Edwin Frederick O'Brien (born April 8, 1939) is an
American Catholic who headed the
Order of the Holy Sepulchre from 2011 to 2019. He previously served as
Archbishop of Baltimore from 2007 to 2011 and as
Archbishop of the Military Services, USA, from 1997 to 2007. He was an auxiliary bishop for the
Archdiocese of New York
The Archdiocese of New York () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New York (state), State of New York. It encompasses the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island in New York ...
from 1996 to 1997. O'Brien was made a
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
in 2012.
Early life and education
Edwin O'Brien was born on April 8, 1939, in the
Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
,
New York, to Edwin Frederick Sr. and Mary Winifred O'Brien.
One of three children, he had two brothers, Ken and Tom O'Brien, now deceased. O'Brien graduated from Our Lady of Solace Parish School in the Bronx in 1953 and attended
St. Mary's High School in
Katonah, New York from 1953 to 1957.
O'Brien entered
St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York in 1959, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts (1961),
Master of Divinity
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...
(1964), and Master of Arts (1965) degrees.
Priesthood
O'Brien was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
to the priesthood at
St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan for the
Archdiocese of New York
The Archdiocese of New York () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New York (state), State of New York. It encompasses the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island in New York ...
by Cardinal
Francis Spellman
Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an Catholic Church in the United States, American Catholic prelate who served as Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Archbishop of New York from 1939 until his death in 1967. F ...
on May 29, 1965.
O'Brien served as a civilian
chaplain
A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...
at the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
at West Point until 1970, when he enlisted in the
U.S. Army Chaplain Corps with the rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
.
He took Army flight training with parachute jumping.
In 1970, O'Brien began serving as a chaplain at
Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...
in North Carolina with the US Army
82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
.
O'Brien was sent to
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
in 1971 during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
with the US Army
173rd Airborne Brigade
The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic respo ...
and the
3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
While in South Vietnam, O'Brien was based in the countryside and flew with a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
minister by helicopter to minister to soldiers.
In 1972, O'Brien was transferred to Georgia, serving as post chaplain at
Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon, formerly known as Fort Eisenhower and Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established southwest of Augusta, Georgia in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cy ...
until his discharge from the service in 1973.
In 1973, Cardinal
Terence Cooke sent O'Brien to study in Rome at the
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Prie ...
in Rome. He graduated from the
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas ''Angelicum'' in Rome with a
Doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1976. His dissertation was titled ''The Origin and Development of Moral Principles in the Theology of
Paul Ramsey''.
Returning to New York, O'Brien served as both the
vice-chancellor
A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...
of the Archdiocese of New York and
associate pastor at
St. Patrick Cathedral Parish in Manhattan from 1976 to 1981.
He coordinated
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
's visit to New York in 1979 and was the archdiocesan director of communications from 1981 to 1983.
Between 1983 and 1985, O'Brien served as Cooke's priest-secretary, then for his successor, Cardinal
John O'Connor.
O'Brien was elevated by the Vatican to
honorary prelate of his holiness in 1986.
He served as
rector of St. Joseph's Seminary from 1985 to 1989, and of the Pontifical North American College from 1990 to 1994. Returning to New York, O'Brien served another term as rector of St. Joseph's from 1994 to 1997.
Auxiliary Bishop of New York
On February 6, 1996, John Paul II appointed O'Brien as
auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of New York and titular bishop of
ThizicaI.
He received his
episcopal consecration on March 25, 1996, by Cardinal O'Connor, with bishops
Patrick Sheridan and
John Nolan serving as
co-consecrators
A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop.
The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churche ...
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
O'Brien selected as his episcopal motto: , meaning, "I will give you shepherds"
Jeremiah 3:15.
During this time, O’Brien continued to serve as rector of St. Joseph's Seminary. While serving there, he ordained (with Vatican permission) Reverend Eugene Hamilton, a 24-year old seminarian who was suffering from
terminal cancer. O'Connor had petitioned the Vatican for Hamilton's early ordination, which O'Brien officiated a few hours before Hamilton died.
Archbishop for the Military Services, USA
On April 7, 1997, John Paul II appointed O'Brien as coadjutor archbishop for the
Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA.
[ He succeeded Archbishop Joseph Dimino when he retired on August 12, 1997.]
During his ten years as archbishop, O'Brien divided his time between visiting American troops and working with the Pontifical North American College. In 1993, he initiated the cause of canonization for Reverend Emil Kapaun, a US Army chaplain killed while in North Korean captivity during the Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
.
From September 2005 to June 2006, O'Brien also served as the Vatican's coordinator for the papal visitation of seminaries and houses of priestly formation. He expressed his personal opposition to admitting gay men
Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual men, bisexual and homoromantic men may dually identify as ''gay'' and a number of gay men also identify as ''queer''. Historic terminology for gay men has included ''Sexual inversion (sexology), in ...
to seminaries, a position he said was "based on 12 years' experience as rector of two U.S. seminaries". His report also called for a stronger focus on moral theology, increased oversight of seminarians
A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...
, and greater involvement of diocesan bishops in the formation process. He was recognized as being "instrumental in Catholic seminary reform in the wake of clergy sex abuse disclosures."
In 2006, O'Brien noted that declining public support for the Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
was leading to a decrease in morale among the troops, adding, "The news only shows cars being blown up, but the soldiers see hospitals being built and schools opening." By 2007, he believed that the status of US operations in Iraq "compels an assessment of our current circumstances and the continuing obligation of the Church to provide a moral framework for public discussion." O'Brien refused to "question the moral integrity of our military personnel," but added, " r nation must honestly assess what is achievable in Iraq using the traditional just war principles of 'probability of success' ... Our troops should remain in Iraq only as long as their presence contributes to a responsible transition."
O'Brien opposed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007. He said that it "would seek to impose a legislative mandate for military chaplains without considering the religious needs of all military members ... ndmay well result in less public prayer and marginalization of military chaplains."
He was appointed a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education
The Congregation for Catholic Education (Institutes of Study) () was the pontifical congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for: universities, faculties, institutes and higher schools of study, either ecclesial or non-ecclesiastical depende ...
in the Roman Curia
The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...
in May 2007.
Archbishop of Baltimore
On July 12, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, his resignation on 28 Februar ...
appointed O'Brien as the 15th archbishop of Baltimore.[ Recalling the call he received from the ]apostolic nunciature
An apostolic nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See that is equivalent to an embassy. However, it neither issues visas nor has consul (representative), consulates.
The head of the apostolic nunciature is called a ''nuncio ...
, O'Brien immediately accepted the appointment and later remarked, "I guess that's one thing I take from the military. When you're given an order, you accept." He succeeded Cardinal William Keeler. O'Brien was installed at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore on October 1, 2007.
As head of the nation's oldest archdioceses, O'Brien held the status of ''primus inter pares
is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their seniority in office.
H ...
'' in the American hierarchy. Commenting on O'Brien's appointment, ''The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news.
Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' said, "He has leapt from military airplanes, served in jungles during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and travelled extensively to current battle zones in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
and Iraq. From his working-class roots ... to the upper echelons of Catholic power—carrying a Christian message of peace and love to some of the world's worst war-torn terrain".
Following his tour of the archdiocese, O'Brien lamented the amount of poverty and violence in Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, saying, "I think anybody who wants to take a walk can find areas with very nice homes, well-kept lawns, good streets and sidewalks, and maybe 15 minutes later find themselves in a neighborhood that is just racked, torn apart, as if a war had just been fought."
On June 29, 2008, Benedict XVI invested O'Brien with the pallium
The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : pallia) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolitan bish ...
, a vestment
Vestments are Liturgy, liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christianity, Christian religion, especially by Eastern Christianity, Eastern Churches, Catholic Church, Catholics (of all rites), Lutherans, and Anglicans. ...
worn by metropolitan bishop
In Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), is held by the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a Metropolis (reli ...
s, at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In October 2008, O'Brien dedicated the Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden in Baltimore, which he called a "sanctuary in a suffering city." O'Brien's three years and 11 months as archbishop was one of the briefest terms in Baltimore's history. While archbishop, he was Grand Prior of the Middle Atlantic USA Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre from 2007 to 2011.
Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
On August 17, 2011, after Cardinal John Foley reached the mandatory retirement age, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone (born 2 December 1934) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church and a Vatican City, Vatican diplomat. A Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal since 2003, he served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as S ...
asked O'Brien during a visit to Rome if he would assume the position of pro
Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional".
Pro, PRO or variants thereof might also refer to:
People
* Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest
* Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter
* Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African ret ...
- grand master. O'Brien accepted the position the next day and was appointed by Benedict XVI on August 29, 2011.
Benedict XVI elevated O'Brien to cardinal on February 18, 2012. O'Brien was created cardinal-deacon of San Sebastiano al Palatino, the same titular church
In the Catholic Church, a titular church () is a Churches in Rome, church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the Holy orders in the Catholic Church, clergy who is created a Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal. These are Catholic churches in ...
previously held by Foley. O'Brien was named grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on March 15, 2012.
On April 21, 2012, O'Brien was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and the Pontifical Council ''Cor Unum''. He participated in the 2013 papal conclave
A papal conclave was held on 12 and 13 March 2013 to elect a new pope to succeed Benedict XVI, who had resigned on 28 February 2013. Of the 117 eligible Cardinal electors in the 2013 papal conclave, cardinal electors, all but two attended. On th ...
that elected Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
.
Francis accepted O'Brien's resignation as grand master on December 8, 2019. On March 4, 2022, he was elevated to the rank of cardinal-priest
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
.
Views
Abortion
O'Brien opposes abortion rights for women, calling it the "greatest civil rights issue of our time" and saying, " he right to life">right_to_life.html" ;"title="he right to life">he right to lifewill determine whether America remains a hospitable society: committed to caring for women in crisis and their unborn children; committed to caring for those with special needs; committed to caring for the elderly and the dying; or whether America betrays our heritage and the truths on which its founders staked its claim to independence."
During the 2008 United States presidential election">2008 US presidential election, O'Brien lamented that the "clear and unchanged teaching of our Church from its earliest days has been so distorted in political debate and commentary." This was an indirect criticism of remarks made by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi ( ; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who was the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011 an ...
and then-Senator Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
concerning the Catholic Church's position on abortion.
In March 2009, O'Brien said he was both "disappointed and bewildered" by the decision of the University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
to invited President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
deliver the commencement speech and receive an honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
at the university's graduation ceremony. This was because of Obama's support for abortion rights
Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their p ...
for women and embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are Cell potency#Pluripotency, pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-Implantation (human embryo), implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4� ...
research (which the Catholic Church opposes).
Capital punishment
In 2008, O'Brien expressed his opposition to capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...
, citing John Paul II's encyclical ''Evangelium Vitae
''Evangelium vitae'' () translated in English as 'The Gospel of Life', is a papal encyclical published on 25 March 1995 (on that year's Feast of the Annunciation) by Pope John Paul II. It is a comprehensive document setting out the teaching ...
'', although he had previously "thought it served a purpose."
Legion of Christ
As archbishop of Baltimore, O'Brien was an outspoken critic of the Legion of Christ
The Legionaries of Christ (in , abbreviated L.C.) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic religious congregation of pontifical right founded on January 3, 1941, by the Mexican Catholic priest Marcial Maciel. It belongs constitutively to the spiritua ...
, a religious order founded in Mexico. He condemned the Legion in 2008 for its alleged practice of "blind allegiance" to its leaders and its "heavily persuasive methods on young people, especially high schoolers, regarding vocations."[ He called for greater "transparency and accountability" from the Legion and its lay arm, Regnum Christi, including both consecrated and non-consecrated members.]
O'Brien wanted to expel the Legion from the archdiocese, but was dissuaded by the Vatican. Instead, he wrote in June 2008 to Superior General Álvaro Corcuera Martínez del Río of the Legion, asking for controls on their operations in the archdiocese As a result, Martínez del Río directed the Legion and Regnum Christi chapters in the archdiocese to disclose all their activities to O'Brien. He also directed them to stop providing spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the div ...
to anyone under age 18.
In February 2009, the Legion of Christ superiors acknowledged that their founder, Reverend Marcial Maciel, had engaged in "inappropriate" behavior. This included including drug
A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...
and sexual abuse
Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
as well as the fathering a child. O'Brien said that the Legion must offer "full disclosure of aciel'sactivities and those who are complicit in them, or knew of them, and of those who are still refusing to offer disclosure," adding that the institute's finances should also be subject to "objective scrutiny."[ O'Brien called Maciel "a man with an entrepreneurial genius who, by systematic deception and duplicity, used our faith to manipulate others for his own selfish ends."][ O'Brien welcomed the Vatican's decision in March 2009 to conduct an apostolic visitation of the Legion and said that its abolition "should be on the table."][In 2009, O'Brien criticized the lack of "respect for human dignity for each of its members" from the Legion]
The Legion subsequently experienced decreasing enrollment in the archdiocese, leading to the closure in 2011 of its Woodmont Academy in Cooksville, Maryland.
Just War
O'Brien has been an outspoken proponent of the just war theory. Sometimes called the "Warrior Cardinal", he is seen as a controversial figure and is considered to have given moral justifications for the Iraq War, 2003 US invasion in Iraq. Early in 2003, O'Brien spoke to Catholic members of the corps of cadets at the United States Military Academy, United States Military Academy at West Point during a mass: "I know that a lot of people have said that the Pope is against war with Iraq ... But even if he did, you are not bound by conscience to obey his opinion. However, you are bound in conscience to obey the orders of your Commander-in-Chief, and if he orders you to go to war, it is your duty to go to war".
On March 25, 2003, a few days after the Iraq invasion, in a letter to American Catholic military chaplains, O'Brien wrote: "Given the complexity of factors involved, many of which understandably remain confidential, it is altogether appropriate for members of our armed forces to presume the integrity of our [military] leadership and its judgments, and therefore to carry out their military duties in good conscience ... It is to be hoped that all factors which have led to our intervention will eventually be made public, and ... will shed helpful light upon our President's decision".
O'Brien did not endorse the Iraq war or the motivations behind it. Supporters of the war in Iraqi cited his positions. He was criticized in 2003 and 2004 by opponents of the war for distancing himself from the pope's position and that of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
According to the journalist Sabrina Ferrisi in a 2009 article, O'Brien's spiritual direction proved effective in calming the doubts of soldiers, advising them that they can safely leave the responsibility for moral decision-making to the US Government. O'Brien believes that chaplains play an essential role in helping soldiers perform their fighting duties with a clear conscience, and in easing relationships with local populations and to avoid such gross misconduct as the torture of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse, Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
In July 2009, at the United States Strategic Command, U.S. Strategic Command Deterrence Symposium, O'Brien provided his view on just war theories, saying "The moral end we seek ought to shape the means we use", that the U.S. must "move beyond nuclear deterrence as rapidly as possible". He urged world leaders to "stay focused on the destination of a nuclear-weapons-free world and on the concrete steps that lead there."
O'Brien in 2010 complained that too few Catholics priests were serving in active duty, being replaced by chaplains of other faiths because the military disregarded the significance of denominational affiliation.
In September 2013, when Obama was considering the use of military force against the Bashar al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, O'Brien said that "whatever we do will contribute to peace in that part of the world". This position contradicted the views of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Syria.
See also
* Catholic Church in the United States
* Chaplain Corps (United States Army)
* Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
* List of Catholic bishops in the United States#Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, List of Catholic bishops of the United States: military service
* Military chaplain
* Religious symbolism in the United States military
* United States military chaplains
Notes
References
External links
*
O'Brien Card. Edwin Frederick
. Holy See Press Office
Archived
from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
Archdiocese of Baltimore
(archive copy)
Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
official website
a
GCatholic.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Edwin Frederick
1939 births
21st-century American cardinals
American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent
Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI
Catholics from New York (state)
Grand Masters of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Grand Priors of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Living people
Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education
Members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
People from Katonah, New York
Pontifical North American College alumni
Pontifical North American College rectors
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni
Religious leaders from the Bronx
Roman Catholic archbishops of Baltimore
Saint Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) alumni
United States Army chaplains
United States Army officers
United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
United States Military Academy faculty
Vietnam War chaplains