Francis Cardinal George
Encyclopedia
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).
A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
, George was created a cardinal
by Pope John Paul II
in 1998. He served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
from 2007 to 2010.
of St. Pascal Church in Chicago's Northwest Side
.
George contracted polio
at age 13. 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
. He joined the Missionary Oblates on August 14, 1957. He continued his studies at the Oblates novitiate in Godfrey
before entering Our Lady of the Snows Seminary in Pass Christian
, Mississippi.
George was then sent to study theology
at the University of Ottawa
in Canada. He made his solemn vow
s as a member of the Missionary Oblates on September 8, 1961.
to the priesthood
by Bishop Raymond Hillinger
at his home parish of St. Pascal Church. 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. 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).
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. 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. 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".
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).
in Washington by Pope John Paul II
. 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
. He took as his episcopal motto
: Christo Gloria in Ecclesia (Latin
: "To Christ be Glory in the Church").
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). 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.
On April 30, 1996, George was appointed the ninth Archbishop of Portland in Oregon. 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.
.
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 letter
s. 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 of 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 of 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.”
as a "bastard" in exchange for a softening of traditional Catholic prayers calling for Jews to be converted to Christianity. In 2009, he condemned negationist declarations made by bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the Society of Saint Pius X.
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.
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.
and would undergo surgery the next day at Loyola University
Medical Center in Maywood
, west of Chicago.
His personal physician, the Reverend Myles Sheehan, S.J.
, M.D.
, said that there was a drop in blood pressure after the surgery and some bleeding in a small blood vessel, but that the Cardinal had suffered only minor complications.
Cardinal George was released and, it was ultimately determined, was not expected to need chemotherapy
or radiation
because the bladder cancer, while an aggressive type, was strictly confined to the bladder and a ureter as a carcinoma
in situ
and had not spread to lymph nodes or otherwise extensively spread by metastasis
. He was able to eat normally, not needing an indwelling catheter
or other artificial system after a new bladder had been reconstructed from some intestinal tissue
. He planned to use a walker
and undergo physical therapy
and rehabilitation at his residence to regain full use of a leg stricken by his childhood bout with polio.
He attended to affairs with the archdiocese's vicar general
, the Msgr. John Canary, while he recuperated. He resumed limited functions from the residence soon thereafter, followed by his regular schedule after September 2006. His prognosis for recovery was deemed "favorable." He traveled to Rome in October 2006, to concelebrate the canonization Mass of Indiana's first saint, Mother Theodore Guerin
, S.P.
, and three other new saints.
Cardinal George, as Vice President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
, met with several other leaders of the conference and its president at the time, Bishop William S. Skylstad
of Spokane, Washington, during that 2006 visit to Rome. The conference leaders were received by Pope Benedict XVI and the Roman Curia. He also resumed writing "The Cardinal's Column," his piece in the main archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic New World. He helped launch the first American diocesan Polish newspaper, which will join Chicago Catolico, the Spanish diocesan newspaper, to serve an ethnically diverse diocese.
On April 7, 2007, the day before Easter Sunday, Cardinal George slipped and fell at Saint Ferdinand Church in the Northwest Side area of Chicago on holy water that he had been sprinkling on Easter baskets, some of which had fallen on the church's floor. He fractured his hip at the top of the femur
. He continued the service, but was later taken to Loyola University Medical Center
. Surgery was not necessary and he was released on Easter Sunday and celebrated Mass in the private chapel in his residence.
All the rest of his Easter engagements for the week were postponed or canceled, as was his place in a pilgrimage trip later in the week to Rome. He had remarked earlier that because of the right leg brace he wears from his childhood polio, combined with his recent cancer, he now falls more frequently.
In November 2007 Cardinal George was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to serve until the end of 2010. He was succeeded as the Conference's President by His Excellency
, the Most Reverend
Archbishop
Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
:
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.
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
. 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 of 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.
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
(born January 16, 1937) is an American cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Archbishop of Chicago, previously serving as Bishop of Yakima
Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central region of the state of Washington in the United States...
(1990–1996) and Archbishop of Portland (1996–1997).
A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
, George was created a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1998. He served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
from 2007 to 2010.
Early life and education
Francis George was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Francis J. and Julia R. (née McCarthy) George. He has an older sister, Margaret. He received his early education at the parochial schoolParochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of St. Pascal Church in Chicago's Northwest Side
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
.
George contracted polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
at age 13. Due to his disability, he was rejected by Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
, and instead enrolled at St. Henry Preparatory Seminary in Belleville
Belleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
, a high school seminary of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
. He joined the Missionary Oblates on August 14, 1957. He continued his studies at the Oblates novitiate in Godfrey
Godfrey, Illinois
Godfrey is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18000 at the 2010 census. Godfrey is located within the Greater St...
before entering Our Lady of the Snows Seminary in Pass Christian
Pass Christian, Mississippi
Pass Christian , nicknamed The Pass, is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, along the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Mississippi.
George was then sent to study theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
in Canada. He made his solemn vow
Solemn vow
In Roman Catholic canon law, a solemn vow is a vow that the Church has recognized as such....
s as a member of the Missionary Oblates on September 8, 1961.
Priesthood
On December 21, 1963, George was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Raymond Hillinger
Raymond Peter Hillinger
Raymond Peter Hillinger was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Rockford and Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago .-Biography:...
at his home parish of St. Pascal Church. He received a Bachelor of Theology
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology is a three to five year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines. Candidates for this degree typically must complete course work in Greek or Hebrew, as well as systematic theology, biblical theology, ethics, homiletics and Christian ministry...
degree from the University of Ottawa in 1964, followed by a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C. in 1965. He then taught philosophy at Our Lady of the Snows Seminary in Pass Christian (1964–69), Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans, Louisiana (1968), and Creighton University
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, Nebraska (1969–1973).
During his teaching assignments, George earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in American Philosophy from Tulane University in 1970, and a Master of Theology
Master of Theology
A Master of Theology is an advanced theological research degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries.-North America:In North America, the Master of Theology is considered by the Association of Theological Schools to be the minimum educational credential for teaching...
degree from the University of Ottawa in 1971. He served as provincial superior
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of the Midwestern Province for the Missionary Oblates in Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota, from 1973 until 1974, when he became vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of his religious order. Based in Rome, he served as vicar general for 12 years. He obtained a Doctor of Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
degree from the Pontifical Urbaniana University
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
in 1988, with a thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
entitled: "Inculturation and communion".
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
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Massachusetts (1987–90).
Early episcopacy
On July 10, 1990, George was appointed the fifth Bishop of YakimaRoman Catholic Diocese of Yakima
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central region of the state of Washington in the United States...
in Washington by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following September 21 from Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, with Bishops Roger Schwietz
Roger Lawrence Schwietz
Roger Lawrence Schwietz, OMI is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who currently serves as Archbishop of Anchorage.-Biography:...
, OMI, and William S. Skylstad
William S. Skylstad
William Stephen Skylstad is an American Roman Catholic Bishop. He is Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane in Washington retiring June 30, 2010...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at Holy Family Church in Yakima
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
. He took as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: Christo Gloria in Ecclesia (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: "To Christ be Glory in the Church").
George served the Diocese of Yakima for five and a half years. As a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
(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). He was episcopal advisor to the Cursillo
Cursillo
Cursillos in Christianity is a ministry of the Roman Catholic Church...
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
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of Bishops on Consecrated Life, and attended the Ninth Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
in October 1994.
On April 30, 1996, George was appointed the ninth Archbishop of Portland in Oregon. 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
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
jail of an inmate's sacramental confession
Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)
In the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving the sacrament of Baptism...
; the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
later ruled that the tape recording was an unconstitutional and illegal act.
Archbishop of 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 CathedralHoly Name Cathedral, Chicago
Holy Name Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Holy Name, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. It is also the parish church of the Archbishop of Chicago...
.
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
San Bartolomeo all'Isola
The Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island is a titular minor basilica, located in Rome, Italy. It was founded at the end of the 10th century by Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor. It contains the relics of St...
. Newly named Cardinal George was awarded the privileges of the scarlet vestments and biretta
Biretta
The biretta is a square cap with three or four peaks or horns, sometimes surmounted by a tuft. Traditionally the three peaked biretta is worn by Roman Catholic clergy and some Anglican and Lutheran clergy. The four peaked biretta is worn as academic dress by those holding a doctoral degree from a...
in consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
at the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
on February 21.
George was one of the cardinal electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2005
The following is a list of the 115 cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave, arranged by region and, within each region, alphabetically. Two cardinals who were eligible to participate in the conclave, namely Adolfo Suarez Rivera and Jaime Sin, did not attend due to ill health.-Roman...
who participated in the 2005 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 2005
The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened as a result of the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005. After his death, the cardinals who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave to elect John Paul's successor. The conclave began on 18 April 2005 and ended on the following...
that selected Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. 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 letter
Pastoral letter
A Pastoral letter, often called simply a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances...
s. 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 of 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 of 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
Theology on Tap
Theology on Tap is a program of lectures sponsored by a number of local Catholic dioceses. The lectures, which are often given by noted spiritual leaders and religious academics, address current topics in religion and theology, and are notable and sometimes controversial for their venue, which is...
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.”
Interfaith relations
In 2007, he asked Jews to reconsider descriptions of Jesus in the TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
as a "bastard" in exchange for a softening of traditional Catholic prayers calling for Jews to be converted to Christianity. In 2009, he condemned negationist declarations made by bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the Society of Saint Pius X.
In 2010, he spoke at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
about the continued need for Catholics and Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
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.
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.
Health concerns
In a statement to the Archdiocese of Chicago Cardinal George announced on July 26, 2006 that he had bladder cancerBladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
and would undergo surgery the next day at Loyola University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
Medical Center in Maywood
Maywood, Illinois
Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:...
, west of Chicago.
His personal physician, the Reverend Myles Sheehan, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, said that there was a drop in blood pressure after the surgery and some bleeding in a small blood vessel, but that the Cardinal had suffered only minor complications.
Cardinal George was released and, it was ultimately determined, was not expected to need chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
or radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
because the bladder cancer, while an aggressive type, was strictly confined to the bladder and a ureter as a carcinoma
Carcinoma
Carcinoma is the medical term for the most common type of cancer occurring in humans. Put simply, a carcinoma is a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body, and that generally arises from cells originating in the endodermal or ectodermal germ layer during...
in situ
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
and had not spread to lymph nodes or otherwise extensively spread by metastasis
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
. He was able to eat normally, not needing an indwelling catheter
Catheter
In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters thereby allow drainage, administration of fluids or gases, or access by surgical instruments. The process of inserting a catheter is catheterization...
or other artificial system after a new bladder had been reconstructed from some intestinal tissue
Biological tissue
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
. He planned to use a walker
Walker (tool)
A walker or walking frame is a tool for disabled or elderly people who need additional support to maintain balance or stability while walking...
and undergo physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
and rehabilitation at his residence to regain full use of a leg stricken by his childhood bout with polio.
He attended to affairs with the archdiocese's vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
, the Msgr. John Canary, while he recuperated. He resumed limited functions from the residence soon thereafter, followed by his regular schedule after September 2006. His prognosis for recovery was deemed "favorable." He traveled to Rome in October 2006, to concelebrate the canonization Mass of Indiana's first saint, Mother Theodore Guerin
Theodore Guerin
Saint Mother Théodore Guérin , designated by the Vatican as Saint Theodora, is the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, a congregation of Catholic nuns...
, S.P.
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are an apostolic congregation of Catholic women founded by Saint Theodora Guerin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in 1840...
, and three other new saints.
Cardinal George, as Vice President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, met with several other leaders of the conference and its president at the time, Bishop William S. Skylstad
William S. Skylstad
William Stephen Skylstad is an American Roman Catholic Bishop. He is Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane in Washington retiring June 30, 2010...
of Spokane, Washington, during that 2006 visit to Rome. The conference leaders were received by Pope Benedict XVI and the Roman Curia. He also resumed writing "The Cardinal's Column," his piece in the main archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic New World. He helped launch the first American diocesan Polish newspaper, which will join Chicago Catolico, the Spanish diocesan newspaper, to serve an ethnically diverse diocese.
On April 7, 2007, the day before Easter Sunday, Cardinal George slipped and fell at Saint Ferdinand Church in the Northwest Side area of Chicago on holy water that he had been sprinkling on Easter baskets, some of which had fallen on the church's floor. He fractured his hip at the top of the femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
. He continued the service, but was later taken to Loyola University Medical Center
Loyola University Medical Center
The Loyola University Medical Center is a quaternary care system with a main medical center campus in the western suburbs of Chicago. The medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, west of the Chicago Loop and east of Oak Brook, Illinois. The heart of the medical center campus,...
. Surgery was not necessary and he was released on Easter Sunday and celebrated Mass in the private chapel in his residence.
All the rest of his Easter engagements for the week were postponed or canceled, as was his place in a pilgrimage trip later in the week to Rome. He had remarked earlier that because of the right leg brace he wears from his childhood polio, combined with his recent cancer, he now falls more frequently.
In November 2007 Cardinal George was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to serve until the end of 2010. He was succeeded as the Conference's President by His Excellency
Excellency
Excellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
, the Most Reverend
Most Reverend
The Most Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Roman Catholic Church , all bishops are styled "The Most Reverend", as well as monsignors of the rank of protonotary apostolic de numero.*In the Roman Catholic Church , archbishops are styled "The...
Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
Extra-diocesan posts
Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal George to several offices of the Roman CuriaRoman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
:
- Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the SacramentsCongregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the SacramentsThe Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the...
- Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic LifeCongregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic LifeThe Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life and Society of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and...
- Congregation for the Evangelization of PeoplesCongregation for the Evangelization of PeoplesThe Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
- Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the ChurchPontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the ChurchThe Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church is an institution within the Roman Catholic Church and the Roman Curia that guardians the historical and artistic patrimony of the entire Church which includes works of art, historical documents, books, everything kept in museums as...
- Congregation for Oriental Churches
- Pontifical Council for CulturePontifical Council for CultureThe Pontifical Council for Culture is a department of the Roman Curia charged with fostering the relationship of the Catholic Church with different cultures. Pope John Paul II founded it on 20 May 1982...
- Pontifical Council Cor UnumPontifical Council Cor UnumThe Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development is a part of the Curia of the Catholic Church. It was established by Pope Paul VI on 15 July 1971 and is based in the Palazzo San Callisto, in Piazza San Callisto, Rome....
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
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
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
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
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
; 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
Catholic Church Extension Society
The Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America is a charitable organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church that seeks to support the Church's activities in under-resourced and isolated communities in the United States...
. 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
National Catholic Bioethics Center
The National Catholic Bioethics Center is a research center located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1972, its mission is promoting and safeguarding the dignity of the human person, thereby sharing in the ministry of Jesus Christ and his Church. The chairman of the Board of Directors...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since 1997, he has been a member of the Board of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
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
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
at age 13 left him with permanent damage to his legs.
Cardinal George is Conventual Chaplain ad honorem
Ad honorem
Ad honorem is a Latin phrase that literally can be translated as "to the honor". When used today, it generally means "for the honor of"; that is, not seeking any material reward. It is commonly used in universities for some unpaid teaching positions....
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
Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards
The Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards honors five outstanding Chicago area early childhood educators each year. The selection process begins each fall with an open call for nominees. Each nominee must be a full time Chicago early childhood teacher with at least five years experience...
Advisory Board. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Oblate Media, Belleville, Illinois
Belleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
, since 1988.
He is a member of the American Catholic Philosophical Association
American Catholic Philosophical Association
The American Catholic Philosophical Association is an organization of Catholic philosophers established in 1926 to promote the advancement of philosophy as an intellectual discipline consonant with Catholic tradition...
, the American Society of Missiologists, and the Catholic Commission on Intellectual and Cultural Affairs.
Recent events and speculation on retirement and succession
Cardinal George had been mentioned as potential candidate to succeed Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
according to TIME magazine , and later to succeed Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
. However, Benedict appointed former Archbishop of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco is the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, the Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties in California, the United States...
William Levada
William Levada
William Joseph Levada is an American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Since 2005, he has served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, making him the highest ranking American in the Roman Curia. He was previously the Archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995 and...
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
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. 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 of 2011, Cardinal George was chosen to be one of eight U.S. Bishops- selected by the Roman Curia's Pontifical Council for the Laity
Pontifical Council for the Laity
The Pontifical Council for the Laity has the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their contributions to the Church. The Cardinal President of the Council is Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko. The Secretary is Bishop Josef...
, 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
Palacio de los Deportes
Palacio de los Deportes is an indoor arena, located in Mexico City, Mexico, within the sports complex Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City, near the Mexico City International Airport and the Foro Sol, in which sports and artistic events are also celebrated. It is operated by Grupo CIE...
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.
External links
- Cardinal George Fanclub – News Coverage, Commentary & Resources
- Archdiocese of Chicago – Official Site
- Catholic New World Newspaper
- Parish Directory
- Schools Directory
- Cardinal George's catholic-pages bio