On the eve of Cardinal John Krol's retirement as archbishop of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, he modestly scoffed at the idea that he would be remembered for very long.
``There's nobody that's more dead than a dead bishop . . .,'' he told reporters in February 1988. ``Bury him, forget it . . . We come and we go.''
But few leaders in the modern history of the Roman Catholic Church have had as much impact on their city or on the church - locally, nationally and internationally - as Cardinal Krol.
Krol - who died Sunday at the age 85, and will be buried tomorrow - held a tight grip on the helm of the nation's sixth-largest diocese for 27 years. And what a remarkable time it was.
His tenure, 1961 to 1988, was a time of unprecedented change, inside and outside the church. Krol, determined to maintain the church's authority and tradition, saw his role as a dual challenge: To gradually ease in the internal reforms dictated by the Second Vatican Council while shielding the church as it was buffeted by turbulent social change.
Critics called him ``conservative.'' He eschewed that label, preferring ``orthodox.'' Above all, he saw himself as a churchman whose singular mission was to uphold eternal doctrine and Vatican policy rather than bend to the spirit of the times. In that mission, he succeeded.
Even liberal Catholics who did not always share Krol's strict interpretation of church doctrine or his traditionalist vision admired his clear conviction and steadfastness.
``During the 1960s and '70s, the ship needed an even stronger rudder . . . someone who was steering a steady course,'' said the Rev. John McNamee, pastor of St. Malachy Church, 11th and Master streets, North Philadelphia.
Krol made sure the archdiocese not only stayed on an even keel, but thrived financially. Considered a master fund-raiser and administrator, Krol had a gift for delegating power to capable lieutenants. But there was no question that Krol was the boss.
During his reign, the archdiocese witnessed the flight of many city Catholics to the suburbs. Krol followed them out there, creating 35 new parishes and building 100 new churches.
He made the church's commitments to the poor a priority by expanding social service programs and by opening inner-city schools to poor non-Catholics.
