(11 May 2000) English/Nat
The Pope has appointed Bishop Edward M. Egan to succeed Cardinal John O'Connor as Archbishop of New York, one of the most powerful Catholic pulpits in the United States.
The announcement Thursday came eight days after Cardinal O'Connor's death.
Bishop Edward Egan will move from his present diocese in Bridgeport Connecticut in the United States to New York, following the death eight days ago of Cardinal John O'Connor.
A colleague of Bishop Egan's welcomed the news.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I know him to be a man of exceptionally brilliant intelligence. He is a brilliant man, a very capable administrator and a very capable organiser. I think he has extraordinary talent in this regard."
SUPER CAPTION: Cardinal Edmund Szoka, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican State
Egan had been widely predicted to succeed O'Connor as the spiritual leader of New York's 2.4 (m) million Catholics.
The position is traditionally a cardinal's seat.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I think anytime you have a new bishop it takes a while. I served as a bishop in the United States for 19 years and ten years in a small diocese and then I was named archbishop of Detroit a very large diocese. So anytime there is a change it takes a while for the new bishop to get used to the people and them to get used to him. I takes a while and I think that will be the case in New York. But I have no doubt that Bishop Egan will be greatly admired and esteemed for his great ability and his intelligence and his capacity as a bishop. He will be... I'm sure will serve the diocese very well."
SUPER CAPTION: Cardinal Edmund Szoka, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican State
Egan, 68, is a conservative on Vatican teaching, and is reputed to have a close association with the Pontiff.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I don't know about his personal relationships with the Holy Father. I'm sure the Holy Father knows him because he was in Rome for I don't know how many years and for some years as a judge on the rota and he was certainly highly esteemed as a man of great intelligence and ability as I mentioned. But then all appointments of bishops are made by the Holy Father you know. He makes the final decisions and he appointed him to Bridgeport so he obviously knows him."
SUPER CAPTION: Cardinal Edmund Szoka, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican State
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