Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, addressed a group of about 12,000 on Tuesday, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
«I’m personally grateful,» Cardinal George said, «that, after 180 years of living mostly apart from one another, Catholics and Latter-day Saints have come to see one another as trustworthy partners in the defense of shared moral principles.»
The prelate pointed to shared values such as the defense of the unborn and traditional marriage, and efforts to combat poverty. He made reference to the ban of same-sex marriage in California, a case where Catholic-Mormon unity helped to bring a successful vote.
He also emphasized similar Mormon and Catholic principles regarding the right of religion to have a voice in the public square. The cardinal just a few months ago released a book that deals in part with that topic.
Cardinal George said freedom of religion must be more than freedom to worship or freedom of conscience, and that it includes «the right to exercise influence in the public square.»
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On the Net:
Cardinal George’s book: www.amazon.com/Difference-God-Makes-Catholic-Communion/dp/0824525825
