Archbishop Chaput on Things Worth Dying For

"Three weeks after he retired as archbishop of Philadelphia, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., went into lockdown. It gave him time to catch up on a lot of things, including television. . . .

"He certainly had a busy episcopate. In 1988, when he was ordained bishop of Rapid City, S.D., he became the second Native American to be ordained a bishop in the United States. He is a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe. St. John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Denver in 1997, and Pope Benedict appointed him archbishop of Philadelphia in 2011.

"During his career, Archbishop Chaput garnered his share of controversy, winning both admirers and detractors for his outspoken views on same-sex marriage, abortion, immigration and religious liberty. . . .

"In his first year of retirement, Archbishop Chaput also took time to finish his fourth book, Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living, which was published March 16. It begins with a chapter reflecting on how memory is an essential part of Christian faith. Then he reflects on death, which he said he found 'easy to write about based on the fact that my father was a mortician.' He continues to reflect on culture in society and the things worth dying for, especially God. He also highlights patriotism and the willingness to die for one's country and family as well as the problems with dying for ideology. The final chapter is on the four last things, which he reordered to end on a positive note: death, judgment, hell and heaven.

"The eighth chapter, 'Ecclesia Sua,' he called his favorite. 'One of the goals in my life as a bishop was to help Catholics understand that the laity and the clergy are co-responsible for the church,' Archbishop Chaput said. He granted America an interview about his book. . . ."

A recent article in America reported on this interview with Archbishop Chaput.

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America Magazine: What are you willing to die for? A conversation with Archbishop Charles Chaput