Cardinal Bernardin’s ‘seamless garment’ theology lives on under Pope Leo

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s media arm has published a tribute to Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, whose controversial “seamless garment” theology – which blurs important distinctions in Catholic moral teaching – has influenced Pope Leo XIV’s approach to bioethics.

On October 17, Vatican News published the complete text of a lecture delivered by Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, exalting his predecessor, Bernardin, on the 30th anniversary of his death as “An example for the Church and the world.”

“The moral framework of a ‘consistent ethic of life’ championed by the Cardinal is essential today, at a time when deep social divisions set people against one another in extreme ways…. Pope Leo recently observed that one cannot define oneself as a defender of Life if one opposes abortion but at the same time is in favour of the death penalty or does not oppose the inhuman treatment meted out to immigrants,” Cupich highlighted during his lecture. ---More...