John Patrick Cody (December 24, 1907 – April 25, 1982) was an
American Catholic
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the cou ...
prelate who served as
Bishop of Kansas City–Saint Joseph (1956–1961),
Archbishop of New Orleans
The Archdiocese of New Orleans (; ; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church spanning Jefferson (except Grand Isle), Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, and Washingto ...
(1964–1965), and
Archbishop of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeast Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and e ...
(1965–1982). He was named 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 1967.
Biography
Early life and education
John Cody was born in
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
, Missouri, to Thomas Joseph and Mary (née Begley) Cody.
His father was an
Irish immigrant who became deputy chief of the
St Louis Fire Department
The St. Louis Fire Department (STLFD or STL City Fire) provides emergency medical services, Fire investigation, fire cause determination, fire prevention, Firefighting, fire suppression, Dangerous goods, hazardous materials mitigation, and Resc ...
. After attending Holy Rosary Parochial School, he entered
St. Louis Preparatory Seminary at age 13.
He remained at St. Louis until 1926, when he was sent to continue his studies 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
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
.
[ He earned a ]Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
degree (1928) and a Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STD), also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STP), is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church, being the ecclesiastical equ ...
(1932) from the College of the Propagation of the Faith.[
]
Priesthood
Cody 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 by Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani
Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1 October 1871 – 13 January 1951) was an Italian Catholic prelate who served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Vicar General of His Holiness, Secretary of the Holy Office, ...
on December 8, 1931. He remained in Rome for the next six years as a staff member of the North American College and an official of the Vatican Secretariat of State
The Secretariat of State (Latin: ''Secretaria Status''; Italian: ''Segreteria di Stato'') is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of Stat ...
.[ In 1938, he earned a ]Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law (, JCD) is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It can also be an honorary degree awarded by Anglican colleges. It may also be abbreviated ICD or dr.iur.can. (''Iuris Can ...
degree from the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum ''S. Apollinare'', and was awarded the Benemerenti medal
The Benemerenti Medal (, ) is a medal awarded by the Pope to members of the clergy and laity for service to the Catholic Church. Originally established as an award for soldiers in the Papal Army, it is now a civil decoration but may still be awa ...
for his services to the Secretariat of State.[ Upon his return to the United States, Cody served as private secretary to Archbishop of St. Louis John J. Glennon until 1940, when he became ]chancellor
Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.[ Cody was named a privy chamberlain in 1939 and a ]domestic prelate
Domestic may refer to:
In the home
* Anything relating to the human home or family
** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication
** A domestic appliance, or home appliance
** A domestic partnership
** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...
in 1946.[ He accompanied Archbishop Glennon to Rome in 1946 when the latter was named 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 ...
, and was on hand when Glennon died in Ireland on the return trip.
Episcopacy
On May 10, 1947, Cody was appointed 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 St. Louis and Titular Bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of Apollonia by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...
.[ He received his ]episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United States ...
consecration
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
on the following July 2 from Archbishop Joseph Ritter
Joseph Elmer Ritter (July 20, 1892 – June 10, 1967) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1946 until his death in 1967. He was created a cardinal in 1961. He previously served as auxiliary bishop (1933� ...
, with bishops George Joseph Donnelly
George Joseph Donnelly (April 23, 1889 – December 13, 1950) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Leavenworth (1946–1947) and the Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas (1947–1950).
Biogr ...
and Vincent Stanislaus Waters
Vincent Stanislaus Waters (August 15, 1904—December 3, 1974) was an Catholic Church in the United States, American Catholic prelate who served as Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, Bishop of Raleigh from 1945 until his death in 1974. He is ...
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 the Cathedral of St. Louis.[ He was appointed ]coadjutor The term "coadjutor" (literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence.
These include:
* Coadjutor bishop ...
to the Bishop of Saint Joseph, Missouri, on January 27, 1954. He was appointed Bishop of Kansas City–Saint Joseph, Missouri, on August 29, 1956, and installed October 11, 1956. In 1961, he was transferred to New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, Louisiana, where he was appointed coadjutor to the archbishop on August 14, 1961, appointed apostolic administrator
An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
on June 1, 1962, and acceded to the See of New Orleans on November 8, 1964.
According to James Ralph, he became an object of national attention as archbishop, due to his predecessor Joseph Rummel
Joseph Francis Rummel (October 14, 1876 – November 8, 1964) was a German-born American Catholic prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Omaha in Nebraska from 1928 to 1935 and as archbishop of the Archd ...
's efforts to desegregate the Catholic schools in the archdiocese. As the coadjutor archbishop and then archbishop of New Orleans, Cody had directed the desegregation of New Orleans's parochial schools. Cody's actions had generated fierce opposition, but he had not flinched under pressure. Cody was quoted as saying, "The Church's role will be most important and It is definitely felt by many experts in the field of community relations that the Catholic Church will continue to be one of the most potent influences in bringing about racial understanding and brotherly love among all races. This was one of the salient points in the encyclical, "Pacem in Terris.” The ecumenical council, showing to the world the spirit of unity and harmony among all Catholics, has been felt appreciably in the present racial crisis in our country. Through its schools and institutions of higher learning, most of which have become fully integrated. the Church can contribute greatly to the development and understanding among all people in the South." Upon the cities construction projects for integrated schools; "The construction of these schools has helped considerably in bringing an acceptance of the Catholic Church's teaching on the equality of all men."
Archbishop of Chicago
Mismanagement
Cody was appointed Archbishop of Chicago on June 14, 1965, and installed August 24, 1965. He was elevated to 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 ...
on June 26, 1967. Cody's time in Chicago was marked by strife and controversy, including federal investigations of financial improprieties and an ambiguous relationship with Helen Dolan Wilson, who was alleged to be his mistress. Wilson, who "followed (Cody's) every move" for a period of some 25 years, was alleged to have received large sums of money diverted by Cody, some of which were used to purchase "a house in Boca Raton ... a luxury car, expensive clothes and furs, and holiday cash presents."
Despite the fact that approximately $1 million of Church funds disappeared under Cody's tenure, and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops lost more than $4 million in a single year while Cody was treasurer of that organization, all investigations were suspended upon Cody's death.
Roy Larsen, the religion editor of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' wrote:"Legally, the investigations by the paper and the federal prosecutors ended inconclusively. In that sense, the legal tactics followed by Cody and his lawyers--chiefly a strategy of delays and stalling--succeeded in preventing any indictments. Eight months before the first story was published, the US Attorney's office issued subpoenas to Cody and the archdiocese, but the information that was sought was never turned over to the government. Even after the series was published, the stonewalling continued. A new US Attorney, Dan Webb
Dan Webb (born 13 August 1989), is an Australian musician, songwriter and producer.
Career
Early in his music career, Webb garnered much attention for his energetic and partly improvised live shows. One of Webb's most notable stage antics at th ...
, had taken over the investigation and issued new subpoenas, but Frank McGarr, the chief judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, did nothing to move the case along. Finally, the Cardinal's health became an issue. On April 25, 1982, he died, and in July 1982, Webb terminated the investigation, stating: "Once the cardinal passed on, the investigation as to the allegations against the cardinal became moot."[Roy Larsen]
"In the 1980s, a Chicago Newspaper Investigated Cardinal Cody"
''Nieman Reports'', Spring 2003; retrieved June 26, 2009.
Cody often found his view of episcopal authority in conflict with a number of priests of his diocese. He was opposed to some of the decisions of Apostolic Delegate Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot (; 23 November 1909 – 21 January 2009) was a Belgian Catholic prelate who served as apostolic delegate to the United States (the first non-Italian to do so) from 1973 to 1980, and as president of the Secretariat for Non-Christian ...
and led a protest campaign against what he felt was his excessive progressivism and radicalism.
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
Ariccia (Latin: ''Aricia'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Central Italy, southeast of Rome. It is in the Alban Hills of the Lazio (Latium) region and could be considered an extension of Rome's southeastern suburbs. One ...
, Cody was the protagonist of a series of public handshakes between high prelates of the Roman Catholic Church and the heads of Freemasonry
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
.
Relationship with the Black Community
Cody butted heads with Fr George Clements
George Harold Clements (January 26, 1932 – November 25, 2019) was a Black Catholic priest who, in 1981, became the first Catholic priest in the Chicago area to adopt a child. He was also instrumental in the Black Catholic Movement, which s ...
for similar reasons, as local Black Catholics sought more Black representation in the local pastorate
A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicis ...
, especially at Black parishes. Cody circumvented requests for Clements to be named pastor of his parish by placing a different Black priest as pastor there, a pastorally inexperienced Fr Rollins Lambert. He thought he would appease the community since he appointed a Black priest, but they were frustrated with an explicit attempt to avoid appointing a well known Black activist. A series of racially-charged town hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
meetings that followed eventually resulted in Fr Lambert opposing Cody's leadership—agreeing with Clements and others that he was a (perhaps unintentional) "racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
"—and requesting for Clements to be made pastor. Cody eventually conceded.
The desire for (and often "ask questions later" nature of) inculturation
In Christianity, inculturation is the adaptation of Christian teachings and practices to cultures. This is a term that is generally used by Catholics and the Orthodox, whereas Protestants (such as Anglicans and Lutherans), especially associated ...
by these same Black Catholics also aggravated Cody, who opposed many of the desired (and sometimes brazenly implemented) changes. In one instance, Clements replaced a statue at his parish of St Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua, OFM, (; ; ) or Anthony of Lisbon (; ; ; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and member of the Order of Friars Minor.
Anthony was born and raised by a wealthy ...
with an altar to Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
, which Clements attempted to justify by using the concept of popular acclaim. Cody did not budge and threatened to withdraw archdiocesan funds from the parish if the St Anthony statue was not returned to its place. Clements, a close friend of many Black Panthers
The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxist–Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, California ...
(including Fred Hampton
Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. (August 30, 1948 – December 4, 1969) was an American activist and revolutionary socialist. He came to prominence in his late teens and early 20s in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party and c ...
, his personal mentee), informed Cody he would have to come do it himself, but that he (Clements) would not be able to protect him if he did so. The statue remained elsewhere. Eventually Cody did withdraw financial support from Clements' parish and they operated for a time via fundraisers and special appeals.
Later life and death
The opposition to Cody's leadership waned as his health declined in the early 1980s. He was succeeded in the summer of 1982 by the markedly progressive Joseph Bernardin
Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death from pancreatic cancer. B ...
. Cody died that year at the age of 74 and was interred in the Bishops' Mausoleum at Mount Carmel Cemetery (Hillside, Illinois)
Mount Carmel Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery in the Chicago suburb of Hillside, Illinois, United States. Mount Carmel is an active cemetery, located within the Archdiocese of Chicago. It is located near the Eisenhower Expressway ( Interstate 290) ...
.
References
Further reading
* Dahm, Charles W. ''Power and Authority in the Catholic Church: Cardinal Cody in Chicago'' (University of Notre Dame Press, 1982), xviii+ 334 pages.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cody, John
1907 births
1982 deaths
20th-century American cardinals
Roman Catholic archbishops of Chicago
Roman Catholic archbishops of New Orleans
American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent
Roman Catholic bishops of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
Clergy from Chicago
Clergy from New Orleans
Clergy from St. Louis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
Burials at the Bishop's Mausoleum, Mount Carmel Cemetery (Hillside)
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
Cardinals created by Pope Paul VI
Recipients of the Benemerenti medal