John Cardinal Cody
Encyclopedia
John Patrick Cardinal Cody (December 24, 1907—April 25, 1982) was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. A native of St. Louis
, he served as Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph
(1956–61), Archbishop of New Orleans
(1964-5), and Archbishop of Chicago
(1965–82). He was created a cardinal
in 1967.
, Missouri
, to Thomas Joseph and Mary (née Begley) Cody. His father was an Irish
immigrant who became deputy chief of the St Louis Fire Department
. After attending Holy Rosary Parochial School, he entered St. Louis Preparatory Seminary at age 13. He remained at St. Louis until 1926, when he was sent to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy
degree (1928) and a Doctor of Sacred Theology
(1932) from the College of the Propaganda
.
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani on December 8, 1931. He remained in Rome for the next six years as a staff member of the North American College and an official of the Vatican Secretariat of State. In 1938, he earned a Doctor of Canon Law
from the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
, and was awarded the Benemerenti medal
for his services to the Secretariat of State. Upon his return to the United States, Cody served as private secretary
to Archbishop John J. Glennon
until 1940, when he became chancellor
of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. He was named a Privy Chamberlain
in 1939 and a Domestic Prelate
in 1946. He accompanied Archbishop Glennon to Rome when the latter was named a cardinal
, and was on hand when Glennon died on the return trip.
On May 10, 1947, Cody was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of St. Louis and Titular Bishop
of Apollonia by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following July 2 from Archbishop Joseph Ritter, with Bishops George Joseph Donnelly
and Vincent Stanislaus Waters
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Cathedral of St. Louis
. He was appointed Coadjutor to the Bishop of Saint Joseph, Missouri
on January 27, 1954. He was appointed Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, Missouri
on August 29, 1956 and installed October 11, 1956. In 1961, he was transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana
, where he was appointed Coadjutor to the Archbishop on August 14, 1961, appointed Apostolic Administrator
on June 1, 1962 and acceded to the See of New Orleans
on November 8, 1964. He became an object of national attention as archbishop, due to his predecessor's efforts to desegregate the Catholic schools in his jurisdiction.
on June 26, 1967. Cody's time in Chicago was marked by strife and controversy, including federal investigations of financial improprieties and an ambiguous relationship with Mrs. Helen Dolan Wilson, who was alleged to be his mistress. Mrs. Wilson, who "followed (Cody's) every move about the diocese" for a period of some 25 years, was alleged to have received large sums of money diverted by Cardinal Cody, some of which purchased her a "house in Boca Raton...a luxury car, expensive clothes and furs, and holiday cash presents."
Despite the fact that approximately one million dollars of church funds disappeared under Cody's tenure, and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops lost more than four million dollars in a single year while Cody was treasurer of that organization, all investigations were suspended upon Cody's death.
Roy Larsen, the Religion Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote:
Cody found his traditional view of episcopal authority often in conflict with a number of priests of his diocese. He was opposed to some of the decisions of Apostolic Delegate Jean Jadot
and led a protest campaign against what he felt was excessive progressivism and radicalism on the part of the delegate.
The opposition waned as the Cardinal's health declined in the early 1980s, when he was succeeded in the summer of 1982 by Joseph Bernardin at the time of his death. Andrew Greeley
's book The Cardinal Sins
is based on the affairs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. A native of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, he served as Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph
Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the state of Missouri in the United States, erected on September 10, 1880, as the Diocese of Kansas City, with territories taken from the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. ...
(1956–61), Archbishop of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
(1964-5), and Archbishop of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
(1965–82). He was created a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1967.
Early life and education
John Cody was born in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, to Thomas Joseph and Mary (née Begley) Cody. His father was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrant who became deputy chief of the St Louis Fire Department
St Louis Fire Department
The City of St. Louis Fire Department, was founded in 1857 in St. Louis. It is the Second oldest paid Fire Department in the United States.The St. Louis Fire Department protects a city that covers approximately and has a population of approximately 350,000 full time residents and a daytime...
. After attending Holy Rosary Parochial School, he entered St. Louis Preparatory Seminary at age 13. He remained at St. Louis until 1926, when he was sent to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree (1928) and a Doctor of Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
(1932) from the College of the Propaganda
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
.
Priesthood
Cody was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani on December 8, 1931. He remained in Rome for the next six years as a staff member of the North American College and an official of the Vatican Secretariat of State. In 1938, he earned a Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
from the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare was a university named after Saint Apollinaris. Notable people who have attended include:*Alfredo Ottaviani*Amleto Giovanni Cicognani*Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant*Benedetto Aloisi Masella*Gustavo Testa...
, and was awarded the Benemerenti medal
Benemerenti Medal
The Benemerenti medal was first awarded by Pope Pius VI to recognize military merit. In 1831 under Pope Gregory XVI a special Benemerenti medal was struck to reward thos who fought courageously in the papal army at Ferrara, Bologna, and Vienna...
for his services to the Secretariat of State. Upon his return to the United States, Cody served as private secretary
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
to Archbishop John J. Glennon
John J. Glennon
John Joseph Glennon was an Irish American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1903 until his death in 1946, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946.-Early life and ministry:...
until 1940, when he became chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. He was named a Privy Chamberlain
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1939 and a Domestic Prelate
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1946. He accompanied Archbishop Glennon to Rome when the latter was named a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, and was on hand when Glennon died on the return trip.
On May 10, 1947, Cody was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of St. Louis and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Apollonia by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following July 2 from Archbishop Joseph Ritter, with Bishops George Joseph Donnelly
George Joseph Donnelly
George Joseph Donnelly was an American Roman Catholic clergyman.He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and studied at Kenrick Seminary before being ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1921. He was named chancellor of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1929.On March 19, 1940, he was appointed...
and Vincent Stanislaus Waters
Vincent Stanislaus Waters
Vincent Stanislaus Waters was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Raleigh from 1945 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at the Cathedral of St. Louis
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, was completed in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, as the archdiocesan replacement for the Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France...
. He was appointed Coadjutor to the Bishop of Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
on January 27, 1954. He was appointed Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, Missouri
Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the state of Missouri in the United States, erected on September 10, 1880, as the Diocese of Kansas City, with territories taken from the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. ...
on August 29, 1956 and installed October 11, 1956. In 1961, he was transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, where he was appointed Coadjutor to the Archbishop on August 14, 1961, appointed Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
on June 1, 1962 and acceded to the See of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
on November 8, 1964. He became an object of national attention as archbishop, due to his predecessor's efforts to desegregate the Catholic schools in his jurisdiction.
Cardinal
Cody was appointed Archbishop of Chicago, on June 16, 1965 and installed August 24, 1965. He was elevated to CardinalCardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
on June 26, 1967. Cody's time in Chicago was marked by strife and controversy, including federal investigations of financial improprieties and an ambiguous relationship with Mrs. Helen Dolan Wilson, who was alleged to be his mistress. Mrs. Wilson, who "followed (Cody's) every move about the diocese" for a period of some 25 years, was alleged to have received large sums of money diverted by Cardinal Cody, some of which purchased her a "house in Boca Raton...a luxury car, expensive clothes and furs, and holiday cash presents."
Despite the fact that approximately one million dollars of church funds disappeared under Cody's tenure, and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops lost more than four million dollars in a single year while Cody was treasurer of that organization, all investigations were suspended upon Cody's death.
Roy Larsen, the Religion Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote:
"Legally, the investigations by the paper and the federal prosecutors ended inconclusively. In that sense, the legal tactics followed by Cody and his lawyers—chiefly a strategy of delays and stalling—succeeded in preventing any indictments. Eight months before the first story was published, the U.S. Attorney’s office issued subpoenas to Cody and the archdiocese, but the information that was sought was never turned over to the government. Even after the series was published, the stonewalling continued. A new U.S. Attorney, Dan WebbDan K. WebbDan K. Webb is an Illinois attorney known for his involvement in high-profile litigation cases and his connections to former Illinois governor Gov. James R. Thompson. He is the chairman of the Winston & Strawn law firm and is the former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois....
, had taken over the government’s investigation and issued new subpoenas, but Frank McGarr, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, did nothing to move the case along. Finally, the Cardinal’s health became an issue. On April 25, 1982, he died. In July 1982, Webb terminated the investigation, stating: “Once the cardinal passed on, the investigation as to the allegations against the cardinal became moot.”"
Cody found his traditional view of episcopal authority often in conflict with a number of priests of his diocese. He was opposed to some of the decisions of Apostolic Delegate Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot was a Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as apostolic delegate to the United States from 1973 to 1980, and President of the Secretariat of Non-Christians from 1980 to 1984.-Biography:...
and led a protest campaign against what he felt was excessive progressivism and radicalism on the part of the delegate.
The opposition waned as the Cardinal's health declined in the early 1980s, when he was succeeded in the summer of 1982 by Joseph Bernardin at the time of his death. Andrew Greeley
Andrew Greeley
Father Andrew M. Greeley is an Irish-American Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist and fiction writer....
's book The Cardinal Sins
The Cardinal Sins
-Plot summary:Lifelong friends and occasional rivals, Kevin Brennan and Patrick Donahue enter seminary together, but their lives soon diverge dramatically. Brennan achieves success as a scholar but often finds himself at odds with his superiors in the Church. By contrast, the ambitious Donahue...
is based on the affairs.