Krol, John Joseph Cardinal

▪ 1997

      U.S. Roman Catholic prelate (b. Oct. 26, 1910, Cleveland, Ohio—d. March 3, 1996, Philadelphia, Pa.), was archbishop of Philadelphia from 1961 to 1988. During his 27-year tenure he demonstrated administrative skills and espoused traditionalist views. As a leader of the church's conservative wing in the U.S., he opposed the relaxation of authority and discipline that followed the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Krol was ordained a priest in 1937, served a parish in Cleveland for a year, and, after earning (1942) a doctorate in canon law at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., taught canon law at a seminary in Cleveland. He became auxiliary bishop of Cleveland in 1953 and archbishop of Philadelphia in 1961. After serving the Second Vatican Council as an undersecretary, working on scheduling and organization, Krol was elevated to cardinal in 1967. He was president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1971 to 1974. Krol was influential in the election (1978) of Pope John Paul II, and the pope placed him on the committee that oversaw the Vatican's financial operations. His managerial skills and knowledge of real estate and finance proved valuable, especially in the wake of the Italian banking scandal in the late 1980s. He was also active in relief activities after Poland's military cracked down (1981) on the efforts of the Solidarity trade union. Krol retired in 1988.

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