Winfield Myers • January 8, 2009 • Uncategorized
Word has come that Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, the editor-in-chief of First Things and a remarkably eloquent and productive writer, died about 10:00 am today. He was 72.
With the delivery of each new issue of First Things, I immediately turned to the back to read Fr. Neuhaus’s monthly musings, “The Public Square.” It was always erudite, witty, and absolutely on target, regardless of subject matter. Many will also remember him for his superb commentary during papal visits to the US (most recently during Benedict XVI’s visit in April), and during the funeral of Pope John Paul II, whom Fr. Neuhaus dubbed “John Paul the Great.”
I met him only once, during a dinner in New York several years ago, and found him to be as generous and urbane in person as he was in his writings and TV appearances. Democracy Project trustee Wilfred McClay, who serves on the editorial board of First Things and knew Fr. Richard well, once told me that he always thought of his mellow baritone as being “the voice of God.”
He may be chiefly remembered for his insistence that religion must not be banned from the public square; that a culture and polity that decrees that religious expression may only be private will surely deprive itself of legitimate moral grounding and descend into chaos and immorality.
Here is Amazon’s list of his many books, among which is As I Lay Dying: Meditations Upon Returning. He has now returned.
There will be many fine tributes to this great man over the next few days, and we will post links to them here from time to time. Here is the text of a blog post from this morning announcing the death of Fr. Neuhaus.
By Joseph Bottum
Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:15 AM
Fr. Richard John Neuhaus slipped away today, January 8, shortly before 10 o’clock, at the age of seventy-two. He never recovered from the weakness that sent him to the hospital the day after Christmas, caused by a series of side effects from the cancer he was suffering. He lost consciousness Tuesday evening after a collapse in his heart rate, and the next day, in the company of friends, he died.
My tears are not for him—for he knew, all his life, that his Redeemer lives, and he has now been gathered by the Lord in whom he trusted.
I weep, rather for all the rest of us. As a priest, as a writer, as a public leader in so many struggles, and as a friend, no one can take his place. The fabric of life has been torn by his death, and it will not be repaired, for those of us who knew him, until that time when everything is mended and all our tears are wiped away.
Funeral arrangements are still being planned; information about the funeral will be made public shortly. Please accept our thanks for all your prayers and good wishes.
In Deepest Sorrow,
Joseph Bottum
Editor
First Things
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