John Wright

John Joseph Wright (July 18, 1909 – August 10, 1979) was an American Catholic prelate who served as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 1969 until his death. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1969.

Wright previously served as bishop of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1969, as bishop of Worcester in Massachusetts from 1950 to 1959 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston in Massachusetts from 1947 to 1950.

Biography

Early life John Joseph Wright was born on July 18, 1909, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, to John and Harriet (née Cokely) Wright. As a child, he listened to World War I veterans talking about their service in France, creating a fascination with that nation. While attending Boston Latin School, he worked at the Hyde Park branch of the Boston Public Library as stack boy in the evenings and summers. He also financed his studies by working for The Boston Post.

Wright graduated from Boston College in 1931, and then entered St. John's Seminary in Boston. At the end of his first year at St. John's, the archdiocese sent him to Rome to reside at the Pontifical North American College while studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University. While in Europe, he took unpaid parish work in Scotland, England and France, While in France, he took a parish in the Dordogne Department, learning the folk songs and poetr of that region.

Bishop of Worcester Pius XII appointed Wright as the first bishop of Worcester on January 28, 1950. In this position, he criticized both Utopians and doom-sayers. Quoting Cardinal Maurice Feltin of Paris, Wright said that an exemplary Christian recognizes "...the vast errors of which human nature is capable... but [knows] that grace is stronger than sin". A member of the Mariological Society of America, he hosted the society's 1950 convention in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Bishop of Pittsburgh Wright was appointed by Pope John XXIII as the eighth bishop of Pittsburgh on January 23, 1959. Wright attended the Second Vatican Council in Rome from 1963 to 1965, acting as a decisive force behind several of its documents. Following the Council's advancements in ecumenism, he believed that an "immediate unity in good works and charity" would arise between Catholics and Protestants.

Wright promoted music and culture during his time in Pittsburgh. He befriended the African-American composer Mary Lou Williams, commissioning her to perform a jazz mass at a local Catholic school. He also helped her to establish the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival in 1964.

Congregation for the Clergy Pope Paul VI on April 23, 1969, appointed Wright as the prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

Due to his recovery from surgery, Wright did not go to Rome to act as a cardinal elector in the August 1978 conclave that elected Pope John Paul I. After the conclave, Wright remarked that John Paul I would be "...a witty Pontiff who delights in combining love of literature with love of the words of God." However, John Paul I died unexpectedly in September 1978. Wright then attended the October 1978 conclave in Rome that selected Pope John Paul II. He espoused civil rights and condemned the Vietnam War, but opposed ordination of women and birth control. He believed that annual Synods of Bishops would be useless and burdenful, and that seven years was the appropriate age for children to receive the Sacrament of Penance, as it might be thus able to correct sinful behavior at an early age.

Legacy John Paul II, five days after Wright's death, pointed to his life as "an existence which was spent totally for Christ and his Church". He also stated that Wright was "...always faithful to his motto: Resonare Christum corde Romano (Echo Christ with a Roman heart) ... that really sums up his whole life, as he had a 'sensus Ecclesiae' which was second nature to him". Archbishop Alberto Bovone, who worked as the undersecretary of Wright, wrote of the characteristic features of his personality: strong, exuberant joviality, who gave wise and humorous contributions during meetings; saw himself as the Pope's soldier, with a combatant's temperament; an ardent and indefatigable worker, who was reluctant to rest when involved in a project; generous towards his friends and co-workers, giving them gifts as tokens of affection; love for the faith that led him to correct theological errors of the media and to be upset at theologians who superimposed their opinion over sacred doctrine, while being indulgent towards persons who admitted their mistakes.

In 1998, Wright's name was given to Cardinal Wright Elementary School in Pittsburgh. The school closed in 2011.

The John Cardinal Wright Award is given by the Diocese of Pittsburgh to individuals who have made a significant contribution in fulfilling the mission of the church through working with youth and young adults.