18 Facts About Edmund Szoka

Edmund Casimir Szoka was an American Catholic prelate who served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from 1997 to 2006.

Edmund Szoka previously served as Bishop of Gaylord from 1971 to 1981 and Archbishop of Detroit from 1981 to 1990.

Edmund Casimir Szoka was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Casimir and Mary Szoka, Polish immigrants.

Edmund Szoka has an older sister, Irene, and moved with his family in the early 1930s to Muskegon, where he did his primary studies at St Michael School.

Edmund Szoka then became secretary to Bishop Noa of Marquette, whom he accompanied to the first session of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.

Edmund Szoka was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness on November 14,1963, by Pope Paul VI.

Edmund Szoka was appointed the first Bishop of Gaylord on June 11,1971.

Edmund Szoka was a president of the board of directors of the Episcopal Conference of Michigan, member of the executive committee of The Catholic University of America, president of the Committee for University Relations, Administrator of the National Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, treasurer of the NCCB, and served on committees within the Conference for: human values, bishops, dioceses and provinces, and economic affairs.

Edmund Szoka faced challenges of finance and enforcing Church discipline, and welcomed John Paul II to Detroit in 1987 during his tenure as Archbishop.

Edmund Szoka had given his permission for Mansour to serve the state but said she must oppose publicly funded abortion.

Edmund Szoka appealed to Mansour's superiors in the Sisters of Mercy but the order supported her stance.

Edmund Szoka referred the case to the Vatican, and Bishop Anthony Bevilacqua resolved it by ordering Mansour to resign either her government post or her orders.

On October 14,1997, Cardinal Edmund Szoka was named President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and on February 22,2001, President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

Edmund Szoka submitted his resignation to John Paul II in 2002, at the Church's mandatory retirement age of 75, but was requested to continue working.

Edmund Szoka was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.

On what he would do after retirement, Edmund Szoka said he was interested in travel, writing, studying the Church Fathers, and continuing to provide priestly assistance to Detroit.

Cardinal Edmund Szoka had fond memories of Pope John Paul II, especially in regard to his travels to Poland and to the United States: Cardinal Edmund Szoka lived in Northville, Michigan.

Edmund Szoka died on August 20,2014, of natural causes, at Providence Park Hospital in Novi, Michigan.