1889-1967
Archbishop of New York

The American Pope.

Francis Cardinal Spellman, named to the Papal Curia in 1946, was America's leading Roman Catholic clergyman in the mid twentieth century. His enemies sometimes called him "the American Pope," and the cardinal's residence and office on Fifth Avenue was openly referred to as "The Powerhouse." A staunch defender of the interests of his church as he saw them, he had few compunctions in engaging in public quarrels with those he opposed. As in his quarrel with Eleanor Roosevelt in the late 1940s over government aid to parochial schools, he frequently accused his opponents of being prejudiced against Catholics.

Ambassador Controversy.

One of his tactics was to create controversy in 1951, when President Harry S Truman nominated Gen. Mark Clark ambassador to the Vatican. Cardinal Spellman defended this appointment and its usefulness but weakened his case by implying those who...