Cardinal John O'Connor, spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, will receive a Congressional Gold Medal under legislation signed by President Bill Clinton on March 5. The medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress.
Because of O'Connor's failing health, both houses of Congress had approved the award on a fast-track basis, and Clinton then signed the authorization bill almost immediately. The following day, March 6, the cardinal received framed copies of House and Senate proclamations from two New York State members of Congress -- Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat, and Rep. Vito Fossella, a Republican from Staten Island. The medal itself will be struck by the U.S. Mint and presented to O'Connor within the next few months.
In a statement announcing the award, Clinton cited O'Connor's early days performing parish duties in his native Philadelphia, his service as a military chaplain during the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam and, most recently, his 16 years as archbishop of New York. O'Connor had served briefly as bishop of Scranton, Pa., before being named to the New York post in 1984, following the death of Cardinal Terence Cooke. The archbishop of New York traditionally has been regarded as the leader of the Catholic Church in the United States.
"For more than 50 years, Cardinal O'Connor has served the Catholic Church and our nation with constancy and commitment," Clinton said in his award statement.
O'Connor served in the U.S. Navy's Chaplain Corps for 27 years, including a term as chief of chaplains at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He has been known throughout his career as a staunch supporter of traditional moral and social values.
"Whether it was the soldier on the battlefield or the patient dying of AIDS, Cardinal O'Connor has ministered with a gentle spirit and a loving heart," Clinton said. "Through it all, he has stood strong as an advocate for the poor, a champion for workers and an inspiration for millions."
The 80-year-old cardinal underwent brain surgery last Aug. 31 following the discovery of a tumor, and chemotherapy has left him weak in recent months. He submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II in 1995, on his 75th birthday, as required by church law, but the pope chose not to act on it at that time. Upon turning 80 in January of this year, he was automatically stripped of certain canonical powers, including the right to vote for the next pope. Pope John Paul is expected to name a successor for the New York archdiocese shortly.
The Congressional Gold Medal has been given to about 300 recipients over the years, starting with George Washington, who was honored in this manner in 1776 for his "wise and spirited conduct" as commander-in-chief of Colonial troops during the American Revolution. Recent honorees have included Frank Sinatra, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks.
Frequently, bronze copies of Congressional Gold Medals are offered for sale to the public after the gold version is presented to the honoree. It was not immediately clear whether that will be the case with the O'Connor medal.
Legislation now before Congress would authorize the presentation of this medal to a number of other noteworthy individuals, including Pope John Paul II. Other proposed recipients include former President Ronald Reagan and former first lady Nancy Reagan; former Ohio senator and two-time astronaut John Glenn; civil-rights leader Jesse Jackson Sr.; and the crew of the Apollo 11 flight -- Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins.
Ed Reiter is senior editor of COINage and author of the award-winning column "My Two Cents' Worth," which appears in the magazine each month. He wrote the weekly Numismatics column in the Sunday New York Times for nearly a decade, and also is former editor of Numismatic News.
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