The Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr.

The Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr., the XIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, died Thursday, May 1 after a long illness. He was 83 years old.

“Paul Moore was a great man, who lived his whole life fighting for justice and for the rights of the oppressed,” commented Bishop Mark S. Sisk. “He was a man whose passion for life grew out of his love for people — a love returned by so many who cherished him deeply.”

Bishop Moore was a pioneer on many fronts. He advocated for social causes and peace until the last weeks of his life. He helped open the Episcopal Church to the ordination of women. He was known for his social activism, deep religious convictions and dedication to welcoming all to the Church. He was also a war hero, receiving the Purple Heart, the Navy Cross and the Silver Star.

Bishop Moore, a tall man with a stately presence, never hesitated to use the pulpit to express his opinions on social causes and civil rights. Whether he was marching for peace with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the tumultuous 1960s or offering aid and assistance to the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy 40 years later, Bishop Moore spoke out for peace in all places for all people. At the end of his life, when he was barely able to mount the steps of the pulpit in the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Bishop Moore was outspoken against President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.

THE EPISCOPAL NEW YORKER		Two Princes of the Diocese A Farewell to Both BISHOP MOORE: His Life The Funeral A Vigil Photos BISHOP DENNIS: His Life The Funeral Photos BACK
Bishop Paul Moore preached for the last time at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on March 23 at the Evensong for Peace. Photo by ANDREW STRAWCUTTER	The Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr.: A Steward of the Church
	By Neva Rae Fox
	The Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr., the XIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, died Thursday, May 1 after a long illness. He was 83 years old. “Paul Moore was a great man, who lived his whole life fighting for justice and for the rights of the oppressed,” commented Bishop Mark S. Sisk. “He was a man whose passion for life grew out of his love for people — a love returned by so many who cherished him deeply.” Bishop Moore was a pioneer on many fronts. He advocated for social causes and peace until the last weeks of his life. He helped open the Episcopal Church to the ordination of women. He was known for his social activism, deep religious convictions and dedication to welcoming all to the Church. He was also a war hero, receiving the Purple Heart, the Navy Cross and the Silver Star. Bishop Moore, a tall man with a stately presence, never hesitated to use the pulpit to express his opinions on social causes and civil rights. Whether he was marching for peace with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the tumultuous 1960s or offering aid and assistance to the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy 40 years later, Bishop Moore spoke out for peace in all places for all people. At the end of his life, when he was barely able to mount the steps of the pulpit in the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Bishop Moore was outspoken against President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.
“Over and against that force of millions of people of all faiths is one solitary man named George W. Bush, alone in a room, telling his staff he needed to be alone for a few minutes of prayer,” Bishop Moore said at an Evensong for Peace on March 23, 2003. “I think it’s strange the whole world — literally millions of people, little children, people in the jungle, people in the city, people outside here, you — that your fate will be determined on the power of millions of people of all faiths against the war, and one solitary Texas politician being alone with Jesus.... This has to do with two different kinds of religions, it seems to me. The religion that says ‘I talk to Jesus and therefore I am right,’ and millions and millions of people of all faiths who disagree.” About Paul Moore Paul Moore was born in Morristown, NJ on November 15, 1919, the son of Paul Moore and Fanny Hanna. He attended St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH and graduated from Yale in 1941. At that time, World War II was ravaging the world. Following his schooling, Moore served in the US Marine Corp from 1941 to 1945. As a platoon leader in the Tulagi-Guadalcanal operation of the First Marine Corp Division, he was seriously wounded. Later he served as officer in charge of the Marine V-12 program at the University of Washington Command and Staff School and as company commander and operations officer in Guam. During his years in the armed service, Moore earned the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He left the Marine Corps with the rank of Captain. Throughout his life, he maintained his membership in the Manhattan District of the 369th Veterans Association. When the war ended, Moore returned to New York City and studied at the General Theological Seminary, graduating in 1949. He was ordained on December 17, 1949 by Bishop Benjamin M. Washburn of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. Moore served as a seminarian at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in the Chelsea area of New York City, where he revived that downtown mission. He first served as a rector at Grace Van Vorst in Jersey City, NJ. From there, he and his family moved to Indianapolis, IN, where he was called as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral. In 1963, he was elected Suffragan Bishop of Washington, DC and was consecrated on January 25, 1964. He served as Suffragan Bishop for five years, continuing his work with inner city churches. He returned to New York City when he was elected Bishop Coadjutor in December 1969. He was installed as XIII Bishop of New York on September 23, 1972, succeeding Bishop Horace Donegan. Bishop Moore retired as bishop in 1989, maintaining an active interest in the church and other causes important to him. In addition to his degrees from Yale and GTS, Bishop Moore received honorary doctorates from GTS in 1960, Virginia Theological Seminary in 1964 and Berkeley Divinity in 1971. He was also honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters from City College of New York. In March 2003, Bishop Moore was presented with an honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Bard College, marking only the second time that this degree had been awarded. The first was presented to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bishop Moore was the author of three books: a study on the urban work of the Church, The Church Reclaims the City in 1965; Take A Bishop Like Me in 1979, in which he chronicles his ordination of a lesbian and describes the struggle for women’s ordination and gay rights in the church; and his memoir, Presences: A Bishop’s Life in the City in 1997. In 1944, Bishop Moore married Jenny McKean, and they raised nine children. Jenny died in 1973. In 1975, Bishop Moore married Brenda Hughes, who died in July 1999. Also predeceasing him was his first great-grandchild, Tallulah Moore Gerety, who died at 2 weeks old in April 2003. Bishop Moore is survived by his children: Honor Moore of New York City; Paul Moore of Berkeley, CA; Adelia Moore of Hartford, CT; Rosemary Moore of Brooklyn, NY; George Moore of Oaxaca, Mexico; Marian Moore of Minneapolis, MN; Daniel Moore of Los Angeles, CA; Susanna Moore of Berkeley, CA; and Patience Moore of Nashville, TN; one brother and 19 grandchildren. A Life Of Service Bishop Moore’s life epitomized dedication and service to a wide range of causes and institutions. He was a member of Yale Corporation and a trustee of GTS, Berkeley Divinity School, Bard College and Trinity School, and served on the National Board of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. In 1968, then Bishop Suffragan of Washington DC, Bishop Moore answered a call from the Presiding Bishop to direct a project called Operation Connection. This interfaith coalition was aimed at involving black and white leadership in the area of urban economic development. In the summer of 1970, Bishop Moore led a peace mission to South Vietnam. In 1982, he was part of a delegation of the Institute for Policy Studies to Moscow to discuss nuclear disarmament. His international work also included visits to Nicaragua and South Africa. He visited East Timor three times and served as chairman of the Timor Project, which focused on human rights and eventually helped lead to independence. He was also a member of a committee to memorialize the battlefields of Guadalcanal. He was chairman of the Project for Relations and Human Rights 1993-1994; member of the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP 1956-1992; a trustee and professor at GTS 1957-1989; and member of the Advisory Council to the Anglican observer at the United Nations. For his work for urban justice, Bishop Moore received the Social Science Award and the New York Urban League Award. In 1991, he was the recipient of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Freedom Medal “honoring his lifelong commitment to social justice and recognizing his brilliant leadership of the Episcopal Church and the ecumenical spirit that he personifies.” He also received the Margaret Sanger Award of Planned Parenthood, the Alumni Medal from St. Paul’s School, and the General John Russell Leadership Award of the United States Marine Corps. Bishop Moore watched over several Anglican religious communities, as Protector General of the Society of St. Francis and Bishop Visitor of the Order of the Holy Cross, the Order of St. Helena and the Brotherhood of St. Gregory. He was also president of the Episcopal Mission Society, which was the social service arm of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and honorary president of Seamen’s Church Institute, the Youth Consultation Service, and chairman of the Governor’s Council on AIDS. He served on the Asia Committee of Human Rights Watch, an organization concerned with international human rights. He served as president of the national Church and City Conference, a group of clergy whose purpose was to enlarge the work of the Church in downtown and metropolitan areas. He also co-chaired a special advisory committee on Church and society, which was charged with the development of social policy and programs for the Episcopal Church. Proponent of Peace Bishop Moore was an ardent proponent of peace and justice throughout his ministry. The following are passages from selected speeches, books and presentations that illustrate this commitment. As early as December 1965, at a Peace Pageant, Bishop Moore announced, “We pray for peace, that the Holy Spirit may guide our President and others in authority to find a rapid end to war; that we may be reconciled with our enemies and they with us. And we pray for those who raise their voices for peace that they may continue their course with courage.” In his 1997 memoirs, Presences, he noted, “As the years passed, my revulsion against violence increased until the movement for peace become one of the principal purposes of my life.” On July 12, 1970 in the New York News, he was quoted, “The ministry of unity and reconciliation is not an easy one. It’s what put Christ on the cross. But if we can witness to this kind of unity within the church, then we would perhaps be giving the greatest possible example to a world that is torn.” On Christmas two years later, Newsweek was his forum: “I still think the church should take the initiative whenever possible in social ethics. But right now there don’t seem to be any well-defined movements which I can relate to except peace.” He shared his reflections concerning September 11, 2001 with the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of New York: “We are still confused in our emotions about that day, and we may well have the grief revisit us for many years. It would be easy to try to put these feelings behind us, but please do not let them go just because they are difficult. It’s important that we remain motivated to deal with the months and years ahead. It seems to me that we are called to proceed, step by step, in this difficult project ministry, with sensitive timing, to be sure, but with iron-willed determination. For this is a ministry of love. Peace and justice are love distributed. …I believe that most Americans are decent, compassionate people as we saw here in New York in September. If they realize truth, they will come around and eventually influence the foreign policy of the USA to become, once again, a true reflection of who we are.”