Former Catholic Archbishop of New York dies of heart attack at 82

Former Catholic archbishop of New York, Edward Egan, has died at the age of 82.

Cardinal Egan was well known for the major role he played in the wake of the September 9/11 attacks.

The Archdiocese of New York says Egan died on Thursday afternoon at a New York hospital after suffering a heart attack.

He was appointed as leader of the archdiocese by Pope John Paul II in 2000, succeeding the late Cardinal John O'Connor.

As an archbishop during the September 11 terror attacks, Egan anointed the dead at a lower Manhattan hospital and presided over many funerals for victims - sometimes three a day.

He also took to Ground Zero to distribute rosaries to the many grieving families who were searching - often in vain - for their loved ones among the rubble.

Egan bristled at the suggestion that he was more a manager than shepherd. In a 2001 interview with The New York Times, he said, 'I am about, first and foremost, serving 413 communities of faith,' he said, referring to the archdiocese's parishes.

He was a scholar of church law and spoke Latin fluently.

John Paul chose him to help with the massive job of reviewing a revised canon law code for the global church.

A native of Illinois, Egan retired as New York archbishop in 2009.

Daily Mail reports that Egan's death was announced by New York's current cardinal, Timothy Dolan, who wrote, 'My dear people, I am saddened to tell you that our beloved Cardinal Edward Egan, the Archbishop of New York from 2000-2009, has gone home to the Lord.

'Thank God he had a peaceful death, passing away right after lunch today, with the prayers and sacraments of his loyal priest secretary, Father Douglas Crawford, in his residence at the Chapel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He was rushed to NYU Langone Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 2:20 pm this afternoon.

'Join me, please, in thanking God for his life, especially his generous and faithful priesthood.

'Pray as well that the powerful mercy of Jesus, in which our Cardinal had such trust, has ushered him into heaven.

'My sympathy to his natural family, who will grieve for their uncle, and to you, his spiritual family here in the Archdiocese of New York. I'll keep in touch as our arrangements are made. May he rest in peace.'