Cardinal John P. Foley thought it ironic that he was asked to be the guest speaker at The Tablet’s 100th Anniversary Dinner held April 11 at the Brooklyn Marriott.

He recalled an instance when he was 18 years old that he was “denounced” by The Tablet’s legendary Editor Patrick F. Scanlan.

It seems that his school was not going to allow any debate as to whether or not the United States should develop diplomatic relations with Communist China. The young Foley, although not in favor of the position, thought that the issue should be given a proper hearing and that an honest debate be held. For his efforts, he was soundly criticized by Mr. Scanlan who deservedly had garnered a reputation for being a rabid anti-Communist.

Foley didn’t hold it against Scanlan. The priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia became the editor of The Catholic Standard and Times, the weekly paper in the City of Brotherly Love and always maintained an admiration for Scanlan, even though he had been the victim of his barbs.

Cardinal Foley pointed out that he and Scanlan were alumni of the same schools, St. Joseph’s Prep and St. Joseph’s College, both in Philadelphia.

Father Foley went on to become an archbishop and director of the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for Social Communications, which is why he was chosen more than a year ago to be the keynote speaker at The Tablet’s centennial party. Since he was asked, he was reassigned to be Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and was elevated to the dignity of being a cardinal.

How lucky for The Tablet to have chosen him and how fortunate we were that he could keep his date with us.

In his perceptive and witty remarks, the cardinal dished out superlatives for the Catholic Press, The Tablet, and the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“The Catholic Press is very important and it is especially important to the Diocese of Brooklyn,” he pointed out.

“One of the tasks of the Catholic Press is to reinforce a Catholic identity. It’s especially important in the Diocese of Brooklyn because it is one of the few in the world that shares a city with another diocese. It’s not easy to maintain an identity under those circumstances.”

Other functions of the diocesan newspaper, he explained, are: providing information, inspiration and spiritual formation to its readership.

“You can depend on The Tablet for good information,” he said, “and it’s an outstanding forum of religious reflection.”

Citing the great ethnic diversity of Brooklyn and Queens and the fact that the word Catholic means universal, Cardinal Foley called Brooklyn “perhaps the most Catholic Church in the world.”

“You continue to offer refuge, hospitality and hope to people who become acculturated into our society. Brooklyn has been the key port of entry for many such people. The Diocese of Brooklyn has maintained a history of welcome to these people from all over the world. For that, we say ‘God bless Brooklyn’.”

The cardinal asked the people of the Diocese to remain faithful to The Tablet as it continues to be a source for the unity of the faith, despite the multiplicity of backgrounds present in our midst. He suggested sending gift subscriptions to friends who do not receive the paper and he thanked The Tablet for keeping him on his complimentary subscription list.

Following up on Cardinal Foley’s remarks, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the current publisher of The Tablet, said that the paper would continue to play a vital role in the Diocese’s vision plan for communications.

Our thanks to all those who made the Centennial Dinner such a memorable evening. Thanks to the pastors who supported us with dinner tickets and advertisements.

Special thanks to Barbara Meagher and Kim Benn of The Tablet’s business department who kept all the detailed paperwork over the course of the year that the committee worked on for this dinner.

Thanks to our chairman Msgr. Michael Hardiman, whose contributions to The Tablet, continue to be invaluable.

Also we say thank you to Bishop DiMarzio and the diocese’s Alive in Hope Foundation and Compostela Fund for their generous support.

Finally, to each and every person who attended the dinner, we could not have done it without you. We look forward to your continued readership.