+ Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger 1926 – 2007

Thirteen years ago this month Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger died. Gil Bailie wrote a short homage (copied below) on our old weblog to mark his passing.

In 2014 a French television channel produced a docudrama about his life – the English title of which is The Jewish Cardinal. It is a wonderful film and I would encourage those with an Amazon Prime account to pay the $3.99 to rent and watch it.

If I am not mistaken, it was Cardinal Lustiger who once said that to be a person of faith is to live in such a way that if God does not exist one’s life has been wasted. I quote it from vague memory, but if it wasn’t Cardinal Lustiger who said it, it was the good Cardinal who gave living witness to its truth. May he rest in peace.

George Weigel has a wonderful tribute to Cardinal Lustiger here.

Gil Bailie, August 6, 2007

George Weigel wrote another lengthy piece for First Things about Cardinal Lustiger in 2010 that is worth taking the time to read as well – The Lessons of Jean-Marie Lustiger

I recall that René Girard was invited to meet Cardinal Lustiger in Paris…to have been privy to that conversation would have been a great gift!