How could it happen nbsp The terrible revelations of sexual abuse in Ireland and Germany have confirmed the reality that the abuse of children by clergy is not a phenomenon confined to the United States Nor as Kieran Conroy the bishop of Arundel and Brighton in the U K nbsp stated recently n

As the news is again reminding us Catholics are part of a secretive and abusive church built on ldquo homosocial rdquo power men governing men and excluding women men in a culture of homoerotic images too often and too loudly denying genuine life beyond heterosexuality and willing to go to al

At the request of some of our readers and bloggers we have added our correspondents email addresses to the comments boxes So when you move your mouse over a commenter s name his or her email will appear Click on it and your preferred email client will open up and you can write your fellow corr

Usually we can all turn to the New York Times and the Washington Post with a reasonable degree of assurance that their writers and editors are top-notch journalists who ferret out facts put those facts in a proper context and truly enlighten a reader rsquo s understanding of whatever event is be

Graymoor Spiritual Life Center in New York has this year sponsored Saturday morning Lenten retreats based on the life and ministry of contemporary spiritual leaders I was asked to introduce the Franciscan Sister Thea Bowman to one of the Saturday morning retreats I did so gratefully I first enco

In the wake of what some observers called the worst vitriol in this country since the Civil Rights era Sister Mary nbsp Ann Walsh media relations director of the USCCB offers a call for charity nbsp nbsp Politics has become a kind of blood sport News junkies over the weekend heard reports of