Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an

American Catholic The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the cou ...

prelate who served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as

Archbishop of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeast Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and e ...

from 1982 until his death from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

. Bernardin was elevated to the

cardinalate The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...

in 1983 by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

Biography

Early life

Joseph Bernardin was born on April 2, 1928, in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, to Joseph "Bepi" Bernardin and Maria Maddalena Simion. They were an

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

-born immigrant couple, from the village of

Fiera di Primiero Fiera di Primiero (''La Fiera'' in local dialect) was a ''Communes of Trentino, comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italy, Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about east of Trento. It was merged with Siror, Tonad ...

, now located in the

Northern Italian Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...

region of

Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...

. Bepi first went to South Carolina to work in a quarry, then came back to Italy to marry Maria. The whole family then moved to Columbia. Joseph Bernardin was baptized and later

confirmed In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. The ceremony typically involves laying on of hands. Catholicis ...

at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Columbia. Bepi died of cancer in 1934 when Bernardin was age six. When he was older, he took responsibility for his younger sister, Elaine, while his widowed mother worked as a

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notable d ...

for the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

. Joseph attended both Catholic and public primary and secondary schools. Bernardin's original ambition was to become a physician, inspiring him to enroll in the

pre-med Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med) is an educational track that undergraduate students mostly in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med ...

program at the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

(USC) in Columbia. However, after one year at USC, he decided instead to become a priest. He spent one year studying Latin at Saint Mary's College in Kentucky. He then entered the Saint Mary Seminary in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, to study philosophy and prepare for the priesthood. He graduated from Saint Mary in 1948 with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

, then enrolled in the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a ...

in Washington, D.C., where he received a Master of Arts in education in 1952. His professors wanted him to study in Rome, but he refused out of concern for his mother's health.

Priesthood

On April 26, 1952, Bernardin was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Charleston by Bishop John J. Russell at St. Joseph Church in Columbia. After his ordination, the diocese assigned him as an assistant pastor at St. Joseph. He also joined the faculty of Bishop England High School in Charleston. In 1954, the diocese move Bernardin to an administrative position in its

chancery Chancery may refer to: Offices and administration * Court of Chancery, the chief court of equity in England and Wales until 1873 ** Equity (law), also called chancery, the body of jurisprudence originating in the Court of Chancery ** Courts of e ...

. He was named superintendent of the diocesan cemeteries and chaplain at

The Citadel The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...

, a military college in Charleston. In 1959,

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

named Bernardin a

papal chamberlain A papal gentleman, formally a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting d ...

with the title of

monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

. The same pope named him in 1962 as a

domestic prelate Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta

On March 9, 1966, Pope

Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

appointed Bernardin as titular bishop of

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

and

auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

of the

Archdiocese of Atlanta The Archdiocese of Atlanta () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in northern Georgia in United States. The archdiocese is led by a prelate archbishop, who also serves as pastor of the mother chu ...

. He was consecrated on April 26, 1966, by Archbishop Paul Hallinan. Bernardin, 38 years old, became the youngest bishop in America. From 1966 to 1968, Bishop Bernardin served as rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

General Secretary of National Conference

In 1968, Bernardin resigned as auxiliary bishop of Atlanta to become the first general secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, a post he held until 1972. In 1969. Bernardin was instrumental in founding one of the conference's most influential and successful programs, the anti-poverty Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). During this period, Bernardin also became affiliated with the

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...

, being received into the first order with a habit in 1972.

Archbishop of Cincinnati

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

appointed Bernardin as archbishop of Cincinnati on November 21, 1972, He was installed there on December 19, 1972. Bernardin served in Cincinnati for nearly ten years. While there, he appointed the first woman as editor of the archdiocesan newspaper, ''

The Catholic Telegraph ''The Catholic Telegraph'' is a monthly magazine published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati primarily for its 500,000 congregants. The archdiocese covers 19 counties in Ohio, including the Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati and Dayton, Oh ...

''. During this period, the Vatican appointed Bernardin to the Sacred Congregation of Bishops in Rome and to the permanent council of the Synod of Bishops. He worked to improve ecumenical relations with Jews and Protestants. He also visited

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Archbishop of Chicago

Following the death of Cardinal John Cody of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

chose Bernardin, already prominent among his fellow American bishops, to lead the

Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and elevated it to an ar ...

. He was appointed the seventh archbishop of Chicago on July 10, 1982. On August 25, 1982, he was installed by the apostolic delegate to the United States, Cardinal

Pio Laghi Pio Laghi (21 May 1922 – 10 January 2009) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church. His service was primarily in the diplomatic service of the Holy See and the Roman Curia. He served as Apostolic nuncio to several countries and as the ...

. Bernardin found an archdiocese in disarray, its priests disheartened by years of arbitrary administration and charges of financial misconduct. A ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' article in 1996 made the following assessment: "With his patient charm and willingness to listen, Bernardin won back the confidence of the clergy and the laity."

Elevation to Cardinal

In the

papal consistory In the Catholic Church, a consistory is a formal meeting of the College of Cardinals called by the pope. There are two kinds of consistories, extraordinary and ordinary. An "extraordinary" consistory is held to allow the pope to consult with the ...

of February 2, 1983, Bernardin was elevated to the

College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...

by John Paul II as

cardinal-priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...

of ''Gesù Divino Lavoratore'' ( Jesus the Divine Worker), his

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church () is a Churches in Rome, church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the Holy orders in the Catholic Church, clergy who is created a Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal. These are Catholic churches in ...

in Rome.

Sexual abuse scandal

Bernardin implemented a policy concerning priests accused of

sexual misconduct Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature which exists on a spectrum that may include a broad range of sexual behaviors considered unwelcome. This includes conduct considered inappropriate on an individual or societal basis of morality, ...

with minors. He removed more than 20 priests and established a new review board to assess allegations, made up primarily of lay people. Bernardin's reforms concerning this issue soon served as a model for other dioceses across the nation. In 1993, Bernardin announced that he was being sued for sexual misconduct. The plaintiff was a former seminarian, Stephen Cook, who said that Bernardin and another priest abused him in the 1970s. However, Cook later said that his memories of the abuse emerged under hypnosis; after becoming uncertain of Bernardin's guilt, Cook dropped him from the lawsuit. The two men later met and reconciled. In 1995, Cook said that he had relied on people who told him things that were not true, "asserting that he is absolutely convinced of Bernardin's innocence".

Final illness

In June 1995, following a string of international visits and pilgrimages, Bernardin underwent surgery for

. Imaging performed after his surgery showed him to be in remission. However, August 30, 1996, Bernardin announced that the cancer had

metastasized Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spreading from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, ...

to his liver and was inoperable. He turned over the administration of the archdiocese to his vicar general and auxiliary bishop, Raymond Goedert. Bernardin then focused his ministry on the sick, becoming the "unofficial chaplain" to cancer patients at Loyola University Hospital in Chicago.Feister, John Bookser. "Cardinal Joseph L. Bernadin", ''St. Anthony Messenger''
/ref> In September, Bernardin delivered a major address, "Seamless Garment of Life", at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

. On September 23, Bernardin traveled to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

to visit with

and visit the town of

Assisi Assisi (, also ; ; from ; Central Italian: ''Ascesi'') is a town and comune of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Prope ...

. During that trip, Bernardin made his funerary arrangements. After returning to Chicago, he arranged for the care for his mother, whom he visited daily at her nursing home, and the distribution of his personal possessions. He sent his personal papers and administrative files to the Archives and Records Center at the archdiocese Two weeks before his death, Bernardin and his biographer Eugene Kennedy completed ''The Gift Of Peace'', a book containing Bernardin's reflections on the end of life and his own approaching death. He stated that he saw death as "a continuation and a friend to prepare properly for by conducting ourselves well and letting go to abandon one's self to God in the end". Bernardin said goodbye to 800 diocesan and religious clergy in a meeting at Holy Name Cathedral weeks before his death. On October 7, he met with the Presbyterate; at the end of the month. He withdrew from active ministry due to his deteriorating strength. In his last days, Bernardin wrote to the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

, arguing against

assisted suicide Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...

Death and legacy

On November 14, 1996, Bernardin died in Chicago from

at the age of 68. His

funeral mass A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect the ...

celebrated by his friend, Cardinal

Roger Mahony Roger Michael Mahony (born February 27, 1936) is an American Catholic retired prelate who served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Fresno from 1975 to 1980 and Bis ...

, with the

homily A homily (from Greek ὁμιλία, ''homilía'') is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture, giving the "public explanation of a sacred doctrine" or text. The works of Origen and John Chrysostom (known as Paschal Homily) are considered ...

being delivered by his friend Monsignor Kenneth Velo. At Bernardin's wake for priests, his friend Reverend Scott Donahue spoke. The Windy City Gay Chorus performed at Bernardin's funeral, reportedly at his request. Bernardin was interred in the Bishops' Mausoleum at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. Bernardin was an influential figure in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in the United States following the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

;

George Weigel George Weigel (born 1951) is an American Catholic neoconservative author, political analyst, and social activist. He currently serves as a distinguished senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Weigel was the founding president of th ...

called him "arguably the most powerful Catholic prelate in American history". In December 2023, James Grein said that former cardinal

Theodore McCarrick Theodore Edgar McCarrick (July 7, 1930 – April 3, 2025) was an American Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal who was Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000 and Archbishop of Washington from 2001 to 2006. In 2019, McCarrick was defrocked by Po ...

and Bernardin had sexually assaulted him when he was 18 years old at a house near

Geneva Lake Geneva Lake (Potawatomi: ''Kishwauketoe'' 'Clear Water') is a body of freshwater in Walworth County in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. On its shores are the city of Lake Geneva and the villages of Fontana-on-Geneva-La ...

in Wisconsin.

Honors

Honors received by Bernardin

* Honorary decree (1983),

College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. ...

in Worcester, Massachusetts * Doctor of Divinity honorary degree (1983)

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, in New Haven, Connecticut. * F. Sadlier Dinger Award (1989) from the educational publisher William H. Sadlier, Inc. The award is for an outstanding contribution to the ministry of religious education in America. * Golden Plate Award (1990) of the American Academy of Achievement. *

Laetare Medal The Laetare Medal is an annual award given by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society. The award is given to an American Catholic or group of Catholics "whose genius has ennobled the ar ...

(1995) from the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society. *

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...

(1996) by US President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

* Order of Lincoln Laureate (1997)

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to recognizing contributions made by living Illinoisans. Named for Abraham Lincoln, the Academy administers the Order of Lincoln, the highest award given b ...

Places named after him

The following places were named after Bernardin: * Bernardin Center at the

Catholic Theological Union Catholic Theological Union (CTU) is a Catholic graduate school of theology in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was formed in Hyde Park as a union of schools from three Catholic religious institutes and has since been sponsored by 23 institu ...

in Chicago * Bernardin Center in Columbia, South Carolina * Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School, a regional elementary school in

Orland Hills, Illinois Orland Hills (formerly Westhaven) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 6,893, and as of 2022, the total number of households was 2,330. Geography Orland Hills is ...

* Cardinal Bernardin Early Childhood Center in Chicago * Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center at St. Joseph Health System in Chicago

Awards and honors named after him

* The

established the annual "Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Lecture" in 1999. * The Catholic Campaign for Human Development, now sponsored by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, presents the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin New Leadership Award to a young adult who works against poverty and injustice. * Georgetown University sponsors the Bernardin Lecture every year * The Catholic Common Ground Initiative presents the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Award to a group or individual who works to find common ground within the Catholic Church.

Views

Church issues

Bernardin became a mediator between the diverging parties in the changing post-conciliar Church. In 1996, Bernardin inaugurated the Catholic Common Ground Initiative and was a co-author of its founding document ''"Called to Be Catholic: Church in a Time of Peril,"'' released in August 1996. Bernardin is also noted for his interest in the concerns of young adults, which was in part evidenced by his involvement in the nascent Theology on Tap lecture movement in the early 1980s. In 1985, he told attendees of a special Theology on Tap Mass, "If I had children of my own, they would be your age. You are very special to me and to this Archdiocese."

HIV/AIDS

In 1985, Bernadin established an

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

task force to determine how the archdiocese might best care for those stricken by HIV/AIDS. In 1989, he dedicated Bonaventure House with the help of the Alexian Brothers, a residential facility for people suffering with the disease. Bernardin was also lauded for his anti-pornography work, his leadership of the U.S. bishops, and the presidency of the

Catholic Church Extension Society Catholic Extension (also known as the Catholic Church Extension Society) is a national fundraising 501(c)(3) organization which supports and strengthens poor mission dioceses across the United States. They provide funding and resources to diocese ...

Ecumenicism

According to Monsignor Kenneth Velo, a former executive aide to Bernardin and head of the Catholic Extension Society, Bernadin learned ecumenism while serving in predominantly Baptist American South. Bernardin promoted

ecumenism Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...

. While archbishop of Cincinnati, Bernardin engaged in interfaith dialogue with Jews,

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

, Episcopalians, and

Lutherans Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

. In 1984, he began the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, the successor group to the Chicago Conference on Religion and Race, and served as the council's first president. Under Bernardin, the Archdiocese of Chicago established covenants with the

Episcopal Diocese of Chicago The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is the official organization of the Episcopal Church in Chicago and Northern Illinois, USA. The diocese is served by The Right Reverend Paula Clark, who serves as Bishop of the diocese. The cathedral of the dioce ...

in 1986 and with the Metropolitan Synod of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...

in 1989. Bernardin attended the

World Parliament of Religions There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...

in Chicago in 1993.

Peace

In 1981, Bernardin became head of the new NCCB Ad Hoc Committee on War and Peace, formed to draft a pastoral letter on

nuclear proliferation Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries, particularly those not recognized as List of states with nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapon states by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonl ...

. The resulting book-length letter, " The Challenge of Peace: God's Promise and Our Response", was published in 1983. An influential statement of

Catholic social teaching Catholic social teaching (CST) is an area of Catholic doctrine which is concerned with human dignity and the common good in society. It addresses oppression, the role of the state, subsidiarity, social organization, social justice, and w ...

, the document condemns

nuclear warfare Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...

and states that

nuclear deterrence Deterrence theory refers to the scholarship and practice of how threats of using force by one party can convince another party to refrain from initiating some other course of action. The topic gained increased prominence as a military strategy d ...

is "not an adequate strategy as a long-term basis for peace; it is a transitional strategy justifiable only in conjunction with resolute determination to pursue arms control and disarmament". In relation to his work on the nuclear question, Bernardin was featured on the front cover of a 1982 issue of ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

'' entitled "God and the Bomb". In 1995, Bernardin led an interfaith pilgrimage to the Middle East to meet with government and religious leaders in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

and promote peace. Bernardin condemned violence in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

and called for the Catholic Church to become a "peace church".

Criticism

Neoconservative author

has been a severe critic of Bernardin and his influence in the Catholic Church in the United States. Weigel accused Bernardin of creating a "Bernardin Machine" to appoint bishops who dominated the American hierarchy for decades, and also of being the exponent of a "culturally accommodating Catholicism". He deemed the defeat of Bishop

Gerald Kicanas Gerald Frederick Kicanas (born August 18, 1941) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Tucson in Arizona from 2002 to 2017 and has been serving as the apostolic administrator of that Diocese si ...

by then-Archbishop

Timothy Dolan Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of New York since 2009 and as a cardinal since 2012. Dolan served as the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ( ...

for the presidency of the

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic C ...

, in November 2010, as "the end of the Bernardin era".The End of the Bernardin Era, First Things, February 2011
/ref>

References

Sources

* Millies, Steven P. ''Joseph Bernardin: Seeking Common Ground'', Liturgical Press, 2016. . * Bernardin, Joseph. ''The Gift of Peace: Personal Reflection'', Doubleday, 1998. . * Wall, A.E.P. ''The Spirit of Cardinal Bernardin'', Thomas More Press, 1983. . Thomas More Press, 1997. . * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernardin, Joseph 1928 births 1996 deaths American people of Italian descent People from Columbia, South Carolina Catholics from South Carolina Religious leaders from South Carolina University of South Carolina alumni Catholic University of America alumni 20th-century American cardinals Roman Catholic archbishops of Cincinnati Roman Catholic archbishops of Chicago Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II Roman Catholic bishops of Atlanta Laetare Medal recipients Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients American consistent life ethics activists Presidents of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Illinois Burials at the Bishop's Mausoleum, Mount Carmel Cemetery (Hillside)