Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ

The Cardinal died yesterday, at the age of 90. A really fine theologian, I loved to read his essays in America and First Things. Tom Faranda's Folly: Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles retires

Dulles resided in the Bronx, on the campus of Fordham University.

Here's this morning's aricle in the local newspaper, and it's a very good and comprehensive, quoting a number of friends and colleagues. I love the last quote I excerpted from the article –  

Cardinal Dulles, noted theologian, dies at 90 | lohud.com | The Journal News

Pope Benedict XVI paid him a private visit at St. Joseph's Seminary in April, when the pope came to Yonkers to lead a youth rally.

"The Holy Father personally requested to meet with him," said the Rev. Michael T. Martine, procurator and professor of canon law at the seminary, who escorted Dulles to and from the meeting. "We learned that the pope referred to Cardinal Dulles as 'Herr Professor,' a German academic title of respect and honor. Benedict chooses his words very carefully, so it was very significant."

Dulles, a Jesuit, served as the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham for 20 years before stepping down this year. His elevation to cardinal in 2001 – when he became the first American theologian to receive the honor – was celebrated by the Jesuit world and the Fordham community.

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Dulles' life story is fascinating for what he gave up as well as the path he pursued.

He was the son of John Foster Dulles, who served as secretary of state under President Dwight Eisenhower and was an architect of America's tough stance against Communism during the early days of the Cold War.

In addition, his uncle was Allen Dulles, head of the CIA during the 1950s.

The Dulleses were prominent Presbyterians, leaders of the WASP establishment. One of Avery Dulles' grandfathers was a minister and a great-grandfather had been a missionary to China.

Dulles called himself an agnostic when entering Harvard in the late 1930s. Reading Plato, though – in particular the philosopher's musings over doing what is just – set him on a new path.

"Meditating on that principle took me a long way," he told The Journal News in 2001. "But the next question becomes: What is the source of this obligation and to whom are we accountable? It seems to me to point toward the Christian notion of God."

He converted to Catholicism and wrote of the choice in his "A Testimonial to Grace." His ordination at Fordham by Cardinal Francis Spellman in 1956 was reported on the front page of The New York Times.

"His early studies of Catholic theology were encyclopedic in scope," said Monsignor Francis McAree, pastor of St. Gregory the Great Church in Harrison, who wrote his dissertation about Dulles' theology of revelation. "He brought that background to all contemporary issues. He was exceedingly erudite and was really a moderating force in contemporary theology."

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Dulles was well known for his low-key demeanor and good humor. Bellitto, who studied under him, recalled seeing Dulles enter the St. Joseph's Seminary library and greet the librarian with: "Hello, Sister. I'm Father Dulles. May I use the library today?"

Days before leaving for Rome to become a cardinal, Dulles told The Journal News: "I don't think it will fully sink in until I get zapped. Until then, I am still just a humble priest, a simple priest."

Dulles' farewell lecture – read by O'Hare – was given April 1 at Fordham. In it, Dulles said he always considered the best arguments for all theological positions. But in the end, "I am willingly adhering to the testimony of Scripture and perennial Catholic tradition," he said.

Carey, who interviewed Dulles extensively and has spent years reading his papers, said Dulles spent hours each day on correspondence with ordinary people who contacted him.

"He carried on what I would call a pastoral ministry," Carey said. "All kinds of people wrote to him, people in divorce situations, people seeking advice about spiritual life, people thinking about vocations to the priesthood or the Jesuit order, people thinking about converting to Catholicism. There were thousands of letters. He would sometimes write three or four pages, giving them synopses of his own positions.

"He was a very balanced human being," Carey said.

Here is the NY Times obituary:

Cardinal Avery Dulles, Theologian, Is Dead at 90 – Obituary (Obit) – NYTimes.com