Cardinal Bernardin's The Challenge Of Peace

Cardinal Bernardin “Because we esteem human life as sacred, we have a duty to protect and foster it at all stages of development from conception to natural death and in all circumstances. Because we acknowledge that human life is also social, society must protect and foster it" (“Consistent Ethic of Life” Bernardin). Once referred to as “the most influential bishop in the history of the American church,” Cardinal Bernardin was a prominent figure in the formation of the understanding of Catholic ethics. He attended Catholic elementary school, until he transitioned into public middle school and public high school. Joseph Bernardin enrolled into a seminary after encouragement from classmates at the University of South Carolina. He was ordained and largely successful in his …show more content…
In this pastoral letter, Bernardin discusses the Catholic Church’s position on the nuclear arms race that occurred. He stresses the importance of a discontinuation of the arms race and the reduction of nuclear proliferation. Furthermore, he focuses on the ethical issues of war in general. He wrote, “The whole world must summon the moral courage and technical means to say no to nuclear conflict; no to weapons of mass destruction; no to an arms race which robs the poor and the vulnerable; and no to the moral danger of a nuclear age which places before humankind indefensible choices of constant terror or surrender. Peacemaking is not an optional commitment. It is a requirement of our faith. We are called to be peacemakers…” (The Challenge of Peace: God 's Promise and Our Response). Bernardin alerts us to ur responsibility as people to stand against any violence and oppression. He parallels the Old Testament tradition of “stewardship,” mankind’s duty to foster an environment that stands for the protection of life in all