Jan. 6, 2012
The Catholic University of America's President has welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's appointment of Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Archbishop Edwin O'Brien as cardinals of the Catholic Church.
"I am delighted by the news that two leaders of the Catholic Church with close ties to The Catholic University of America will be installed as cardinals of the Catholic Church. Archbishop Timothy Dolan is a double alumnus of Catholic University, a former member of our Board of Trustees, and a highly valued supporter of the University. He has brought extraordinary enthusiasm and great leadership skills not only to his position as archbishop of New York but also as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops," says John Garvey, University President.
"Archbishop Edwin O'Brien is a current member of the University's Board of Trustee who has served with distinction. As Archbishop of Military Services (which is headquartered close to the University's campus) and later as Archbishop of Baltimore, he has been both a close neighbor and a great friend of the University."
The two new cardinals are among 22 prelates who will be elevated to cardinal in a formal ceremony Feb. 18. Pope Benedict XVI made the announcement Jan. 6 following an Epiphany Mass that ends the Vatican's Christmas celebrations.
Archbishop Dolan earned a master's degree (1981) and a doctorate (1985), both in church history, at Catholic University. He served on the Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2010. Archbishop O'Brien has been a member of the University's Board of Trustees since 2010.
Currently, the Catholic Church in the United States has four cardinal archbishops, i.e., cardinals who are assigned to lead U.S. archdioceses. They are Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago; Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Houston; Cardinal Sean O'Malley, O.F.M., Archbishop of Boston; and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington. All of them are alumni of The Catholic University of America and all currently serve on the University's Board of Trustees.