Synopsis
At the time of his death from pancreatic cancer in November, 1996, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago was the senior active cardinal in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and perhaps the most widely-known and respected American ecclesiastical leader of this decade. The head of the nation's second largest diocese in an era of unprecedented strain within the ranks of American Catholicism, Bernardin endeared himself to many with a leadership style that favored the personal and pastoral over the authoritarian. Upon appointment to the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1982, the newly-named Cardinal won the hearts of many when he introduced himself to the priests of the Windy City as "your brother Joseph," striking the devout and gentle tone from which he seldom varied during the next 15 years of his increasingly public ministry. That same tone imbues "The Gift of Peace: Personal Reflections" with a certain luminosity. Here Cardinal Bernardin reflects upon the lessons learned over the last three years of his life--a period marked by accusations (later recanted) of sexual abuse, the "increasing polarization and mean-spiritedness" in American Catholicism that, in his view, threatened "the unity of the church," and his own diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In spite of these considerable challenges, the Cardinal's "gift of reconciliation" remained his strong anchorage, and is very much in evidence in these highly personal reflections. With the same disarming openness that characterized his leadership, Bernardin here shares fully and honestly his own struggles to live wholly and faithfully in the midst of suffering. It is a tribute to the authenticity of the man and the believer that his voice speaks so personally in these pages, on which he spent the last of his days. His is a noble and enormously affecting legacy, and not only for American Catholics, but for all who must find their way through the "valley of the shadows."
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-01-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 153 pages | | Height: | 8.8 in | | Width: | 5.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 11.2 oz |
Publisher's Note
In the final two months of his life, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin made it his mission to share his personal reflections and insights in this book, The Gift of Peace. Using as a framework the previous three years, which included false accusation of sexual misconduct, diagnosis of cancer, and return of the cancer after fifteen months of being in remission, Cardinal Bernardin tells his story openly and honestly. At the end of his life, the Cardinal was at peace. He accepted his peace as a gift from God, and through this book, he shares that gift with the world. The Gift of Peace is part of the Cardinal's pastoral legacy; through this book his ministry lives on.
Loyola Press is honored to publish "The Gift of Peace: Personal Reflections" by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. This extraordinary effort that consumed the Cardinal's last days before he dies of pancreatic cancer on November 14, 1996, has been left as part of his pastoral legacy to us all.
Industry Reviews
The well-loved cardinal of Chicago completed this book during the last few months of his life. In it he records the personal struggle of his final three years, during which he faced charges of sexual misconduct, later dropped as admittedly false. Eventually, Bernardin made peace with his accuser, helping the younger man reconcile with his Catholic faith before he died of AIDS. Bernardin also accepted his own imminent death from pancreatic cancer as a true lesson of the cross, writing here about his mixed sense of abandonment and hope with a profound awareness of the meaning of shared suffering and Christian love. A very moving last testament, written with simplicity and deep wisdom.
Stefanatos
"This book is an important part of my preparation for dying and allowing others to share in that awesome experience," wrote Chicago's Cardinal Bernadin just days before his death last November. With transparent honesty, Bernadin recounts the traumatic events and emotions of his last three years: a false accusation of sexual misconduct, the grim diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, severe back and leg pain and fatal liver tumors. Yet suffering, for Bernadin, was not punishment but opportunity. "Through suffering we empty ourselves and are filled with God's grace and love," he writes. "We can begin to think of other people and their needs." In that spirit, he began a ministry to others with terminal illnesses, and his prayer list swelled to 700 names. In this gem of a book, reminiscent of the best of Henri Nouwen, Bernadin stresses the importance of regular prayer, the need for loving human relationships and the profound peace that comes from trusting God even in the worst of times. 50,000 first printing. (Jan.)
Lopate
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