Cardinal Richard James Cushing
Cardinal Richard James Cushing was a prominent Catholic leader who served as the Archbishop of the Boston diocese from 1944 until his death in 1970. He was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope John XXIII in 1958, marking a significant moment in his ecclesiastical career. Cushing was known for his influential role in post-World War II American Catholicism, particularly concerning moral censorship in the media. He became involved with various organizations aimed at overseeing the moral content of films, television, and literature, reflecting the Catholic Church's stance on decency during that era.
Notably, Cushing supported initiatives to censor certain media, such as the television show "Duffy's Tavern," which he believed portrayed Irish Americans in a negative light. He took a hard stance against risqué nightlife and erotic literature in Boston, issuing a pastoral letter to emphasize the responsibility of clergy and laypersons in combating these influences. Despite some censorship efforts, he did not find the film "Forever Amber" objectionable enough to warrant a ban. Cushing’s legacy is marked by his efforts to navigate the complexities of faith and culture in a rapidly changing society.
Subject Terms
Cardinal Richard James Cushing
Identification: Roman Catholic cleric in Massachusetts
Significance: Cushing played a leading role in promoting censorship after World War II
Cushing served as Catholic archbishop of the Boston diocese from 1944 until his death in 1970. In 1958 Pope John XXIII elevated him to the rank of cardinal. Considered one of the most influential Catholic leaders of his time in the United States, Cushing became embroiled in a post-World War II censorship movement that attacked films, television, and books. Groups such as the Legion of Decency, National Organization for Decent Literature, and the National Office of Literature served as watch guards for Catholic bishops examining the moral content of visual and written material. In 1946, for example, Cushing supported Irish Catholics who tried to ban the series Duffy’s Tavern from television because they thought it portrayed a demeaning image of Irish Americans. He also pushed to censor the language content of the play Life with Father.
In the late 1940’s Cushing was asked by Catholic groups to have the controversial film Forever Amber banned in Boston. Cushing found nothing in the film objectionable enough to justify its being banned. He did, however, take a hard stand on risqué Boston nightclubs and the selling of erotic literature. In 1951 he issued a pastoral letter in his diocese reminding clergy and lay members alike of their responsibility in helping to stem the tide of entertainment that glorified sex.
When Henry Morton Robinson’s novel The Cardinal was filmed in 1963, Cushing was invited to view the film in order to judge whether it might be interpreted as an attack on New York’s procensorship champion, Cardinal Francis J. Spellman. Cushing saw no resemblance between the film’s central character and Spellman; he even reviewed the film favorably in a leading Catholic paper.