[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 28 (Monday, July 16, 2001)]
[Pages 1025-1026]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Posthumous Presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal 
to John Cardinal O'Connor in New York City

July 10, 2000

    Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Eminence; Governor Pataki and 
Mrs. Pataki; Mayor Giuliani. I want to thank Chuck Schumer and Vito 
Fossella for such beautiful words. Senator Clinton; distinguished 
Members of the United States Congress; members of my Cabinet; Mary Ward, 
Dorothy Hamilton, and members of the O'Connor family; Reverend Ogilvie 
and Father Coughlin; leaders of the Catholic Church; Maureen O'Flynn, 
thank you for sharing your angelic voice with us today. My fellow 
Americans.
    Thank you for the welcome to your city and to the seat of this 
archdiocese. I especially want to thank the police and fire departments 
for their presentation of the colors and their service to this 
community.
    John Cardinal O'Connor was fond of recalling the greeting he 
received when visiting the Vatican. Pope John Paul II would meet him 
with these words: ``How is the Archbishop of the capital of the world?'' 
For me, on my first visit as President, it's a pleasure, Mr. Mayor, to 
be in the capital of the world.
    This is a happier occasion than the day when we said our goodbyes at 
a solemn Mass in a mourning city. It takes a lot to bring all of New 
York to a pause, but that's what happened when the earthly remains of 
John Cardinal O'Connor were laid to rest in this beautiful cathedral.
    From the distance of a year, his character and his contributions 
only seem larger. We remember a life of good works, strong faith, and 
great influence.
    For many here today, those memories are still vivid and very 
personal. For parishioners, it may be the memory of an imposing figure 
who stood here so many times, looking every

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inch a cardinal, fearing, it seemed, nothing and having an opinion, it 
seemed, on everything.
    For thousands of veterans, it's the memory of a chaplain who 
counseled them, heard their confessions, and attained the rank of 
admiral. For the working men and women, it will be the memory of an 
advocate, someone who rose to great prominence but remained the proud 
son of a union man who honored hard work.
    The poor and immigrants of this city will always remember their 
staunch friend who defended their interests and understood their 
struggles. Many families remember the church leader who came to AIDS 
patients with care and love.
    Parents here and in Scranton will remember the priest who gave so 
much time and special care to boys and girls with disabilities. And the 
world will remember the gallant defender of children and their 
vulnerability, innocence, and their right to be born.
    Many decades from now, these living memories of the man will begin 
to pass. Fewer and fewer will have known the sound of his voice, the 
largeness of his presence, the sting of his rebuke, his marvelous sense 
of humor, or the breadth of his compassion. But future generations will 
know at least this about the 11th leader of the archdiocese: He was a 
man who left a mark on his time; a moral leader not only in title but in 
truth; a defender of the faith, the very kind who have kept the faith 
alive for two millennia; a great man in a high place; and also for 80 
years on this Earth, a good person, a cheerful giver, and a much-loved 
soul.
    Posterity will know this: The Congress of the United States, in 
respect and gratitude, directed that a gold medal be struck bearing 
Cardinal O'Connor's name and image. And on this day, on behalf of the 
American people, I'm honored to present the Congressional Gold Medal to 
the family and to the successor of John Cardinal O'Connor.
    God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 2:42 p.m. at St. Patrick's Cathedral. In 
his remarks, he referred to His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan, 
Archbishop of New York and successor to Cardinal O'Connor; Gov. George 
E. Pataki of New York and his wife, Elizabeth; Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani 
of New York City; Mary Ward and Dorothy Hamilton, sisters of Cardinal 
O'Connor; Rev. Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Chaplain, U.S. Senate; Rev. Daniel P. 
Coughlin, Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives; and opera singer 
Maureen O'Flynn.