Pope mourns U.S. Cardinal Bevilacqua

(Feb. 01, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI expressed heartfelt condolences on Wednesday on hearing of the death of Cardinal Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua, retired archbishop of Philadelphia, U.S. The 88-year-old cardinal died after a long illness in a Philadelphia suburb on Tuesday. In a condolence message addressed to Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia archdiocese, Pope Benedict praised the late cardinal for his longstanding commitment to social justice and the pastoral care of immigrants, and his expert contribution to the revision of the Church’s law in the years following the Second Vatican Council.
Born in 1923, Cardinal Bevilacqua was ordained priest in 1949, consecrated bishop in 1980 and appointed archbishop of Philadelphia in 1987. He was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1991. As a church leader, Cardinal Bevilacqua campaigned for a moratorium on the death penalty and often spoke out against homosexuality, birth control and abortion. He headed the influential bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities.