The Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, a leading voice of Catholic conservatism and editor of the journal First Things, died this morning after a battle with cancer. He was 72.
Neuhaus advised President George W. Bush on a range of religious and ethical matters. He spent the latter part of his life seeking to strengthen the bonds among Catholics, evangelicals and Jews. In 2005, Neuhaus was named, along with Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson, one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" by Time magazine.
"Richard Neuhaus was to moral principle what William Buckley was to conservative politics: a leader who brought intellectual heft, urbane wit and a gentle spirit to the great debates about truth," said Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action. "While we differed with Rev. Neuhaus on some aspects of his theology, we appreciate his tremendous contributions."
