Tim Russert / Archbishop George Niederauer

Washington D.C., Jun 18, 2008 / 04:11 am (CNA).- Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Communications Committee, the late Tim Russert on Tuesday for his devotion to his Catholic faith, family, work as a journalist and his work with Catholic charities.

"Russert was valued by Americans for his tremendous command of the political and electoral process and his commitment to discovering each aspect of the story that contributed to people having a better awareness of the issues of public life and candidates for political office," Archbishop Niederauer said.

"But those of us who shared his Catholic faith and his deep love for it appreciated his sharing of the story of his own faith and his loyalty to the life of the Catholic Church in this country and the many charities to which he contributed his time and talent," he said.   

The archbishop also praised NBC News for asking Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington, to come to their studio for their staff in the hours after Russert’s death.

"Tim Russert was not shy about telling people to turn to prayer and promising to pray for them in their time of need," he continued. "That the network thought of his staff and followed his example speaks well of them."

Archbishop Niederauer said that Russert’s producer noted there were two things the newscaster never missed: Mass and an event for his son Luke.

"Russert in his public life was loyal to journalism. In his private life he was faithful to his family, fatherhood and faith. That's a wonderful measure of a man.”

Tim Russert’s burial is scheduled for Wednesday after a funeral Mass in Washington.

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