"Cardinal" John O’Connor’s mother was born Jewish

David Gibson religionnews.com "NEW YORK (RNS) It’s hard to think of a Catholic churchman who was more outspoken in defense of Jews and Judaism than Cardinal John O’Connor, the charismatic New York archbishop who died in 2000. Now research into O’Connor’s family tree has found that the cardinal’s affinity for Judaism apparently went deeper than even he knew: His mother, it turns out, was born Jewish and converted before she married O’Connor’s father... Cardinal O’Connor certainly seemed like the quintessentially Irish-American churchman, with a love for people, a gift for telling stories, and a knack for mixing it up in politics. But his passion for Judaism was a hallmark of his tenure, as well. Speaking metaphorically, O’Connor told a 1987 rally protesting the treatment of Jews in the Soviet Union: “I am proud to be this day, with you, a Jew.” He also called himself a “spiritual Semite”... He was a strong supporter of Jewish causes and played a key role in the Vatican’s recognition of the State of Israel in 1993. O’Connor also wrote a book, “His Eminence and Hizzoner,” with that quintessentially New York Jew, Ed Koch, his friend and sparring partner, who was mayor during part of the time that O’Connor was archbishop." to read more: religionnews.com