The Life of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin essays

The Life of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin essays Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, the former Archbishop of Chicago, was a gifted and remarkable man. His thoughtful leadership raised awareness of difficult issues behind the nuclear arms race and the economic problems faced by the poor. His faith in God and the existence of eternal life led him to live an exemplary life, even in times of great moral difficulty. His adoption of the faith was most evident in his way of life in the sense that he often relied on scripture and the belief that Jesus always walked with us to help him walk the right path in his own life. Bernardin lived his entire life as a true disciple of Jesus and a loyal son of the Roman Catholic Church. We are told in Matthew 16:24; A true disciple of Jesus is someone who denies himself, takes up his own cross and follows Jesus. Growing up, Bernardin lived in impoverished conditions and was not at all materialistic. When he was 6, his father died leaving Bernardin to look after his mother and sister. This contributed to Bernardins sense of independence as a child and it was early in his life that he decided that God and his family were the most essential things in his life. In his adolescent days, Bernardin was headed for a career path as a Medical Doctor, however at some stage decided that his true calling would be in Priesthood. He went from saving bodies, to saving souls which he would say was more important. When Bernardin attended the Vatican II meetings he was greatly changed in his way of thinking. The church at that time had a great division between its leaders and its followers, Pope John XXII put it best when he said it was time to open the windows and let fresh air into the church... This is what happened, for the first time the leaders and followers of the church were put onto the same level. Cardinal Bernardin embraced this new way of thinking, as he became aware of the entire body of Christ as well as oth ...