Francis George
Francis Eugene George OMI (January 16, 1937 – April 17, 2015) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the eighth Archbishop of Chicago in Illinois (1997–2014) and previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Yakima and Archbishop of Portland.
For the Indian politician, see Francis George (politician).
Francis Eugene George
April 8, 1997
May 7, 1997
November 18, 2014
December 21, 1963
by Raymond Peter Hillinger
September 21, 1990
by Agostino Cacciavillan
February 21, 1998
by John Paul II
Cardinal-Priest
All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois
Francis J. and Julia R. (nee McCarthy) George
- President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2007–2010)
- Archbishop of Portland (1996–1997)
- Bishop of Yakima (1990–1996)
Christo Gloria in Ecclesia
(To Christ be Glory in the Church; c.f. Ephesians 3:21)
Bishop Raymond Peter Hillinger
Bishop Raymond Peter Hillinger
December 21, 1963
St. Pascal's Church, Chicago
Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan (Apos. Pro-Nunc. USA)
Bishops Roger Lawrence Schwietz, O.M.I., and William Skylstad
September 21, 1990
June 29, 1998
June 29, 1998
December 13, 1999
January 8, 2001
March 19, 2003
March 19, 2003
March 19, 2003
February 2, 2006
August 10, 2011
August 10, 2011
May 14, 2012
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 (USCCB) from 2007 to 2010.
On September 20, 2014, Pope Francis accepted George's resignation and appointed Bishop Blase J. Cupich to succeed him as Archbishop of Chicago. In this unusual circumstance, George was permitted to remain as the incumbent archbishop until Cupich was installed to succeed him on November 18, 2014. George had been diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and died from the disease in 2015.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Francis George was born on January 16, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, to Francis J. and Julia R. (née McCarthy) George.[1] He had an older sister, Margaret.[2] He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Pascal Parish in Chicago's Northwest Side.[3]
George contracted polio at age 13, leaving him with a permanent limp. Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, rejected George for admission due to his limp. He instead enrolled at St. Henry Preparatory Seminary in Belleville, Illinois, a high school seminary of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.[4] He joined the Oblates on August 14, 1957.[1] He continued his studies at the Oblates novitiate in Godfrey, Illinois, before entering Our Lady of the Snows Seminary in Pass Christian, Mississippi.[3]
George was then sent to study theology at the University of Ottawa in Canada.[5] He made his solemn vows as a member of the Oblates on September 8, 1961.[3]
Priesthood[edit]
On December 21, 1963, George was ordained to the priesthood for the Oblates by Bishop Raymond Hillinger at St. Pascal Church.[6] He received a Bachelor of Theology degree from the University of Ottawa in 1964, followed by a Master of Philosophy degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1965.[5] George then taught philosophy at Our Lady of the Snows Seminary (1964–69), Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana (1968), and Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska (1969–1973).[1]
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.[2] He served as provincial superior of the Midwestern Province for the Oblates in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1973 until 1974, when he became the Oblates vicar general.[3] Based in Rome, George 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".[5]
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).[2]
Bishop of Yakima[edit]
On July 10, 1990, George was appointed the fifth Bishop of Yakima by Pope John Paul II.[6] He received his episcopal consecration on September 21, 1990, from Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, with Bishops Roger Schwietz and William S. Skylstad serving as co-consecrators, at Holy Family Church in Yakima.[6] He took as his episcopal motto: Christo Gloria in Ecclesia (Latin: "To Christ be Glory in the Church").[7]
George served as bishop of Yakima for five and a half years. As a member of the 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).[1] George was an 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.[5]
Archbishop of Portland[edit]
On April 30, 1996, George was appointed the ninth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Portland.[6] He was installed on the following May 27 at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Oregon. 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.[3]
Archbishop of Chicago[edit]
On April 8, 1997, Pope John Paul II appointed George as the eighth archbishop of Chicago, filling the vacancy left by the death of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on November 14, 1996.[8] George was the first native Chicagoan to become archbishop there. On May 7, 1997, Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Agostino Cacciavillan installed George as archbishop of Chicago in Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
On January 18, 1998, Pope John Paul II announced George's elevation to the College of Cardinals[8] with the title of cardinal-priest of San Bartolomeo all'Isola, which occurred at the consistory at the Vatican on February 21.
George addressed 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 cardinal elector, George participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI and the papal conclave of 2013 that selected Pope Francis.
In March 2009, George met with newly elected U.S. President Barack Obama.[9] In Fall 2010, George finished his three-year presidency of the USCCB.
In 2011, George terminated the foster care program of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The State of Illinois had ruled that it would not provide funding to any charities that refused to consider same-sex couples as foster care providers or adoptive parents. George refused to comply with this requirement.[10]
Viewpoints[edit]
Interfaith relations[edit]
In 2007, George asked Jews to reconsider descriptions of Jesus in the Talmud as a "bastard" in exchange for a softening of traditional Catholic prayers calling for Jews to be converted to Christianity.[11] In 2009, he condemned comments denying the existence of the Holocaust that were made by Bishop Richard Williamson.[12][13]
Religious freedom[edit]
In February 2010, George spoke at Brigham Young University about the need for Catholics and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) to stand together to protect religious freedom.
Extra-diocesan posts[edit]
Vatican appointments[edit]
Pope John Paul II appointed George to several offices of the Roman Curia:
Legacy[edit]
Tributes[edit]
One of George's wishes had been to visit Pope Francis before he died, which he was not able to do, to his regret. While George was always careful to express his overall agreement with and obedience to Francis, he said himself that he was confused by what signals the Pope was sending. Upon hearing of his death, Pope Francis sent a telegram of condolence to Archbishop Cupich:[49]