RIP, Cardinal Edward Cassidy, lesser known Australian Cardinal, but eminent world Church diplomat

 – and a Randwick parish story.

Cardinal Edward Cassidy died on Saturday in Newcastle at the age of 96. (From the CathNews announcement)

     He spent nearly 30 years serving as a Vatican diplomat in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa.

     He was later appointed to the Secretariat of State, where he served for almost two years in a role equivalent to the Pope’s chief of staff.

     He was named president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in 1989 and elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1991. He retired in 2001 at the age of 76.

     Cardinal Cassidy was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1990 in “recognition of service to religion and to international affairs”.

     Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Mark Coleridge said Cardinal Cassidy’s friendly and down-to-earth style were among his hallmarks while serving at the Vatican.

     While Cardinal Cassidy was highly regarded for several reasons, it was at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity that he “shone”, Archbishop Coleridge said. “Cardinal Cassidy    showed not only diplomatic skill and political astuteness, but also human authenticity and common sense,” he said.

John Mulrooney writes:

You may be interested in this ‘first hand’ story.

When I was in the deputy Provincial role Cardinal Cassidy had been invited to speak to the Monastery Community on the ‘Sacred Heart’. The Provincial was away so I was asked to host the gathering.

Over dinner, he talked about his years of attending daily mass at Randwick parish as a young fellow. He had talked to an MSC there about a vocation to the priesthood and was promptly told that he “probably did not have the required intelligence for the study”. (Shades of another story a little closer to home!) He then applied to the Sydney Archdiocese and was accepted. While in the seminary the Cardinal visited and asked for volunteers for the Wagga Diocese as Bishop Henzche was short of priests. He volunteered. The Bishop sent him to Rome to study Canon Law and after finishing his studies then then Secretary of State, Montini, called him in and said that he would be appointed to the Diplomatic corp! Cardinal Cassidy then said that he would have to seek his Bishop’s permission to which Montini replied: “You won’t have to worry about that young man!”

In my innocence, I said to him that I presumed the Vatican was looking after his needs in retirement after so many years of service. He looked at me with a rather wry grin. After all the years of service around the world he did not have many contacts in Australia when he returned. He looked at buying somewhere around Maroubra and when he saw the prices he realised it was way out of his reach – even a simple one bedroom flat!

He had kept in contact with one school friend who lived in Newcastle. He and his wife offered him a room in their home for which he was eternally grateful (The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head!) After some time he was out walking to the local store for milk and a fellow was putting a for sale sign on the very small parcel of land near the shop. He enquired as to the price and so it was settled and he was looking to put a small kit home on the block.

I presume that is where he ended up settling as Cath News said he died in Newcastle.

He was a very humble and down to earth man with a quiet, gentle sense of humour.

He never lost part of his Australian character.

Thought you might like this little story still in my memory.  (We do!)

And, just arrived, a post-script from Rome, Tim Brennan MSC.

I recall meeting the Cardinal while I was Provincial.

This is my memory but should be confirmed.

When he learned I was an MSC he told me that as a young man he worked, I think, for the PMG.

He lived in the Coogee area but liked to go to Fr Dalton at Randwick for confessions.

He had shared on a few occasions his thought of the priesthood.

It seems one day Leo Dalton ran out of patience and suggested he stop wondering and do something.

As I said, my facts may need to be checked.