By David Michael Ettlin and Carol L. Bowers
Sun Staff Writers
October 31, 1994
Baltimore Archbishop William Henry Keeler yesterday was among 30 prelates named to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II -- only the third time in more than two centuries that a cardinal has been chosen from the city's archdiocese.
The appointment, which will be formalized next month, marks another step in Archbishop Keeler's steady climb within the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. And he becomes part of a select circle that will choose the next pope.
But the soft-spoken, 63-year-old archbishop, who returned to Baltimore last night from a monthlong synod of bishops in Rome, was characteristically low key. "I'm still trying to sort out my feelings. One of the feelings is that of a traveler for whom this is after 2 a.m.," he said.
The appointment also was seen as an honor for Baltimore, which in 1789 became the church's first diocese in the United States. Archbishop Keeler said it "recognizes our historic diocese and our community, which is a world leader in education, research and ecumenical cooperation." "It's very much an honor for this city as the first Catholic archdiocese in this nation. I think it speaks not only of the Holy Father's regard for Archbishop Keeler, but for our own city as well," said the Rev. Jack Ward at Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Towson.
Another American was named a cardinal yesterday -- Detroit Archbishop Adam Joseph Maida. Four of the new cardinals are Italian.
Some of the pope's selections seemed designed to send a particular political message. The choices of Monsignor Paul Joseph Pham Din Tung from Hanoi, Vietnam, and Monsignor Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino from Cuba reflected the pope's support for Christians living under Communist rule.
Several appointments were made in former Communist countries. The elevation of the relatively young archbishop of Sarajevo, Monsignor Vinko Puljic, 49, seemed designed to show the pope's continued hope for a Balkan peace -- and his support for Roman Catholics there.
The large number of new cardinals was seen as a move cementing the influence of John Paul II on the church into the next century.
The appointments would bring the number of cardinals worldwide to 167, but more important is the number eligible to vote in the secret ballot to elect a successor when John Paul II dies. The new group will increase the number of eligible electors -- cardinals under the age of 80 -- to the maximum 120, of whom 100 have been named by John Paul II since he assumed the papacy in 1978.
The pope said yesterday that he would summon the cardinals to Rome on Nov. 26 to confirm his appointments.
Yesterday's announcement -- in an address from the papal apartment high above St. Peter's Square -- comes amid speculation about the pope's health after his cancellation of a long-planned trip that was to have brought him to Baltimore a week ago.
However, Archbishop Keeler said yesterday that while he was in Rome, he saw the pope for hours each day and that he looked well. When the synod opened Oct. 2, Archbishop Keeler said, "I saw real lines of pain on his face as he walked the length of St. Peter's. But when we celebrated Mass on the last day of the synod, those lines were gone. He's doing better."
The archbishop's return to Baltimore came later than expected because he missed a connecting flight last night at Newark -- and he joked about that at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
"I tried to sneak in tonight, but it didn't work out," he said. "There was a mix-up with flights, and it was proof to me that in dealing with computers, especially a new one, they need an exorcism."
Archbishop Keeler said he was informed of his appointment Thursday by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican's secretary of state, who swore him to secrecy. He was not even able to tell his mother, 92-year-old Margaret Keeler, before she learned about it yesterday morning from one of his sisters, who heard it on an early news broadcast.
Asked what the life of a cardinal may be like, the archbishop said, "I guess I'm going to have to find out as it happens."
He added, "In terms of a mission, one thing we ought to be pretty clear on is that the western world is one united by television. The difficult challenge is to share the message that Jesus is alive in whatever city you live in."
Word of Archbishop Keeler's appointment spread across Maryland, bringing accolades from worshipers on their way to Sunday Mass, from their priests, from local leaders of other faiths, and from the mayor of Baltimore and the governor.
"Archbishop Keeler is a great man of compassion," said Gov. William Donald Schaefer. "He deeply cares not only for what is right for the church but also for what is right for the city and the state. Marylanders of all faiths can celebrate this announcement."
"That's impressive," was the initial reaction of Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, according to his spokesman, Clinton R. Coleman, who issued this mayoral statement:
"I congratulate Archbishop Keeler. Certainly this is a tremendous moment for America's premier see. Archbishop Keeler is an outstanding religious leader and a brilliant man. I look forward to working with the archdiocese in planning an appropriate event of celebration for our community."
Rabbi Murray Saltzman, senior rabbi at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, said, "I'm delighted. I think Baltimore can be very proud. He has dedicated his life and his vision to embracing the place of the church in the lives of the Catholic community."
Rabbi Saltzman also said Cardinal Keeler has been instrumental in "healing the wounds" between the Catholic and Jewish faiths.
"He's been pushing close ties between the Jewish community and the pope and the Catholic Church," said the rabbi, pointing to the recent recognition of Israel by the Vatican. "He's really made enormous contributions in that direction."
The bishop-in-charge of the Episcopal diocese of Maryland, Charles L. Longest, predicted that the appointment would increase Archbishop Keeler's influence on local matters and nationally within the Catholic Church. The archbishop is president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and thus the church's chief spokesman in the United States.
"He's very community-minded," said Bishop Longest, one of about 12 religious leaders who serves with the archbishop on the Ecumenical Leaders Group, pointing to the cardinal-designate's concerns about handgun control and housing.
"Anytime you receive the cardinal's hat, many people listen more carefully to you. They realize it's not given easily," he said.
Evangelical Lutheran Bishop George Paul Mocko of the Delaware-Maryland Synod said he caught the end of a news report, heard only the Detroit prelate's appointment and that the College of Cardinals was now filled, "and I said, 'Oh, what a mistake, they really missed out.' I'm pleased to know they haven't."
He added: "I have the deepest respect for Archbishop Keeler, and I can't think of a person more deserving. He's intelligent, sensitive, a man of deep commitment and faith. I think he is very knowledgeable of the whole American church scene, and he will carefully and intelligently represent that in the Vatican."
At All Saints Roman Catholic Church on Liberty Heights Avenue, the priests prayed for "Cardinal Archbishop William Keeler" amid a service reuniting current and former parishioners and priests.
The Rev. Donald Sterling, pastor of All Saints, said they had been expecting the announcement. "He's worked hard for it, and it's good news for us. There have only been two cardinals from this archdiocese, so this is a wonderful sign of esteem for this archdiocese."
Carroll Monaghan, who attended Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary with his wife, Florence, said the archbishop "is perfect for a cardinal."
Copyright © 1994, The Baltimore Sun