Edwin Frederick O'Brien (born April 8, 1939) is an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He has been a cardinal since 2012 and headed the

Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

from 2011 to 2019. O'Brien served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore from 2007 to 2011 and as archbishop of the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA, from 1997 to 2007. He was an auxiliary bishop of the

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the boroug ...

from 1996 to 1997.

Early life and education

Edwin O'Brien was born in 1939 in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York, to Edwin Frederick, Sr. and Mary Winifred O'Brien. One of three children, he had two brothers, Ken and Tom, 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 Katonah is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Bedford, Westchester County, in the U.S. state of New York. The Katonah CDP had a population of 1,679 at the 2010 census. History Katonah is named for Chief Katonah, an ...

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 (1964), and Master of Arts (1965) degrees.

Priesthood

O'Brien was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal

Francis Spellman Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 1939 until his death in 1967, he served as the sixth Archbishop of New York; he had previously served as an auxiliary ...

on May 29, 1965. O'Brien served as a civilian chaplain at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point until 1970, when he became a

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

chaplain with the rank of Captain. He took flight training with parachute jumping. In 1970, O'Brien began serving as a chaplain at Fort Bragg in North Carolina with the 82nd Division. He was sent to South Vietnam in 1971 during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

, with the

173rd Airborne Brigade The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an 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 response force for Eu ...

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 follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

minister by helicopter to minister to soldiers. In 1972, O'Brien was transferred to Georgia serve as post chaplain at Fort Gordon in Georgia until his discharged from the service in 1973. In 1973, O'Brien was sent by Cardinal

Terence Cooke Terence James Cooke (March 1, 1921 – October 6, 1983) was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of New York from 1968 until his death, quietly battling leukemia throughout his tenure. He was named a cardin ...

to study in Rome at the Pontifical North American College. O'Brien graduated from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas ''Angelicum'' 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 chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

of the Archdiocese of New York and associate pastor at St. Patrick Cathedral Parish from 1976 to 1981. He coordinated

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

'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 priest-secretary to Cardinal Cooke and then to his successor, Cardinal John O'Connor. O'Brien was elevated to

honorary prelate of his holiness A Prelate of Honour of His Holiness is a Catholic prelate to whom the Pope has granted this title of honour. They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards clerical clothing. He served as

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

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 of the Archdiocese of New York and titular bishop of ThizicaI. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

on March 25, 1996, by Cardinal O'Connor, with Bishops

Patrick Sheridan Patrick Joseph Thomas Sheridan K.H.S., K.M., (March 10, 1922 – December 2, 2011) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1990 until his retirement in 2001. Biography ...

and John Nolan serving as co-consecrators, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. O'Brien selected as his episcopal motto: ''Pastores Dabo Vobis'', 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 in that capacity, he ordained (with special permission from the Vatican) Rev. Eugene Hamilton, a 24-year old seminarian who was suffering from terminal cancer. Cardinal O'Connor, then archbishop of New York, had successfully petitioned the Vatican for Hamilton's early ordination, which O'Brien officiated only hours before Hamilton died.

Archbishop for the Military Services

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 10 years as archbishop of the Military Services, 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 Emil Kapaun, a US Army chaplain killed during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. From September 2005 to June 2006, O'Brien served in the additional role of the Vatican's coordinator for the Papal Visitation of Seminaries and Houses of Priestly Formation. He expressed his personal opposition to admitting gay men 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 Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy''"Ethics"/ref> A central aspect of ethics is "the good life", the life worth living or life that is simply sati ...

, increased oversight of

seminarians A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

, 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 {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

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, saying 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 , type = Congregation , seal = Coat of arms Holy See.svg , seal_size = 100px , seal_caption = Coat of arms of the Holy See , logo = , picture =Via della Conciliazione din Roma1.jpg , picture_caption = Palazzo delle Congregazioni in Piazza ...

in the Roman Curia in May 2007.

Archbishop of Baltimore

On July 12, 2007, Pope

Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

appointed O'Brien as the 15th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Recalling the call he received from the apostolic nunciature, 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 William Henry Keeler (March 4, 1931 – March 23, 2017) was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1989 to 2007 and was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1994. He previously ser ...

. O'Brien was installed at the

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen is a Catholic cathedral located in northern Baltimore, Maryland. The structure, remarkable in size, was completed in 1959. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Baltimore, joining the Basilica of the Nati ...

on October 1, 2007. As head of the nation's oldest diocese, O'Brien held the status of '' primus inter pares'' 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 and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...

'' said,

"He has leapt from military airplanes, served in jungles during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
and travelled extensively to current battle zones in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
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 ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, 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, Pope 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 metropol ...

, a

vestment Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; this ...

worn by

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the ...

s, at

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

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," in downtown Baltimore. O'Brien's three years and 11 months as archbishop was one of the briefest terms in Baltimore's history. His departure also marked the first time the see had been vacant since 1947.

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 diplomat. A cardinal, he served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine o ...

asked O'Brien during a visit to Rome if he would assume the position of pro- grand master. O'Brien accepted the next day and was appointed on August 29, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI elevated O'Brien to cardinal along with 21 others on February 18, 2012. O'Brien was created cardinal-deacon of

San Sebastiano al Palatino San Sebastiano al Palatino is a church on the northeastern corner of the Palatine Hill in Rome. It is dedicated to Saint Sebastian, a late-third-century Christian martyr under the reign of Diocletian. According to legend, the church was built on t ...

, the same

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary des ...

held by Cardinal 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 The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches (also called Dicastery for the Oriental Churches), previously named Congregation for the Oriental Churches or Congregation for the Eastern Churches ( la, Congregatio pro Ecclesiis Orientalibus), is a dicaste ...

and the Pontifical Council ''Cor Unum''. He participated in the

2013 papal conclave The 2013 papal conclave was convened to elect a pope to succeed Pope Benedict XVI following his resignation on 28 February 2013. After the 115 participating cardinal-electors gathered, they set 12 March 2013 as the beginning of the conclave. ...

that elected

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

. Pope 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.

Views

Abortion

O'Brien opposes

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

, calling it the "greatest civil rights issue of our time" and saying,

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Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

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, given Obama's support for

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

for women and

embryonic stem cell Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre- implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist ...

research (which O'Brien opposes).

Capital punishment

In 2008, O'Brien expressed his opposition to

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

, citing the John Paul II's encyclical ''

Evangelium Vitae ''Evangelium vitae'' () translated in English to "The Gospel of Life", is a papal encyclical promulgated on 25 March 1995 by Pope John Paul II. It deals with issues pertaining to the sanctity of human life, including murder, abortion, euthana ...

'', 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 Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ ( la, Congregatio Legionariorum Christi; abbreviated LC; also Legion of Christ) is a Roman Catholic clerical religious order made up of priests and candidates for the priesthood established by Marcia ...

. He condemned the Legion for its alleged practice of "blind allegiance", lack of "respect for human dignity for each of its members", and "heavily persuasive methods on young people, especially high schoolers, regarding vocations." In June 2008, O'Brien called for greater "transparency and accountability" from the Legion of Christ and its lay arm,

Regnum Christi Regnum Christi, officially the Regnum Christi Federation (Latin: Regnum Christi Foederationis) is an international Catholic Federation. It is open to all lay Catholics and in addition has three consecrated branches, the Legion of Christ (seminari ...

, including both consecrated and non-consecrated members. O'Brien wanted to expel the Legion from the archdiocese, but the Vatican persuaded him not to. Instead, discussions were held with the Superior General Álvaro Corcuera Martínez del Río of the Legion. As a result, Martínez del Río directed the Legion and Regnum Christi chapters in the archdiocese to disclosed all their activities. He also directed them to stop providing spiritual direction to anyone under age 18. The Legion subsequently saw decreasing enrollment in the archdiocese, leading its leaders to close its Woodmont Academy in Cooksville, Maryland. In February 2009, the Legion of Christ superiors acknowledged that their founder,

Marcial Maciel Marcial Maciel Degollado (March 10, 1920 – January 30, 2008) was a Mexican Catholic priest who founded the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi movement. He was general director of the Legion from 1941 to 2005. Throughout most of his car ...

, had engaged in "inappropriate" behavior. This included including drug and

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

as well as 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 In the Catholic Church, a canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view to maintaining faith and discipline and of correcting abuses. A person delegated to ca ...

of the Legion and said that its abolition "should be on the table."

Just War

O'Brien has been an outspoken proponent of the

Just war theory The just war theory ( la, bellum iustum) is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition, of military ethics which is studied by military leaders, theologians, ethicists and policy makers. The purpose of the doctrine is to ensure that a war is ...

. Sometimes called the "Warrior Cardinal", he is seen as a controversial figure and is considered to have given moral justifications for the 2003 US invasion in Iraq. Early in 2003, O'Brien spoke at the

United States Military Academy at West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

at 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 U.S. invasion of Iraq, in a letter to US 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 ilitaryleadership 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 war or the motivations behind it. Supporters of the war in Iraqi cited his positions. He was criticized by opponents of the war for distancing himself from the position of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. According to Sabrina Ferrisi, 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 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 Abu Ghraib. O'Brien has complained that too few Catholics priests are serving in active duty, being replaced by chaplains of other faiths because the military disregards the significance of denominational affiliation. He consistently rejected discussion with Catholic groups that asked chaplains "to call on all Catholic soldiers to leave Iraq. In July 2009, at the U.S. Strategic Command Deterrence Symposium, O'Brien explained 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" and urging the world leaders to "stay focused on the destination of a nuclear-weapons-free world and on the concrete steps that lead there." In September 2013, when President Barack Obama was considering the use of military force in Syria, O'Brien said that "whatever we do will contribute to peace in that part of the world", contradicting the views of the hierarchy of the

Catholic Church in Syria The Catholic Church in Syria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are 368,000 Catholics in Syria (and its refugee diaspora), approximately 2% of the total population. The Catholics of ...

Notes

References

External links

*
Archdiocese of Baltimore

Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
official website

GCatholic.org. Retrieved 2010-08-20. {{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Edwin Frederick 1939 births People from the Bronx American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent Saint Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) alumni United States Military Academy faculty Living people United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War United States Army officers United States Army chaplains Pontifical North American College alumni Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Pontifical North American College rectors Roman Catholic archbishops of Baltimore Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education Members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches 21st-century American cardinals Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI Vietnam War chaplains People from Katonah, New York Grand Masters of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Catholics from New York (state)