One unanticipated effect of the sexual abuse scandal that has been convulsing the Catholic Church in the United States is a growing realization on the part of the laity of how little real say they have in the government of their church. This was first brought home when many who were aware of situati
It happened one too many times. My Seeing Eye dog and I went to church and heard another totally uninspiring homily about John 9, the story of the man born blind. It contained the usual elements: “I knew a blind person who was amazing (climbed Mount Everest, was cheerful all the time); wouldn&
Recently I presented a short reflection on academic integrity to some faculty members at Saint Louis University. One of the reasons I was asked to do this may have been my efforts to encourage all teachers of core curriculum courses to spend some time, possibly even a whole class session, on the pro
Twenty years ago, the Doomsday Clock, a well-known barometer of how close the world was to nuclear holocaust, stood at three minutes before the fateful midnight hour. The nuclear arms race was in full force. The fear of nuclear war was palpable. We held our collective breath and prayed mightily that
William Bennett’s gambling habits and million-dollar losses initiated a short-lived national discussion of the morality of gambling and its addictive character. Gambling is a form of entertainment that involves some dangers, but most gamblers can enjoy the activity without developing an addict
Walking south through Manhattan from America House on weekdays—this remains my preferred way of getting home. But on days when the weather does not lend itself to walking, I take the subway. The F train is only a short distance from our front door, and on boarding I generally see a majority of
Direct Involvement
After reading Terry Golway’s No Questions, Please (8/18), I made an effort to get as close as I could possibly get on a personal basis (for someone that has no direct involvement) to what goes on in Iraq. I did this by reflecting on a house that one passes on