Cardinal George, Cultural Critic

Sometimes I have a hard time deciding whose analysis of the current cultural dillemma in the United States I like more, Cardinal George or Archbishop Chaput. I think it's a toss up. You have to read this great letter that Cardinal George wrote to Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the Ad Limina visit of the Bishops of the ecclesiastical provinces of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee.

Here's an excerpt:

In this culture, the Gospel's call to receive freedom as a gift from God and to live its demands faithfully is regarded as oppressive, and the Church, which voices those demands publicly, is seen as an enemy of personal freedom and a cause of social violence. The public conversation in the United States is often an exercise in manipulation and always inadequate to the realities of both the country and the world, let alone the mysteries of faith. It fundamentally distorts Catholicism and any other institution regarded as "foreign" to the secular individualist ethos. Our freedom to preach the Gospel is diminished.

Comments

[Nathan]

I think the Cardinal was a tad too pessimistic and cynical, and that's coming from someone who currently feels utterly alone, confused, etc. How much more pessimistic can you get? lol.

[Stephen]

Nathan,

I agree that the assessment is rather bleak. I attributed it to the nature of the letter, which was to point out to the Holy Father the greatest challenges facing our American Society in order to receive his counsel on how to to approach it. The Pope, of course, has never failed to be full of hope in his assessment of the current cultural proble, but even he cautioned that we are on the verge of becoming a "soulless" society.

[pedroX]

I found the Cardinal to be terribly insightful, and honest. I felt he honestly addressed the state of the church and accepted blame on the part of its leaders.

I may be biased because I love Chicago, but I really felt encouraged, like he had a handle on the situation.

peace...