SPELLMAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000606360002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 20, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-005528000606360002-0
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
20 August 1984
SPELLMAN
BY ESTHER PESSIN
NEW YORK
A biographer of Cardinal Francis Spellman said Monday the publisher of the
book was being "overly cautious " in having him tone down charges that the late
1New York archbishop as an active homosexual.
.lohn Cooney, author of "The American Pope: The Life and Times of Francis
Cardinal Spellman, " acknowledged Monday he made "minor changes " in the
portion of the book describing Spellman as a homosexual.
Cooney made the alterations about two weeks ago after editors at The New York
Times, a corporate affiliate of his publisher Times Books, read the galleys and
said in an newspaper article Aug. 2 that Cooney did not have enough proof that
Spellman was a homosexual.
Sandy Balwarsky, a spokeswoman for Time Books, said editors at the publishing
house had already asked for additional proof before the newspaper article
appeared.
Cooney, who is planning a biography on actor Zero Mostel for Times Books,
said, " It was a matter of editorial judgement,"
" Publishers have a right to make changes, " he said. " I tend to think they^
were being overly cautious."
Neither Cooney nor Times Eooks would discuss the specific changes made in the
biography, scheduled to be published Oct. 31.
Sources close to the publisher noted that Cooney, a farmer features writer
far the Wall Street Journal, was (arced to qualify his charges about Spellman's
alleged homosexuality to read "some people knew that Spellman was a homosexual
and others denied it. " '
"It's a shame, " said Cooney. " I'm convinced that he was sexually active. "
Cooney, who spent two years researching the book, said he talked to two lay
people who claimed to have had a sexual relations with Spellman, New York's
archbishop from 1946 until his death in 19b7.
Cooney said he also interviewed priests and a psychiatrist who knew of
Spellman's homosexual affairs.
The author said he was "bewildered " by the attention given to an issue that
takes up four pages in his 425-page biography, and said he does not think
changes to the text will soften the impact of the book.
"It's~a minor_ issue blown way out of proportion," Cooney said. "Spellman
did a lot of wicked things and to focus on the sexual is ridiculous. Ne was
involved with the CIA, FBI, he hurt many people...he undermined~John Kennedy's
campaign. ' '
The book is basically about Spellman's legendary political power, and the
only reason he raised the homosexuality issue was because it was " a bit of
moral hypocrisy, " Cooney said.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-005528000606360002-0