John Cardinal Cody
John Patrick Cody, later
John Cardinal Cody, (
December 24,
1907 –
April 25,
1982) was an American cardinal, the eleventh bishop (sixth archbishop) of the
Roman Catholic diocese of
Chicago, serving from
1965 to
1982 (succeeded
Albert Cardinal Meyer).
He was born in
St. Louis, Missouri to a family of
Irish ancestry, and ordained a priest on
December 8,
1931. On
May 14,
1947 he was appointed
Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of
St. Louis, Missouri where he was ordained a bishop on
July 2,
1947. 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. He was appointed Coadjutor to the Archbishop of
New Orleans, Louisiana on
August 14,
1961, appointed
Apostolic Administrator on
June 1,
1962 and acceded to the
See of New Orleans on
November 8,
1964.
Cody was appointed Archbishop of Chicago, on
June 16,
1965 and installed
August 24,
1965. He was elevated to
Cardinal on
June 26,
1967. Cody's time in Chicago was marked by strife and controversy. Cody found his traditional view of episcopal authority often in conflict with a number of priests of his diocese, and some of his actions and decisions were questioned by members of the clergy and laity alike -- many of whom found themselves writing to the Vatican to express their concerns over the cardinal's administration. Cardinal Cody's position was further aggravated by thorough reporting from Chicago daily newspapers over his financial activities. His actions triggered an investigation by the
U.S. attorney's office. Among the information uncovered were clues that Cody was supporting a mistress with church funds. These reports as well as his public statements and actions caused much concern by Vatican officials, including, presumably, both
Pope Paul VI and
Pope John Paul II.
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Cardinal Cody's Final Resting Place |
The controversies were somewhat abetted as the Cardinal's health declined in the earlier 1980's, and a number of his former adversaries came to the beleaguered Cardinal's defense in his last years. Cardinal Cody died from a heart attack at the age of 74, and was subsequently interred in the Bishops’ Mausoleum at Mt. Carmel Cemetery,
Hillside, Illinois. Cardinal Cody was succeeded by Archbishop
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin in the summer of 1982, whose first task was to ameliorate the tense relationship between the clergy and laity with the bishop's authority. As he demonstrated so well, Archbishop (later Cardinal) Bernardin proved himself to be the healing presence the Archdiocese of Chicago so badly needed at the time, in spite of allegations surrounding his own sexual misconduct.
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Find-A-Grave profile for John Cardinal Cody
