| His Eminence Francis Eugene George OMI |
|
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Chicago | |
Cardinal George at the May 2011 inauguration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel |
|
| See | Chicago |
| Enthroned | May 7, 1997 (14 years, 288 days) |
| Predecessor | Joseph Bernardin |
| Successor | incumbent |
| Other posts | Bishop of Yakima (1990–1996) Archbishop of Portland (1996–1997) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 21, 1963 |
| Consecration | September 21, 1990 |
| Created Cardinal | February 21, 1998 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest of San Bartolomeo all'Isola |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 16, 1937 Chicago, Illinois |
Francis Eugene George, OMI (born January 16, 1937) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Archbishop of Chicago, previously serving as Bishop of Yakima (1990–1996) and Archbishop of Portland (1996–1997).[1]
A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, George was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1998.[2] He served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2007 to 2010.
Contents |
Francis George was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Francis J. and Julia R. (née McCarthy) George.[3] He has an older sister, Margaret.[4] He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Pascal Church in Chicago's Northwest Side.[5]
George contracted polio at age 13.[6] Due to his disability, he was rejected by Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, and instead enrolled at St. Henry Preparatory Seminary in Belleville, a high school seminary of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.[7] He joined the Missionary Oblates on August 14, 1957.[3] He continued his studies at the Oblates novitiate in Godfrey before entering Our Lady of the Snows Seminary in Pass Christian, Mississippi.[5]
George was then sent to study theology at the University of Ottawa in Canada.[2] He made his solemn vows as a member of the Missionary Oblates on September 8, 1961.[5]
On December 21, 1963, George was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Raymond Hillinger at his home parish of St. Pascal Church.[1] He received a Bachelor of Theology degree from the University of Ottawa in 1964, followed by a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1965.[2] He then taught philosophy at Our Lady of the Snows Seminary in Pass Christian (1964–69), Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana (1968), and Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska (1969–1973).[3]
During his teaching assignments, George earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in American Philosophy from Tulane University in 1970, and a Master of Theology degree from the University of Ottawa in 1971.[4] He served as provincial superior of the Midwestern Province for the Missionary Oblates in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1973 until 1974, when he became vicar general of his religious order.[5] Based in Rome, he served as vicar general for 12 years. He obtained a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in 1988, with a thesis entitled: "Inculturation and communion".[2]
George returned to the United States, where he served as coordinator of the Circle of Fellows at the Center for the Study of Faith and Culture in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1987–90).[4]
On July 10, 1990, George was appointed the fifth Bishop of Yakima in Washington by Pope John Paul II.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 21 from Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, with Bishops Roger Schwietz, OMI, and William S. Skylstad serving as co-consecrators, at Holy Family Church in Yakima.[1] He took as his episcopal motto: Christo Gloria in Ecclesia (Latin: "To Christ be Glory in the Church").[8]
George served the Diocese of Yakima for five and a half years. As a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), he served as chair of the Commission for Bishops and Scholars (1992–1994), and as a consultant to the Committees on Evangelization (1991–93), Hispanic Affairs (1994–97), and Science and Values (1994–97).[3] He was episcopal advisor to the Cursillo Movement (Region XII) from 1990 to 1997, and episcopal moderator of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities from 1990 to 2008. He was a papal appointee to the 1994 World Synod of Bishops on Consecrated Life, and attended the Ninth Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Vatican City in October 1994.[2]
On April 30, 1996, George was appointed the ninth Archbishop of Portland in Oregon.[1] He was installed on the following May 27 at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. During his brief tenure, he led the Archdiocese's response to a tape recording by the Lane County jail of an inmate's sacramental confession; the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that the tape recording was an unconstitutional and illegal act.[5]
| Styles of Francis George |
|
|---|---|
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Chicago |
Less than a year later, on April 8, 1997, Pope John Paul II appointed Archbishop George the eighth Archbishop of Chicago to fill a vacancy left by the death of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on November 14, 1996. He was the first native Chicagoan to assume the office. On May 7 after his appointment, the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Agostino Cacciavillan installed Archbishop George as Archbishop of Chicago in Holy Name Cathedral.
On January 18, 1998, Pope John Paul II announced Archbishop George's elevation to the Sacred College of Cardinals with the title of Cardinal-Priest of San Bartolomeo all'Isola. Newly named Cardinal George was awarded the privileges of the scarlet vestments and biretta in consistory at the Vatican on February 21.
George was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. He will be eligible to participate in any future papal conclaves that occur before January 16, 2017 when he will reach his 80th birthday.
At the conclave, he, like Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia, was known as a conservative supporter of Benedict, saying afterward in a press conference, "It was a choice that was apparent almost immediately."
Cardinal George publishes a locally well-read column bi-monthly in the Chicago archdiocesan newspaper of which he is Publisher, The Catholic New World, called "The Cardinal's Column". He is also the Publisher of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Hispanic and Polish newspapers, respectively Chicago Católico and Katolik.
He has published at least two pastoral letters. The first, "Becoming An Evangelizing People", was released on November 21, 1997. The second was a major discourse on the sinful and destructive nature of racism, Dwell in My Love, released on April 4, 2001.
The Cardinal is the author of two locally well-known books. The first, The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion, and Culture, was published in October 2009 by Crossroad Publishing Company. It is a collection of essays exploring our relationship with God, the responsibility of communion and the transformation of culture. His most recent book, God in Action: How Faith in God Can Address the Challenges of the World, was published in May 2011 by Doubleday Religion. In this collection of essays, he reflects on the significance of religious faith in the public sphere and underscores the unique contributions of religion to the common good.
As Cardinal Bernardin referred to himself as "Joseph your brother", George refers to himself as "Francis your neighbor".
George is also known for continuing the work of his predecessor Cardinal Bernardin, regarding young people in the church – specifically, by addressing the archdiocese's annual Theology on Tap gathering in 1997. In his invitation to the event, he wrote, “You are very important members of the Church. Your energy, talent and faith will give me much help as together we build up our local Church to be a vital presence in the Chicago area. Together we can continue the mission of Jesus Christ to bring the Gospel of love, forgiveness and holiness to all the places where we live and encounter others.”
In 2007, he asked Jews to reconsider descriptions of Jesus in the Talmud as a "bastard" in exchange for a softening of traditional Catholic prayers calling for Jews to be converted to Christianity.[9] In 2009, he condemned negationist declarations made by bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the Society of Saint Pius X.[10]
In 2010, he spoke at Brigham Young University about the continued need for Catholics and Mormons to stand together to protect religious freedom. "In recent years, Catholics and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have stood more frequently side by side in the public square to defend human life and dignity," Cardinal George said. He also praised the LDS Church for its efforts alongside the Catholic Church to combat poverty and pornography and the need to define marriage as between one man and one woman.[11]
Later in 2010, he further outlined the degree to which he believed religious freedoms (in the United States and other Western societies) was endangered. After the passage of legislation that enabled Civil Unions in Illinois, his eminence stated, "I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square". This statement has widely been interpreted as reactionary by liberal members of the American political left and accurate by conservative members of the American political right.
Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal George to several offices of the Roman Curia:
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to the Pontifical Council for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See.
He was appointed by Pope John Paul II to the 1994 World Synod of Bishops on Consecrated Life and a delegate and one of two special secretaries at the Synod of Bishops for America in 1997. He was a delegate of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to the 2001 World Synod of Bishops, and was also elected to the Council for the World Synod of Bishops in 2001. He served as a delegate of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for the 2008 World Synod of Bishops on "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.
He served as Vice President (2004–2007) and President (2007–2010) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is a member of its Committee on Divine Worship and its Ad Hoc Committee on Shrines. He also serves as a consultant to the Committee on Doctrine and Pro-Life Activities and the Subcommittee on Lay Ministry.
He has also served on Conference of Bishops Committees on Doctrine, on Latin America, on Missions, on Religious Life, the American Board of Catholic Missions, and on World Missions; on the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism and the Subcommittee on Campus Ministry.
He was Chair of the Committee for Bishops and Scholars from 1992–1994, and of the Committee on Liturgy from 2001–2004, and a consultant to the Committees on Evangelization (1991–1993), Hispanic Affairs (1994–1997), Science and Values (1994–1997), and African American Catholics (1999–2002). He was the Representative to the International Commission on English and the Liturgy from 1997–2006.
Because of his position as Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, since 1997, when he assumed the office, he has been the de facto Chancellor of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary (the Archdiocesan Seminary in the suburb of Mundelein, Illinois; both the seminary and the town are named after Cardinal George Mundelein, a deceased former Archbishop of Chicago).
He is the Chancellor, since 1997, of the Catholic Church Extension Society. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Washington, D.C.-based Catholic University of America since 1993. From 1997, he has been a Trustee of the Papal Foundation. In 1994, he became a member of the Board of Directors of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since 1997, he has been a member of the Board of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
He has been the Episcopal Liaison to the Catholic Campus Ministry Association Executive Board since 1998 and is now also the Episcopal Moderator for the Ministry of Transportation Chaplains, serving since 2003. He also served as Episcopal Advisor to the Cursillo Movement, Region XII, from 1990 to 1997.
From 1990 to 2008, he was Episcopal Moderator and member of the board of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities (now known as the National Catholic Partnership on Disability). He brought personal experience to his role after a five-month bout with poliomyelitis at age 13 left him with permanent damage to his legs.
Cardinal George is Conventual Chaplain ad honorem of the Federal Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Grand Prior of the North Central Lieutenancy of the United States for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and a member of the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards Advisory Board. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Oblate Media, Belleville, Illinois, since 1988.
He is a member of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, the American Society of Missiologists, and the Catholic Commission on Intellectual and Cultural Affairs.
Cardinal George had been mentioned as potential candidate to succeed Pope John Paul II according to TIME magazine , and later to succeed Pope Benedict XVI as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, Benedict appointed former Archbishop of San Francisco William Levada to fill that office. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Catholic University of America, the Chancellor of Mundelein Seminary and Loyola University Chicago, and a member of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. In May 2008, Father Robert Barron, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, was named the first holder of the endowed Francis Cardinal George Chair of Systematic Theology at Mundelein Seminary, the second such named endowed chair the university started.
In March 2009 Cardinal George met with newly elected United States President Barack Obama.[12] In the fall of 2010, he finished his three-year presidency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; he was succeeded by Archbishop Dolan of New York. Cardinal George turned 74 in January 2011, and as bishops are required to make an offer to the Pope to resign at age 75 (which may be deferred by the Pope until later), speculation is already beginning over who could succeed him given that George has had cancer, has fallen, and suffers from the after effects of childhood polio. However, he remains in relatively good shape considering those matters. He remains eligible to vote in future Papal conclaves until his 80th birthday in 2017.
In July 2011, Cardinal George was chosen to be one of eight U.S. Bishops- selected by the Roman Curia's Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Vatican body that convenes the event- to serve as catechists at the August 2011 World Youth Day celebration in Madrid, Spain. Cardinal George will celebrate a Mass during the event on the morning of Saturday, August 20 at Madrid's air-conditioned Palacio de los Deportes before sending them out to the Cuatro Vientos Airport that night for the Prayer Vigil that night and the Papal Mass that closes the gathering the next day.
| Episcopal lineage | |
| Consecrated by: | Agostino Cacciavillan |
| Consecrator of | |
|---|---|
| Bishop | Date of consecration |
| Joseph Perry | June 29, 1998 |
| George Joseph Lucas | December 13, 1999 |
| Jerome Edward Listecki | January 8, 2001 |
| Francis Joseph Kane | March 19, 2003 |
| Thomas John Paprocki | March 19, 2003 |
| Gustavo Garcia-Siller | March 19, 2003 |
| George James Rassas | February 2, 2006 |
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Stephen Skylstad |
Bishop of Yakima 1990–1996 |
Succeeded by Carlos Arthur Sevilla, SJ |
| Preceded by William Levada |
Archbishop of Portland 1996–1997 |
Succeeded by John George Vlazny |
| Preceded by Joseph Bernardin |
Archbishop of Chicago 1997–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by William S. Skylstad |
President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2007–2010 |
Succeeded by Timothy Michael Dolan |
|
||||||||||