Chicago

Did the cardinal sin?

THEY HAVE GONE after mayors and governors and others of great prominence, accusing them of all manner of misdeeds, and, not infrequently, toppling them. Now the editors of the Chicago Sun-Times have taken on a prince of the Roman Catholic Church, John Cardinal Cody; and they appear to be out on a very long limb.

The autocratic, 73-year-old leader of the nation's largest archdiocese is under investigation by a federal grand jury, apparently as a result of a lengthy Sun-Times probe of possible misuse of funds for the benefit of a female "step cousin" who has long been his companion and confidante.

It is a story that is both complicated and curious. The newspaper devoted thousands of words to it, yet left many questions unanswered. And the cardinal, as of a month and a half after the revelations, had not responded to the charges other than to issue a general denial.

The thrust of the initial story was that the Sun-Times had learned that the government was investigating "whether. . .Cody illegally diverted as much as $1 million in tax-exempt church funds to enrich a lifelong friend"; that the Sun-Times had "obtained church documents showing that over a 7-year period ending in 1973, more than $1 million was deposited into two unaudited bank accounts controlled personally by Cody"; and that the Sun-Times had determined that the personal wealth of Cody's friend, Helen Dolan Wilson, "grew from relatively meager holdings in the mid-1960s to a current value of nearly $1 million."

In several other stories the same day and for the next few days, the paper gave voluminous details about how the cardinal helped Mrs. Wilson, a divorcee, buy a home in Florida; paid premiums on an insurance policy on his life, on which she was the beneficiary; and gave her a job with the archdiocese. Although it never actually accused them of being romantically involved, no reader could miss the numerous innuendoes to that effect, including a description of how the cardinal renovated a room next to his private quarters in his mansion and kept it locked. The paper also went to great lengths to point out that Cody and Mrs. Wilson were not blood relatives, apparently because it would be more scandalous for a clergyman to be showering gifts on a friend than on a relative. (Mrs. Wilson is the stepdaughter of Cody's aunt.)

But despite all the details, there were a couple of major holes in the story:

• The paper never explaind what made the government believe Cody might have diverted $1 million in church funds to Mrs. Wilson. Does the Sun-Times itself believe this, and if so, why? On the basis of what information? Did the Sun-Times tell the government of its suspicion, thus prompting the grand jury investigation? If so, why not say so? (Most of the series seems to be based on information uncovered by Sun-Times reporters, yet the lead article emphasizes the government's suspicions, not the Sun-Times.)
• The paper never provided any breakdown of Mrs. Wilson's personal wealth, which it claimed has a current value of nearly $1 million. Mrs. Wilson's attorney estimated she was worth $350,000.

Some observers have criticized the paper for these omissions. Others are convinced that the paper knows more than it has stated — that it is a responsible publication and it's very unlikely that it would print such serious charges without being able to back them up. For one reason or another, it is suggested, the paper is unable to divulge the information that would support its charges. Much of the information was obtained reportedly from sources within the church.

Rev. Andrew Greeley, Chicago author and columnist and an archenemy of Cody, may have been one of the sources. The Chicago Lawyer newspaper obtained tape recordings in which Greeley spoke of a plot to get rid of Cody. Greeley's best-selling novel, The Cardinal Sins, published early this year, describes a fictional Chicago cardinal who has an affair with a woman.

Even on the basis of what has been disclosed, it appears (a) that Mrs. Wilson has accumulated considerable wealth although she held a low-paying job for most of her life, and (b) that the cardinal has been very generous to her although he himself receives a relatively low salary. It is presumed that the cardinal receives a considerable amount of money in personal donations from members of the archdiocese, but he is obligated to report this as income and pay taxes on it if he uses it for himself or gives it to a friend. (That's the kind of case that was built against former Atty. General William Scott.)

U.S. Atty. Dan Webb has confirmed that an investigation is under way and that makes some observers believe that Webb thinks he has a promising case. He could have just said "no comment" and avoided incurring the wrath of the cardinal's supporters.

The Sun-Times itself has incurred a lot of wrath among Catholics loyal to Cody. The paper must have been reasonably confident or it wouldn't have taken the risks it has. If the government decides not to pursue the case, the Sun-Times will be left holding the bag. The cardinal is close to retirement and not in good health, and he may, at the urging of the Vatican, just go ahead and retire "for health reasons."

Regardless of what happens to Cody, the Sun-Times has succeeded in bringing to light the lack of financial accountability in the archdiocese. It seems likely that whoever succeeds Cody will be compelled to open up the church's books and keep them open. As one of Cody's fellow cardinals, John J. Krol of Philadelphia, said recently in support of public disclosure in the church (quoted in a Sun-Times editorial): "The people of God have a right to know the facts."

34 | December 1981 | Illinois Issues