The Resume

(January 15, 1920-May 3, 2000)
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chief of Chaplains of the US Navy (1975-79)
Archbishop of New York (1985-2000)

Why he might be annoying:

He wrote a book declaring the Vietnam War 'morally justified.'
He ticked off many Jews when he declared legal abortion to be 'precisely the same' as the Holocaust.
He interjected himself into politics, saying that Catholics could not 'in good conscience' vote for politicians who favored keeping abortion legal.
He opposed city and state laws to ban discrimination against homosexuals, even when exemptions were granted for religious institutions.
He opposed distributing condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS and gave out false information about the effectiveness of condoms.

Why he might not be annoying:

As a military chaplain during the Korean War, he entered combat zones to say Mass and deliver the last rites to soldiers.
He wrote a letter to Jewish leaders in New York apologizing for past harm to the Jewish community and declared, 'One cannot be a faithful Christian and an anti-Semite. They are incompatible, because anti-Semitism is a sin.'
He often ministered to dying AIDS patients and had the first specialized AIDS unit in New York state established at St. Clare's Hospital.
He called for a 'major overhaul' of punitive drug laws, which he believed resulted in 'grave injustice.'
He admitted he might have had an easier time if he had been 'a silent servant of the people,' but added 'If you're false to your own temperament, you're not going to be an effective leader.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Born Half-Jewish
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 55]
• Catholics who are Partially Jewish
• Generals and Admirals
• I am Disliked by Gays
• I am from Philadelphia
• I Attended Georgetown
• I Attended Villanova University
• I Died in 2000 (Ranked: 80)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• I Have a Brain Tumor [Menegioma]
• Look at Me, I Read the News Today
• People with John or Mary in their Names
• Profiles 36001-36250 (Ranked: 36125)
• Served in the Korean War

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 23 Votes: 4.35% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 18 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 11 Votes: 36.36% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 11 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 22 Votes: 54.55% Annoying