14 Facts About Edward Cassidy

Edward Idris Cassidy AC was an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church who was president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from 1989 to 2001.

Edward Cassidy headed the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews.

Edward Cassidy spent most of his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See both in Rome and overseas.

Edward Cassidy's parents were not Catholic and divorced while he was just one.

When he was a student at Parramatta High School, a priest from St Felix's parish discouraged Cassidy from becoming a priest because he had not finished his secondary education, had not studied in Catholic schools and his family background was "unsuitable".

Edward Cassidy entered the local seminary, St Columba's Catholic College in Springwood, in February 1943.

Edward Cassidy was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney on 23 July 1949 at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, by Cardinal Gilroy.

Edward Cassidy volunteered to transfer to the Diocese of Wagga Wagga and in January 1950 he was assigned to the small parish of Yenda.

Edward Cassidy completed his education studying at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, where he obtained a doctorate in canon law in July 1955 with a dissertation on the history and juridical nature of apostolic delegations, and at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, in Rome, from October 1953, where he obtained a diploma in diplomatic studies.

Edward Cassidy served in the nunciatures in India, Ireland, and Portugal.

Edward Cassidy was appointed counsellor of the apostolic delegation in the United States in June 1967, but as the nuncio in Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Sensi, was then transferred to the nunciature in Portugal, had to stay in Dublin until the following November, when he was named instead counselor of the nunciature in El Salvador, where he remained until the end of 1969, becoming then counselor of the nunciature in Argentina.

In 1999, Edward Cassidy was jointly responsible for the publication of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, widely received as a landmark achievement for ecumenism in bridging the centuries-long divide between Catholics and Lutherans.

Edward Cassidy died in Newcastle, Australia, on 10 April 2021 at the age of 96.

In 1990, Edward Cassidy was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in "recognition of service to the [sic] religion and to international affairs".