His Eminence Cardinal William Henry Keeler, BA, STL, JCD (born March 4, 1931) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as Archbishop of Baltimore since 1989 and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1994.
Pope Benedict XVI accepted Cardinal Keeler's resignation on July 12, 2007 when it was announced that Edwin O'Brien had been appointed to succeed Keeler as Archbishop of Baltimore. Cardinal Keeler continues to lead the Archdiocese as apostolic administrator until O'Brien is formally installed on October 1, 2007,

Bishop
Keeler was created Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of November 26, 1994. He was appointed to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in the summer of 1994 and to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in November 1994. From 1998 to 2001 and again since November 2003, he has served as Chair for the Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Keeler was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave.
One of Keeler's priorities has been the strengthening of the Catholic school system. In 1992, he initiated the Lenten Appeal, a giving campaign that has raised over $44 million in support of Baltimore's Catholic schools, the needs of the less fortunate, and a variety of spiritual development efforts and the Cardinal's Partners in Excellence scholarship program has raised $16 million in tuition assistance for at-risk children.
The Cardinal is also responsible for the effort to restore Baltimore's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, America's first cathedral, the cost of which was financed entirely through private donations.
Keeler is the President of the American Division Catholic Near East Welfare Association and Chair of the Black and Native American Missions Board. He is Chairman of the Board of Catholic Charities, the largest non-governmental agency providing assistance to the needy of Maryland. He is president of the Cathedral Foundation and publisher of The Catholic Review.

Honors and Awards