This week I happily relinquish most of the Editorial Page to a most distinguished writer: Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.
Cardinal George writes so eloquently about the evolution of the Catholic Church as it relates to society as a whole.
He discusses particularly what has happened in the United States in more recent years, when the Church — and its faithful members — have been forced to “swim against the tide” when the government and social pressure seek to impose their “own form of morality” on us.
For more of Cardinal George’s insights, I encourage people to read his book, God in Action: How Faith in God Can Address the Challenges of the World (2011, Doubleday Religion), which I have read twice.
In his book, Cardinal George notes that the Second Vatican Council challenged Catholics to read the “signs of the times.” He adds that this does not mean “that the only criteria for making judgments would be provided by this world and on its terms.”
Rather, Cardinal George says the challenge is “to detect signs of eternity in the events of our world because the eternal God is a work in our times. . . . The criteria for discerning God’s action have to be read from within human events with an eye for discovering a presence that brings good out of evil, hope from despair, and life out of death.”
His book helps us read the signs of the times by examining religious liberty, just war, commerce, migrants, and many other key issues of our day. It’s well worth reading, especially in an election year!