Cardinal, Bishop cover wide range of topics

At a press conference held prior to Sunday's Sesquicentennial celebration, Cardinal John O'Connor of the Archdiocese of New York and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of the Albany Diocese spoke of sadness over the death of Mother Teresa, plans for the future of the Church, joy at the opportunity to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Albany Diocese -- and did a good amount of joking with the media.

Bishop Hubbard called the Sesquicentennial gathering "a day of great rejoicing."

One hundred and fifty years ago, said the Bishop, our "ancestors in faith" established the Albany Diocese. Today, it boasts four Catholic hospitals, 32 social service agencies, 43 Catholic elementary and high schools, and a host of other services.

The Sesquicentennial event paid "tribute to the men and women of faith who have gone before us," the Bishop said.

Joking mood

Cardinal O'Connor joked that as his plane flew over the Albany Diocese on the way to the event and he saw its beautiful countryside, "I felt jealous and angry. This Diocese belonged to the Archdiocese of New York 150 years ago. It was taken away from us, and nobody asked me!"

The Cardinal informed the press that he planned to use his homily to "tell everyone how wonderful the Bishop is," since he couldn't cover 150 years of history in one sermon. (Later, he would tease the Mass-goers that he was about to spend one minute talking about each year of the Diocese's history, inviting them to settle in for a 2 1/2-hour homily.)

When asked about his reaction to Mother Teresa's death, the jovial Cardinal became somber. "I hope I'm in her prayers; I think she's in heaven already," he stated. "I won't forget her, of course. I loved her very much. I felt her loss very keenly."

Retirement

The Bishop and Cardinal speculated on both the future of the Church and the Cardinal's own future. Having surpassed the retirement age of 75 more than two years ago, Cardinal O'Connor said that he reminds Pope John Paul II of that fact every time he sees him.

"He tells me, `Yes, I have a very good memory,'" the Cardinal said.

Bishop Hubbard spoke of the Diocese's 150-year history and said that changes are in store for the Church's future, as laypersons "feel the call of the Second Vatican Council" and take on responsibilities in the Church.

"I see a Church with more lay involvement in the 21st century," the Bishop concluded.

(09-18-97)