“In moments of turmoil throughout the second half of the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church in the United States always had a cardinal with the political savvy and force of character to corral hi

“In moments of turmoil throughout the second half of the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church in the United States always had a cardinal with the political savvy and force of character to corral his peers. The names are legendary: Francis Spellman, Terence Cooke, Joseph Bernardin, John O’Connor. As the nation’s Catholic bishops gather in St. Louis today for three days of meetings, the absence of such a figure is conspicuous, according to Catholic scholars, clergy and lay leaders.”