John Krol

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American Catholic cardinal (1910–1996)

title: "John Krol" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1910-births", "1996-deaths", "american-people-of-polish-descent", "20th-century-american-cardinals", "saint-mary-seminary-and-graduate-school-of-theology-alumni", "catholic-university-of-america-alumni", "diocese-of-cleveland", "roman-catholic-archbishops-of-philadelphia", "catholic-church-sexual-abuse-scandals-in-the-united-states", "burials-at-the-cathedral-basilica-of-saints-peter-and-paul-(philadelphia)", "participants-in-the-second-vatican-council", "cardinals-created-by-pope-paul-vi", "religious-leaders-from-cleveland", "american-anti-abortion-activists", "catholic-university-of-america-school-of-canon-law-alumni", "presidents-of-the-united-states-conference-of-catholic-bishops"] description: "American Catholic cardinal (1910–1996)" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Krol" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American Catholic cardinal (1910–1996) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Christian leader"]

FieldValue
typeCardinal
honorific-prefixHis Eminence
nameJohn Joseph Krol
titleCardinal, Archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia
imageRonald Reagan and John Cardinal Krol.jpg
captionRonald Reagan (left) hosted the Cardinal in the Oval Office in 1981
seePhiladelphia
appointedFebruary 11, 1961
enthronedMarch 22, 1961
endedFebruary 11, 1988
predecessorJohn Francis O'Hara
successorAnthony Bevilacqua
ordinationFebruary 20, 1937
ordained_byJoseph Schrembs
consecrationJuly 11, 1953
consecrated_byAmleto Giovanni Cicognani
cardinalJune 26, 1967
created_cardinal_byPaul VI
rankCardinal-Priest
other_postCardinal Priest of Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani
previous_post
birth_date
birth_placeCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
death_date
death_placePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
mottoDeus rex meus (God is my king)
coat_of_armsCoat of arms of John Joseph Krol.svg
::

| type = Cardinal | honorific-prefix = His Eminence | name = John Joseph Krol | honorific-suffix = | title = Cardinal, Archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia | image = Ronald Reagan and John Cardinal Krol.jpg | caption = Ronald Reagan (left) hosted the Cardinal in the Oval Office in 1981 | province = | diocese = | see = Philadelphia | appointed = February 11, 1961 | enthroned = March 22, 1961 | ended = February 11, 1988 | predecessor = John Francis O'Hara | successor = Anthony Bevilacqua | ordination = February 20, 1937 | ordained_by = Joseph Schrembs | consecration = July 11, 1953 | consecrated_by = Amleto Giovanni Cicognani | cardinal = June 26, 1967 | created_cardinal_by = Paul VI | rank = Cardinal-Priest | other_post = Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani | previous_post = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | buried = | nationality = | religion = | residence = | parents = | spouse = | children = | occupation = | profession = | alma_mater = | signature = | motto = Deus rex meus (God is my king) | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of John Joseph Krol.svg | cardinal name = John Krol | image = Coat of arms of John Joseph Krol.svg | image_size = 200px | dipstyle = His Eminence | offstyle = Your Eminence | relstyle = Cardinal | deathstyle = none | See = Philadelphia | date of consecration = September 2, 1953 | consecrated by = Amleto Giovanni Cicognani | bishop 1 = Dennis Vincent Durning, C.S.Sp. | consecration date 1 = May 28, 1963 | bishop 2 = Joseph Thomas Daley | consecration date 2 = January 7, 1964 | bishop 3 = John Joseph Graham | consecration date 3 = January 7, 1964 | bishop 4 = Alfred Michael Watson | consecration date 4 = June 29, 1965 | bishop 5 = Giovanni Enrico Boccella | consecration date 5 = April 17, 1968 | bishop 6 = Martin Nicholas Lohmuller | consecration date 6 = April 2, 1970 | bishop 7 = Thomas Jerome Welsh | consecration date 7 = April 2, 1970 | bishop 8 = James Steven Rausch | consecration date 8 = April 26, 1973 | bishop 9 = Michael Bosco Duraisamy | consecration date 9 = June 10, 1974 | bishop 10 = Edward Thomas Hughes | consecration date 10 = July 21, 1976 | bishop 11 = Louis Anthony DeSimone | consecration date 11 = August 12, 1981 | bishop 12 = Francis Bible Schulte | consecration date 12 = August 12, 1981 | bishop 13 = John Patrick Foley | consecration date 13 = May 8, 1984 John Joseph Krol (October 26, 1910 – March 3, 1996) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1961 to 1988, having previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland (1953–1961), and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1967 by Pope Paul VI.

Early life and education

Krol was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the fourth of eight children of John (Jan) and Anna (née Pietruszka) Król. His parents were Polish immigrants who were originally from the Tatra Mountains. Krol's father held various occupations, working as a machinist, barber, carpenter, plumber and electrician; his mother worked as a maid at a hotel in Cleveland. At age 2, he and his family returned to Poland, but returned to Cleveland within a year. Krol received his early education at the parochial school of St. Hyacinth Church. At age 9, he went to work part-time as a butcher's helper. He later worked as a maker of wooden boxes.

Krol attended Cathedral Latin High School, graduating at age 16 in 1927. He later enrolled at St. Mary's Seminary in his native Cleveland. At St. Mary's, he also operated a small tobacco business, receiving shipments of defective cigars and then selling them to his fellow seminarians.

Priesthood

On February 20, 1937, Krol was ordained a priest by Bishop Joseph Schrembs at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. His first assignment was as a curate at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Cleveland, where he remained for one year. In 1938, he was sent to continue his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1940. He received a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Catholic University of America School of Canon Law in Washington, D.C., in 1942.

Following his return to Cleveland, Krol served as professor of canon law at St. Mary's Seminary from 1942 to 1943. He served as vice-chancellor (1943–51) and chancellor (1951–54) of the Diocese of Cleveland. He was named a papal chamberlain in 1945, and was raised to the rank of domestic prelate in 1951. In 1950, he became president of the Canon Law Society of America.

Episcopacy

Cleveland

On July 11, 1953, Krol was appointed auxiliary bishop of Cleveland and titular bishop of Cardi by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 2 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Archbishop Edward Francis Hoban and Bishop Floyd Lawrence Begin serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. In addition to his episcopal duties, he was named vicar general of the Diocese of Cleveland in 1954.

Philadelphia

Following the death of Cardinal John Francis O'Hara, Krol was appointed the sixth Archbishop of Philadelphia by Pope John XXIII on February 11, 1961. He was the first Polish American to become an archbishop, and, at age 50, was the youngest Catholic archbishop in the country at the time. In his first sermon as archbishop, Krol spoke of the need for civic dedication and virtue, saying, "I am conscious, too, of our beloved country, the bold idealism that inspired it, the courage that gave it birth. May God grant that our prayers, the moral integrity of our lives, the clarity of our teaching, and the sincerity of our patriotism help increase the spiritual resources without which no nation can survive."

Krol attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965.

He was created Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani by Paul VI on June 26, 1967, during the same consistory that elevated Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Kraków, Poland. Both were cardinal electors in the conclaves of August and October 1978. Wojtyła became Pope John Paul II in the latter conclave, and Krol served as one of his closest advisors.

After the first meeting between Church and Freemasonry which had been held on 11 April 1969 at the convent of the Divine Master in Ariccia, he was the protagonist of a series of public handshakes between high prelates of the Roman Catholic Church and the heads of Freemasonry.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Krol governed the Archdiocese of Philadelphia through an era where the population shifted to the suburbs. Krol campaigned for the canonization of Katharine Drexel, and was present at the canonization of his Czech-born predecessor in Philadelphia, Bishop John Neumann. He made a celebrated pilgrimage to Poland in 1972, and served as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1971 to 1974. On April 5, 1970, he led prayer services at the White House for President Richard Nixon and the Johnson and Bush families; in addition to Nixon the former President Lyndon B. Johnson and the future Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush were in attendance. In 1985, Krol baptized Polish United Workers' Party defector Romuald Spasowski.

Later life and legacy

Krol was hospitalized in 1987 for treatment of diverticulosis. Due to his ill health, he resigned as Archbishop of Philadelphia on February 11, 1988, exactly 27 years after he was appointed to the post. He was succeeded by Anthony Bevilacqua.

Krol died at age 85 in Philadelphia, where he is buried in the crypt beneath the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Cardinal Krol was criticized for his role in the archidocese's sex abuse scandal some 10 years after his death. The Grand Jury stated that Krol knew that some priests under his command were molesting and raping young boys and girls but did nothing to prevent future crimes. A 2005 grand jury report cited evidence that both Cardinal Krol (Archbishop of Philadelphia 1961–1988) and his successor Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua (Archbishop of Philadelphia 1988–2003) had allowed dozens of sexually abusive priests to stay in holy orders by transferring them from parish to parish to avoid a scandal.

E. Michael Jones published a biography of Krol in 1995 titled John Cardinal Krol and the Cultural Revolution. The book covers Krol's early life and his time as President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the turbulent times of the 1970s. In order to give Jones sources for the book, Krol allowed Jones access to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia archives.

Views

Krol was widely considered to be a staunch conservative, even a "traditionalist". As described by The New York Times, he was "an outspoken defender of traditional theology, hierarchical authority and strict church discipline."

Abortion

In 1973, he called the Supreme Court's decisions overturning state laws banning abortion "an unspeakable tragedy for this nation" that "sets in motion developments which are terrifying to contemplate." In 1974, Krol testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Human Life Amendment proposed by New York Senator James L. Buckley. While mostly in favor, Krol argued that the amendment should drop the exception for when the mother's life was in danger, so that should abortion be banned under all circumstances. Krol in his statement said of Roe v. Wade:

Marriages

He opposed looser regulations governing marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics.

Contraception

He referred to the Catholic Church's condemnation of contraception, reaffirmed by Pope Paul VI in 1968, as "divine law."

Nuclear disarmament

In 1979, his Congressional testimony backing talks on limiting strategic arms foreshadowed an appeal in a pastoral letter by American bishops for nuclear disarmament in 1983. At the high tide of the nuclear freeze movement in 1982, Cardinal Krol told 15,000 demonstrators at a Philadelphia rally that it was time for governments "to dismantle existing nuclear weapons." He later acknowledged that his belief in gradual and reciprocal disarmament, with strong safeguards against cheating, was probably not shared by all the demonstrators.

Second Vatican Council

After the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965, he soon joined those alarmed by the pressures for change that the Council produced. He opposed many of the small accommodations or options in church discipline that gained favor after Vatican II, including looser regulations governing marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics, the reception of Communion in the hand, and attending Mass on Saturday evening instead of Sunday.

Tax credits for Catholic schools

In 1984, Cardinal Krol appeared with President Ronald Reagan at a campaign rally at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa shrine in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, praising Reagan for trying to win tax credits for parents of children in religious schools. In the same year, the Cardinal delivered an invocation at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas.

Personal life

  • He spoke eleven languages.

References

References

  1. Steinfels, Peter. (1996-03-04). "John Cardinal Krol, Pivotal Catholic Figure, Dies at 85". [[The New York Times]].
  2. (2001). "Making It in America: A Sourcebook on Eminent Ethnic Americans". ABC-CLIO, Inc..
  3. Corr, John. (1996-03-03). "CARDINAL JOHN KROL, 1910 - 1996". [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]].
  4. Palmo, Rocco. "The Influence of His Eminence John Cardinal Krol, D.D., J.C.D., Tenth Ordinary and Sixth Archbishop of Philadelphia". The History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
  5. Curtis, Georgina Pell. (1961). "The American Catholic Who's Who". Walter Romig.
  6. (1961-02-16). "Philadelphia Archbishop Is Named". [[The New York Times]].
  7. (March 2015). ["John Joseph Cardinal Krol"](http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkrol.html}}{{Self-published source). Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  8. Miranda, Salvador. "KROL, John Joseph (1910-1996)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church.
  9. (1961-03-23). "Philadelphia Archbishop Installed". [[The New York Times]].
  10. liberal]] in [[Catholic social teaching. social principles]] but sternly [[Conservatism. conservative]] in those of [[doctrine]] and [[Episcopal polity. church government]]. He condemned [[arms race]]s and [[abortion]], but supported [[Clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church. clerical celibacy]] and [[disarmament]].Time Magazine. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101015040442/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,955097,00.html Bishops and the Bomb] November 29, 1982
  11. [[Sandro Magister]]. (19 August 1999). "Tra il papa e il massone non c'è comunione". [[L'Espresso]].
  12. Time Magazine. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110524015317/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,906661-1,00.html Pilgrim in Poland] October 30, 1972
  13. Robenalt, James D. (2015). ''January 1973: Watergate, Roe v. Wade, Vietnam, and the Month that Changed America Forever''. Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Review Press. {{ISBN. 978-1-61374-967-8. {{OCLC. 906705247.
  14. Time Magazine. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101022212947/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,964446,00.html Milestones] May 25, 1987
  15. (21 September 2005). "Philadelphia Archdiocese Concealed Sexual Abuse, Grand Jury Finds (Published 2005)". [[The New York Times]].
  16. [http://www.culturewars.com/reprints.htm Culture Wars Magazine Reprints],
  17. (1987-05-25). "The Fine Papal Art Of Creating New Cardinals".
  18. (1996-03-04). "Traditionalist was archbishop of Philadelphia". [[The Blade (Toledo).
  19. Ostling, Richard N.. (1982-11-29). "Bishops and the Bomb".
  20. (1996-03-06). "Pre-eminent conservative: Cardinal John Krol served his church long and faithfully". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
  21. Williams, Daniel K.. (2016). "Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-life Movement Before Roe v. Wade". Oxford University Press.
  22. "Testimony of His Eminence John Cardinal Krol Archbishop of Philadelphia before the Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary".
  23. "Testimony of His Eminence John Cardinal Krol Archbishop of Philadelphia before the Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary".
  24. Time Magazine. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070508180638/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877464,00.html The Krol Era] November 29, 1971

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