New York greets new archbishop

NEW YORK (AP) | Archbishop Timothy Dolan was installed Wednesday as the leader of Roman Catholics in New York, taking the most prominent U.S. pulpit in the church during an elaborate ceremony that drew thousands of parishioners and civic leaders to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Known for his wit and warmth, Archbishop Dolan beamed as he walked down the aisle toward the altar, waving to the crowd, hugging well-wishers and stopping to shake hands in a front pew with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. David A. Paterson, among others who attended.

At a news conference hours earlier, Archbishop Dolan said he would challenge efforts to legalize gay marriage in New York state. Mr. Paterson is expected Thursday to introduce such a bill; Connecticut and Massachusetts already marry same-sex couples and Vermont will start doing so later this year.

In his sermon, Archbishop Dolan lamented that the church was “ridiculed for her teaching on the sanctity of marriage.” He said his goal was to revive observance in the church and protect human life, “from the tiny baby in the womb to the last moment of natural passing.”

“The church is a loving mother who has a zest for life and serves life everywhere, but she can become a protective ‘mama bear’ when the life of her innocent, helpless cubs is threatened,” he said, sparking a standing ovation. “Everyone in this mega-community is a somebody with an extraordinary destiny. Everybody is a somebody in whom God has invested infinite love.”

Archbishop Dolan, 59, the former Milwaukee archbishop, succeeded Cardinal Edward Egan, 77, who retired after nine years in the post. Archbishop Dolan is expected to be named a cardinal later - a customary honor for the New York archbishop. He said in the news conference that his new job “does have an enhanced prominence that might take getting used to on my part.”

At Wednesday’s Mass, about 150 bishops, archbishops and cardinals took part in the procession inside St. Patrick’s, accompanied by hundreds of priests and other representatives of the archdiocese. As Archbishop Dolan awaited his entrance, he shook hands with police officers who were guarding the church and waved to the hundreds of onlookers kept behind barriers across the street.

“I need to see my shepherd,” said Merle Paisley, a hospital worker from the Bronx who joined the crowd outside. “I need to pray for him.”

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican ambassador to the U.S., read a letter from Pope Benedict XVI naming Archbishop Dolan to the job. After the document was notarized, Archbishop Dolan formally became New York’s archbishop. When he was handed the golden crosier, or bishop’s staff, a symbol of his office, he joked, “Can I keep this?”