FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, January 6, 2012

                                                                           
STATEMENT OF ARCHBISHOP DOLAN

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has announced that His Excellency the Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will be elevated to the dignity of Cardinal in a Consistory to be held on February 18, 2012.

Archbishop Dolan released a statement today in which he expressed his gratitude to Pope Benedict XVI saying that he is “honored, humbled, and grateful.”  He also thanked the people of the archdiocese of New York, “this is about an affirmation of love from the Pope to a celebrated archdiocese and community, and a summons to its unworthy archbishop to serve Jesus, His Church universal, His vicar on earth, and His people better.”

Archbishop Dolan is the eighth Archbishop of New York to be named a Cardinal. The first seven Cardinal Archbishops of New York were:

John Cardinal McCloskey (Archbishop 1864-1885; created Cardinal 1875.  First American Cardinal.)
John Cardinal Farley (Archbishop 1902-1918; created Cardinal 1911)
Patrick Cardinal Hayes (Archbishop 1919-1938; created Cardinal 1924)
Francis Cardinal Spellman (Archbishop 1939-1967; created Cardinal 1946)
Terence Cardinal Cooke (Archbishop 1968-1983; created Cardinal 1969)
John Cardinal O’Connor (Archbishop 1984-2000; created Cardinal 1985)
Edward Cardinal Egan (Archbishop 2000-2009; created Cardinal 2001)

      -30-

inline_619_http://archny.org/media/pdf_icon_sm.gifClick here to read the statement of Cardinal-Designate Dolan.