On matters of death and dying, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin practiced the words he preached.
From the pulpit, he encouraged grieving families to look forward to eternal life while mourning their losses, a review of the cardinal's writings shows. It would be better there, he promised.
''According to Ecclesiastes, life - from a purely human point of view - is an enigma beyond human ability to solve. Only when life is perceived by the light of faith do we begin to understand and accept its contradictions and ambiguities,'' the Cincinnati archbishop said during a memorial Mass for Pope John Paul on Oct. 4, 1978.
These and other statements would foreshadow how the cardinal fought his public battle this year with the pancreatic cancer that took his life Thursday.
Before the Mass for Pope John Paul, a reporter had asked if that pope's death - just 34 days after his election - would shake the faith of Catholics. Archbishop Bernardin started his sermon at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains by referring to that question.
''Pope John Paul's sudden death would be a powerful reminder to us of the fleeting nature of life and our total dependence on God,'' he said. (The texts of more than 500 of his public speeches and homilies in Cincinnati are stored in archdiocesan archives at the Athenaeum of Ohio, Mount Washington.)
''Far from shaking our faith, his death would bring into clear focus the very meaning of life as a precious gift from God, a gift which one day he will call back to himself - not for his benefit, but because he wants to share with us, to a degree not possible in this world, his eternal life,'' the archbishop said.
'' ... With the sacrificial death of Jesus, life took on radically new meaning. No longer was it seen as a defeat; no longer was it the irreversible disaster caused by sin. Rather, death was perceived as the necessary first step toward a new and better life, the life of eternal peace and joy that comes from being one with God.
''... the first Preface of Masses for the dead reminds us: 'Lord, for your faithful people life is changed, not ended. When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven.'
| "Death, for the man or woman of faith, is the END of earthly life ... and the BEGINNING of life's true fulfillment" |
''This, then, is the context in which we, as Christians, view all death. And it is the context in which we understand and accept our Holy Father's death.''
On Jan. 16, 1975, the archbishop presided a Memorial Mass for Mary Elko at the cathedral. The 94-year-old Florida woman was the mother of Auxiliary Archbishop Nicholas Elko.
''The celebration of this Eucharist is a most fitting way to honor Mrs. Elko's memory and to pray for the repose of her soul,'' Archbishop Bernardin said. ''It also provides us with an opportunity to reflect prayerfully on the mystery of death in the light of our Christian teaching.
''Death is surely tinged with sadness, but this is quite natural and is to be expected. Death, which separates us from our loved ones, is always accompanied by sorrow. And we should not hesitate to give expression to this sorrow. Neither should we be embarrassed by it. After all, did not Our Lord show tender compassion for the widow who was so saddened by the death of her only son?
''But there is also another side of death - a more joyful side. ... Death, for the man or woman of faith, is the END of earthly life - which is a life of preparation, really - and the BEGINNING of life's true fulfillment. It is the end of disappointments and frustrations. It is the end of all wavering between the call of the Creator and the allurements of creatures. It is the end of all tension and conflict between the spirit and the flesh. More positively, it is the prelude to eternal joy with God: a joy that will come from having God as a constant companion; from seeing him face to face; and from loving him with a love which will know no bounds, no limits.''
During a September speech in Washington, D.C., where he also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton, the cardinal confronted his impending death in the context of his faith.
''As my life now slowly ebbs away ... I am not anxious, but rather reconfirmed in my conviction about the wonder of human life, a gift that flows from the very being of God and is entrusted to each of us. It is easy in the rush of daily life or in its tedium to lose the sense of wonder that is appropriate to this gift.''
Published Nov. 18, 1996.
