PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Cardinal John Foley, a priest who was a leader of U.S. Catholic journalism, rose to head an ancient Catholic order in the Holy Land, and provided commentary for American television viewers of the Vatican's Christmas Midnight Mass for 25 years, has died, The Philadelphia Archdiocese says.
Foley died Sunday at the Villa St. Joseph in Darby, a suburb of Philadelphia. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 76.
After graduating from St. Joseph's in 1957, he entered the seminary the same year and was ordained a priest for the Philadelphia Archdiocese in 1962.
The recipient of a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, Foley co-hosted a local radio program and was editor in chief of The Catholic Standard & Times from 1970 to 1984.
From 1984 to 2009, Foley provided commentary for the Christmas Midnight Mass in Rome.