At the ceremony, when another new cardinal remarked that their red hats would be suspended in their cathedrals following their deaths, Preysing responded, "Your Eminence forgets that I have no roof", as St. Hedwig's Cathedral had been bombed during World War II.
Pada upacara itu, ketika yang lain baru kardinal berkata bahwa mereka merah topi akan tertahan di dalam gereja setelah kematian mereka, Preysing menjawab, "yang Mulia lupa bahwa aku tidak memiliki atap", seperti St Hedwig adalah Katedral telah dibom selama Perang Dunia II.