Cardinal George defends bishops' right to define Catholic identity
November 17, 2009
In his presidential address to the annual meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cardinal Francis George spoke at length about the Year for Priests, reflecting on the need to support and defend priests in their ministry.
Cardinal George also spoke about the responsibilities of bishops as teachers, defending the right of the bishops to define what it means to be Catholic and "to clarify questions of truth or faith and of accountability or community among all those who claim to be part of Catholic communion."
In making that remark about Catholic identity, Cardinal George was referring to two separate but related controversies: his own decision to set up USCCB committees to set standards for Catholic identity in educational institutions and media outlets; and the current political debate over health-care reform, in which the US bishops' conference has been heavily involved. Regarding the latter, the cardinal defended the right of Church leaders to engage in the public debate, noting that bishops are moral leaders, and "issues that are moral questions before they become political remain moral questions when they become political.”
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Further information:
- U.S. Cardinal: Church must join health debate (Baltimore Sun)
- Cardinal: lobbying health reform is duty (Washington Times)
- Bishops Try to Reassert Control of a Restive Flock (David Gibson/Politics Daily)
- Cardinal George defends Church's right to speak on health care (CNA)
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