Cardinal Francis Spellman: A dramatic, hard-fought rise to the top

Cardinal Francis Spellman: A dramatic, hard-fought rise to the top

(OSV News) — Many cardinals have had books written about them, but few have become the fictionalized heroes of best-selling novels. Cardinal Francis J. Spellman, archbishop of New York from 1939 to 1967, was one — possibly the only one. The novel was called “The Cardinal.” The work of Catholic author Henry Morton Robinson, it topped the best-seller list for many months after its publication in 1950. Later it was made into a movie. With many embe…