Cardinal Stafford Retires

Posted by Tom McFeely

Tuesday, June 02, 2009 8:49 AM

Cardinal J. Francis Stafford (CNS)

American Cardinal Francis Stafford, the former archbishop of Denver, has retired as head of the Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary.

Prior to being appointed to lead the Apostolic Penitentiary in 2003, Cardinal Stafford served as president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity after Pope John Paul II asked him to leave his post as archbishop of Denver in 1996.

Cardinal Stafford has been an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama, calling him “aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic” in a speech given at The Catholic University of America in November 2008 shortly after Obama’s election.

In his speech, Cardinal Stafford warned Obama had campaigned on an “extremist anti-life platform” and predicted his presidency would be a time of trial — a Garden of Gethsemane moment — for the United States.

Go here to read an article published today by Catholic News Services about the announcement of Cardinal Stafford’s retirement.

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