Owen McCann
Pontifical Urbaniana University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Nisi Dominus in vanum |
Owen McCann (26 June 1907 – 26 March 1994) was a South African
cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and journalist. He served as Archbishop of Cape Town from 1950 to 1984 (the first year as Apostolic Vicar
) and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965.
Biography
Owen McCann was born in
Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on 21 December 1935. In 1941, he became editor of "The Southern Cross", South Africa's national Catholic newspaper, and held this post until 1948; he again became editor in 1986, this time for a five-year period. He did pastoral
work in Cape Town from 1948 to 1950.
On 12 March 1950, McCann was appointed
President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC). McCann attended the Second Vatican Council
, at which he was elected to the Commission for Bishops and made four written and four oral submissions in his own name and five written ones as president of the SACBC.
McCann was created
October 1978 papal conclave, which selected Cardinal Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II. McCann was reportedly a supporter of Giovanni Benelli at the latter conclave, but still gave his praise to the newly elected Wojtyla.[1]
Cardinal McCann retired as Archbishop of Cape Town on 20 October 1984.
He died on 26 March 1994 at age 86, and is buried in the archdiocesan cathedral. President Nelson Mandela, in an official condolence statement on the following 28 March, described Cardinal McCann as "one of South Africa's great sons" and "a man of great ability and wisdom".[2]
References
- ^ The Southern Cross. Inside the conclave of October 1978 by Günther Simmermacher
- ^ African National Congress. Condolences with the Death of Owen Cardinal McCann Archived 25 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine 28 March 1994
