For Americans, becoming cardinal was 'on the edge' of happiest day

Published: 2007-11-26

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Kneeling before Pope Benedict XVI and becoming a cardinal was "on the edge" of being the happiest day in the lives of the two new U.S. cardinals. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston used the "on the edge" phrase Nov. 24, but said he had to be honest: "The happiest day of my life is the day as a bishop I ordained my first priest. No day will probably ever equal that." Cardinal John P. Foley, grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, also used the "on the edge" phrase, but said, "the happiest day was my ordination as a priest. That's it. I keep saying that I have never had an unhappy day as a priest and I mean it." The two new U.S. cardinals spoke to reporters immediately after the consistory and immediately before attending a reception in their honor at the Pontifical North American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome. The mood was light-hearted; Cardinal DiNardo explained that he had hoped to be "very composed" when kneeling before the pope, but his new red zucchetto or skullcap kept slipping off. Cardinal Foley used the opportunity to thank the Catholic Press Association for the gift of his new red robes and asked, "Do I look all right, by the way?"

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .