Timothy Cardinal Dolan never backed down from a political scrap, but was quick with a kind word and a sympathetic ear — and even kept a list of people he prayed for.
At 75, the retiring leader of the Archdiocese of New York leaves behind a legacy of both compassion and a firm resolve to fight for the teachings of the Catholic Church, encouraging fellow clergy to engage in politics to defend it, friends and colleagues said.
“He’s the ultimate happy warrior of the Catholic Church,” Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, told The Post Thursday, not long after Dolan welcomed his successor, Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“He’s a legend,” Poust said. “What you see is what you get with Cardinal Dolan.”
The St. Louis, Mo., native never shied from the public eye over his 16-year tenure as the head of the archdiocese that serves some 2.5 million Catholics across Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island.
“Cardinal Dolan is the greatest communicator the church has seen in a very long time,” said Rob Astorino, a former Westchester County executive with longstanding ties to Dolan and the church.
“He personally revitalized the church with his presence,” Astorino, who co-hosted “The Catholic Channel” on Sirius XM with Dolan and had his daughter baptized by the cardinal, told The Post.
“There were no airs about him,” Astorino said. “He cared deeply about the church and its people and that love shined every day. People loved to be around him.”
Poust added: “He had a list of people he was praying for at all time.”
“What you see of him on TV is the same person behind closed doors,” Poust said. “He was a joyful midwestern guy who embraced New York.”
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a Catholic who represents South Brooklyn and Staten Island, recalled Dolan’s soothing presence during times of crisis.
“Cardinal Dolan was and is very special to both the Catholic faith community and the New York community overall,” she said. “One of the first things I remember, long before I was elected to office, is the comfort he gave to Staten Islanders who were devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
“I still hear stories about how important his warmth, reassurance, & visibility was during that time,” Scarcella-Spanton said. “His larger than life presence will be missed and I wish him well in his retirement.”
Dolan arrived in New York in 2009, after Pope Benedict XVI picked him to replace 77-year-old Edward Cardinal Egan upon his retirement — the first time outgoing and incoming cardinals had met in person in the history of the archdiocese.
“My new friends of this great archdiocese, would you join your new pastor on an ‘adventure of fidelity,’ as we turn the Staten Island Expressway, Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, Broadway, the Major Deegan and the New York State Thruway into the Road of Emmaus?” Dolan quipped at the time.
Three years later, Benedict elevated Dolan from archbishop to cardinal, making him eligible to vote in the papal conclaves that named Pope Francis and Pope Leo — and was even rumored as a dark horse candidate for the top seat at the Vatican after Pope Francis died.
According to Italian news reports, Dolan played the role of “kingmaker” in Pope Leo’s selection, with the new pontiff telling others that he was “impressed” with the New York cardinal.
In New York, Dolan has been a fixture, hosting the popular annual “blessing of the animals” event at Radio City Music Hall and more recently spoke up for immigrant rights amid an uptick in ICE raids.
He was an advocate for center-right Catholics, fighting against abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and scuffled with the Obama administration over a calls to provide contraception to religious groups.
Dolan also led the archdiocese through one of its darkest time, as the church faced a crisis with the child sex abuse scandal.
Part of his legacy includes rebuilding the church’s reputation through the force of personality amid that stain, said Astorino.
“Fortunately, the New York Archdiocese did not declare bankruptcy. Many other dioceses’ did,” Astorino said.
Dolan expressed sympathy and support for the victims, and pushed for the church to reach a $300 million settlement that hangs over the archdiocese.
“I once again ask forgiveness for the failing of those who betrayed the trust placed in them by failing to provide for the safety of our young people,” he said earlier this month.
— Additional reporting by Vaughn Golden
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