What Catholics Do Best Re “Faith by Heart,” by David Impastato (9/10): While I am in full support of more catechesis and evangelization, there is no evidence that rote memorization will lead to greater retention of young Catholics. In fact, the Catholic Church actually has a greater rete

Realpolitik at Play In “R2P May Still Work” (Editorial, 8/27), the editors called for “outside mediation between factions” in Syria. Yes, by all means get these people who are engaged in desperate combat around a table for leisurely discussions. Perhaps a “discernment&r

Protect the Vulnerable Re “After Aurora” (Editorial, 8/13): The editors’ support for gun control ignores the practical benefits of private gun ownership. Research by Dr. John R. Lott Jr. (More Guns, Less Crime, 1998) shows that states that allow citizens to carry concealed weapons

Permissible Lobbying Re “Politics and the Pulpit” by Nicholas P. Cafardi (7/30): Dr. Cafardi seems to imply that Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle engaged in impermissible lobbying by assisting in gathering signatures in support of Referendum 74 in Washington State to undo the same-

Substance Abuse Re “State of Disunion,” by Thomas R. Murphy, S.J., (7/16): I cannot imagine any set of circumstances under which it will be possible to bridge the partisan divide in this country in my lifetime. The primary reason is that the overwhelming majority of Americans are not pro

Labor’s Love Lost? As the editors note in “Union Sunset?” (Editorial, 7/2), there are reasons for concern about the future of organized labor, the failed recall of Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin being an important one. That will fuel an anti-union movement already under way that ig