The Letters

The Will of Citizens

Re “Welcome the Voter” (Our Take, 7/23): Bravo! This editorial succinctly states what must be done to ensure that our government truly reflects the will of the citizens, which is under considerable attack at this moment.

Barry Sullivan

Restoring Humanity

Re “Saving Rosaries Confiscated at the Mexican Border,” by Michael J. O’Loughlin (7/23): Thank you for saving these belongings, Mr. Kiefer. What a wonderful, creative way to restore humanity to our way of viewing these immigrants.

Lucie Johnson

Holding Belongings

It is really great to see a janitor like Mr. Kiefer take and hold those items. Seeing them really puts you in those immigrants’ shoes and kind of makes you feel for their situations.

Travis Murphy

Present in Love

Re “‘Humanae Vitae’ at 50,” by Holly Taylor Coolman (7/23): I thought this was a beautiful article that encapsulated the meaning of “Humanae Vitae,” which is misunderstood as much today as it was when it was written.

We are never in charge, so all we can do is be present in the moment, in love, for one another. If we are to believe in a Creator who is love, then we have to believe in his creation. If we believe in his creation, then we will recognize our role as participants and custodians but not partners.

Randal Agostini

Pyrrhic Victory?

Re “When Art Sows Hate,” by Menachem Wecker (7/23): Retrospectively assigning significance or even relevance to images and icons of a national or cultural heritage presents a worldwide dilemma. Do we risk propagating hatred by historically referring to it, or do we lose its lessons by expunging all traces of it? Is simply removing it from our sight a Pyrrhic victory? Revisionist history has frequently been a tool of authoritarians and tyrants. On balance, there is only a weak rationale for its use in democratic societies.

Allen Menkin

Full Embrace of God

Re “Atoning for Anselm,” by Colleen Mary Carpenter (7/23): The life, death and resurrection of Jesus teaches us how to act in our journey toward full embrace of God and each other. It is in compassion toward all that we find redemption and joy in one another, not in the Dow Jones or our 401(k).

Bill Mazzella

United With Christ

Re “Would Jesus Eat With Sarah Sanders?,” by Sam Sawyer, S.J. (7/23): I believe Jesus would eat with Ms. Sanders as well as with all of us. I also believe Jesus, at the table, would talk with us and teach us how to be loving, honest and compassionate with each other and with all the people who are affected by our words and actions, especially the most needy and disenfranchised, like those escaping persecution, gang violence, sex trafficking and murder. As Catholics, are we not aspiring to be united with Christ and all others at the table during the Eucharist?

Anthony Noble

Active Inquiry

Re “Nine Rules to Promote Civility,” by Bishop David A. Zubik (7/9): We thought the article by Bishop Zubik was timely and thoughtful. We might add an additional point of emphasis to the first rule. True listening requires active inquiry. Too often, when we listen we are searching for a response to what we hear. If active listening were practiced more, I suspect our discourse would be more civil.

Valerie Harper and William Harper
Chicago, Ill.

How to respond?

Re “The Right to Leave,” by Simcha Fisher (7/9): As the pastor of two parishes in Georgetown, Guyana, I have encountered women who experience domestic abuse. Very often we priests find ourselves in a quandary about how to respond to this sensitive issue, since some women strongly believe that they have to remain in the relationship in “better or worse” times or because their children need a father. These two convictions are as strong as their faith in God.

Jerri Melwin Dias, S.J.
Georgetown, Guyana