Cardinal John O'Connor

His Eminence John Joseph Cardinal O'Connor, (January 15, 1920 - May 3, 2000) was the eleventh bishop (eighth archbishop) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, serving from 1984 until his death in 2000. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1995. As Archbishop of New York, O'Connor was a complex figure in a very visible position. He proved very media-savvy in the media-centric city, yet he could be a stern critic of New York's political leaders when he deemed it necessary.

He was an outspoken critic of abortion, the death penalty, gay rights, and violence, including war, regularly questioning the unchecked military spending of the 1980s. As a supporter of the rights of the worker he was known as a close friend of the labor movement and trade unions. He strongly denounced anti-Semitism, and wrote an apology to Jewish leaders in New York for past harm done to the Jewish community. He was a friend of President Ronald Reagan and sometimes served as an advisor to him on matters of ethics and morality.

Cardinal O'Connor was posthumously awarded the Jackie Robinson Empire State Medal of Freedom by the Governor of New York, George Pataki on December 21, 2000. On March 7, 2000, O'Connor was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by unanimous support in the United States Senate and only one vote against the resolution in the United States House of Representatives.

Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cardinal_O'Connor