Book Alleges That U.S. Cardinal Was Homosexual (Press, 7 August 1984)

On 7 August 1984, it was reported that the author John Cooney of a forthcoming biography titled "The American Pope: The Life and Times of Francis Cardinal Spellman" was required by his publisher, Times Books, to provide substantiation for claims made in the book. The allegations suggest that the late Cardinal Spellman was a homosexual and that his sexual life had caused significant embarrassment to many priests. The biography is set to be published in October 1984. Joseph Consolino, the president and publisher of Times Books, emphasized the publisher's responsibility to ensure that no damaging allegations are published without adequate proof or are based solely on hearsay. He acknowledged that Cooney had conducted extensive fact-checking and that the editorial review process was ongoing. When asked what would happen if Cooney could not substantiate his claims, Consolino indicated that Cooney had agreed to further discussions about the editorial review of the book. The biography presents allegations from four individuals claiming that Cardinal Spellman was homosexual, although these sources did not provide direct evidence. Cooney did mention having spoken to a more prominent source who allegedly had an affair with Spellman, although this source was not cited in the galleys. Cooney expressed that the affair did not seem significant to include at the time, even though it was a well-known relationship. The bound galleys of Cooney’s book had been sent to reviewers when editors at The New York Times took notice of the controversial claims. They felt that the newspaper would not publish such serious allegations without additional evidence. This prompted discussions among executives at The New York Times Company regarding the need for consistent standards of substantiation for both the newspaper and its book publishing division. Cardinal Spellman, who served as Archbishop of New York for 28 years until his death in 1967, was a prominent figure in the Catholic Church, having been born in 1889 in Whitman, Massachusetts, and ordained as a priest in 1916. He became Archbishop in 1939 and was elevated to cardinal in 1946 by Pope Pius XII. By the time of his death at the age of 78, he was regarded as one of the most well-known Catholic leaders in North America, presiding over a congregation of two million Catholics in New York.

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