Cardinal George to speak at Brigham Young University

Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb 22, 2010 / 16:10 pm

On Tuesday, Cardinal Francis George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will give a talk on religious freedom at Brigham Young University (BYU), an institution run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Cardinal George is set to give his presentation, “Catholics and Latter-day Saints: Partners in the Defense of Religious Freedom,” at a BYU forum on Tuesday morning, Feb. 23, at the school's Marriott Center.

“We believe Cardinal George's address will increase our students' knowledge and perspective of another religion,” Carri Jenkins, assistant to the President for University Communications, told CNA. “His address also will inform us as to how a religious leader from the Catholic tradition views an area of mutual concern and interest: religious freedom.”

When asked why the Cardinal was invited by BYU officials to give an address, Jenkins explained, “In determining forum speakers, we look for prominent speakers who can add to the depth and range of our students’ knowledge. These speakers come from a variety of disciplines, yet are able to address a wide audience, one that includes our BYU campus community as well our television audience.”

“We are excited to hear from Cardinal George, knowing that like other speakers to BYU, such as Chief Justice John Roberts, David McCullough and Ken Burns, he will contribute to the breadth and scope of our understanding,” she added.

The importance of Catholic-Mormon cooperation on religious freedom matters became more apparent during the Proposition 8 campaign in California. The initiative successfully defined marriage as being between one man and one woman.