Addio, Chink

Nine days ago, these pages were the first anywhere to break the news that Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, the longtime Vatican official seen as a central figure in the Vatican Bank scandals of the 1980s, had died aged 84 at his Arizona home.

While he kept a low profile in life, in death he's receiving the top-shelf honors.

Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix celebrated a funeral liturgy in Sun City on Monday. And this morning, in a "death imitating life" moment, Chink's coffin almost collided with worshippers leaving the 8am Mass at Holy Name Cathedral in his home archdiocese of Chicago. Cardinal Francis George is celebrating a Mass of Christian Burial as I write this....

Marcinkus will be buried at Chicago's St. Casimir's Cemetery.


PHOTO: AP File

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