Archbishop Roach died Friday at age 81. He had been in failing health for a year. He headed the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 1975 to 1995.
Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. episcopate, in a statement, said: «Archbishop Roach not only served well the people of his beloved diocese St. Paul and Minneapolis, but also the national body of bishops, of which he was president, 1980-1983. He chaired the Committee on International Policy, 1991-1994, during the first Gulf War, and articulated the conference’s teaching on war and peace.»
He added: «He led his brother bishops in several important areas, including their efforts for world peace through development of a major pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament, ‘Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response.’ He was also an outspoken advocate for the pastoral letter on the economy, ‘Economic Justice for All: A Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy.'»
