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	Cardinal's Book Faults Liberal, Conservative Catholics By Monifa Thomas Chicago Sun-Times October 10, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/books/1817701,CST-NWS-cardinal11.article In his wide-ranging new book, Cardinal Francis George argues that liberal and conservative Catholicism are both flawed interpretations of the role of the Catholic Church in contemporary life. While liberal Catholics seem to follow "a mandate to change whatever in the church clashes with modern society" as to abortion, gay marriage and contraception, conservative Catholicism can be so narrowly focused that it risks becoming a sect, George writes in his book, The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith Communion and Culture (Crossroad, $26.95). The shortcomings of liberal and conservative Catholicism -- and the need for a different way to think about the faith -- are among several topics George tackles in the book, his first since becoming archbishop of Chicago in 1997. With the exception of a few chapters, the book is a collection of essays based on conferences the cardinal has given in recent years. George, 72, writes that the priest sex-abuse scandal that has rocked the church "is a great tragedy of unbounded proportions and bishops must take responsibility for it; but it is also an occasion to unleash the anti-Catholicism that has never been far beneath the surface of U.S. history." He also argues that the emphasis on individuality in American culture has led people to put their personal desires and interests above their commitment to God and to each other. To counter this, people need to realize "the importance of relationships in understanding who we are," he said in an interview with the Sun-Times. "You're born someone's daughter before you know that. And you're born a creature of God before you know that," George said. "If we had that sense of what would this do to others as we make our individual decisions, which are freely made, I think then we have the vision of the difference God makes." George compares this idea to ecological consciousness. "The ecologists are telling us that when a butterfly flutters its wings in Indonesia, we have a snowstorm in Illinois. That's what we're saying here. We're all related, so no matter what any one of us does, it affects everybody else. It's a question of recognizing what the consequences are," he said. George said he wrote the book at the urging of friends and others in the archdiocese. He found the time to work on it by taking "some periods aside, once for a week, another time for a week and then odd hours and days and sometimes my day off," he said. "I hope it helps Catholics understand the church better and the mission of church in the world," he said.
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