Cardinal Edward Egan is being laid to rest today after a funeral service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Egan was Archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009, when he retired as required at age 75. He had been seen as an approachable, friendly figure during his long tenure at the Vatican, a reputation that did not follow him back to the US, where he was considered colder and more distant. Pope Francis was among those who offered condolences and praise upon Egan’s passing. Of the man Mayor Bill DeBlasio said “lived his life to serve others,” Pope Francis wrote:
“Having learned with sadness of the death of Cardinal Edward M. Egan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York, I offer heartfelt condolences to you and to the faithful of the Archdiocese. I join you in commending the late Cardinal’s noble soul to God, the father of mercies, with gratitude for his years of episcopal ministry in Christ’s flock in Bridgeport and New York, his distinguished service to the Apostolic See, and his expert contribution to the revision of the Church’s law in the years following the Second Vatican Council. To all assembled in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and to all those who mourn Cardinal Egan in the sure hope of Christ’s Resurrection, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Lord.”