Roman Catholics: Requiem for a Cardinal

Francis Cardinal Spellman once said that he wanted only to have the fu neral of a simple priest. The Roman Catholic Church, however, is not inclined to honor its spiritual princes with the trappings of humility. His funeral last week — seen by millions on television — was the nation's most impressive since that of John Kennedy.

During the five days that Spellman's body lay in state in St. Patrick's Cathedral, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers filed past the catafalque in tribute. For the funeral service, the cathedral was jammed to...