Fr. Robert Barron pays a fitting tribute to Cardinal George in this beautiful essay, which is well worth reading for anyone who wants to understand why the great Chicago prelate’s legacy will be long-lasting and profound.
Fr. Barron’s reflection is befitting of its subject because rather than simply recounting personal reminiscences about the late cardinal or expounding on the impact he had on the Church during his lifetime, it instead gives a characteristically lucid and succinct rendering of Cardinal George’s thought.
Cardinal George will of course be remembered as a pastor, as a shepherd of great love, great faith, and great humility. But as one would expect of a man who was widely considered the intellectual ace of spades in the American hierarchy, he will also be remembered for his great love of the truth and his determination to engage the culture with it.
It is this legacy of Cardinal George that Fr. Barron illuminates for us.