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Catholic Press, media, John Paul II, funeral

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