Cardinal Francis George, the first Chicago native to serve as that city’s archbishop, died yesterday at the age of 78, succumbing to cancer. He retired in November 2014 after receiving his cancer diagnosis, having served for 17 years as Archbishop.

Cardinal George faced the unenviable task of guiding the Chicago Archdiocese through the aftermath of the child abuse scandal and subsequent school closings and other cutbacks. He forcefully argued for a zero tolerance policy toward abusers, acting as point man for the American church in its negotiations with the Vatican over the scandal.

He was much admired by conservative intellectuals:

"He stood apart for his intelligence, his ability to make the church's proposal in a compelling way to contemporary society, his deep faith, personal holiness and courage," said Catholic scholar and papal biographer George Weigel.

"I think he would want to be remembered as a good and faithful priest," Weigel said. "That's all he ever wanted to be."

Cardinal George was the target of much anger and vilification by the homoseuxal rights movement. Something Cardinal George said in 2010 haunts me, and should be pondered by all who see contemporary society turning its back on the wisdom of the ages, and forcefully rejecting the guidance of our spiritual traditions, persecuting those who follow their faith and refuse to conform to the new doctrines obliterating the nature of marriage and sex:

“I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”