My father was a New York police officer. When he was ordered to raid gay bars and arrest patrons, he decided he could not do it.
Criminal Justice
Posted inDispatches
Catholic leaders respond to police raid that killed 132 in Brazil
“Operation Containment” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aimed to disrupt the criminal network Comando Vermelho, but with 132 dead were police too indiscriminate in their use of force?
Posted inDispatches
At Red Mass, Cardinal McElroy presses Supreme Court to restore hope
Practitioners of law have an opportunity to restore that lost trust and hope, Cardinal McElroy said. “No group in our society has a greater capacity to remold our political discourse. No group has a deeper calling to bring hope.”
Posted inTelevision
The Penguin as the anti-hero (or the anti-villain?)
General audiences might be familiar with the character of the Penguin from Danny DeVito’s campier portrayal of the supervillain character in 1992’s “Batman Returns,” with Michael Keaton as the caped crusader. In the new TV show “The Penguin,” however, Oz Cobb feels less like a supervillain and more like a typical Hollywood mobster.
Posted inThe Weekly Dispatch
The Trump administration’s friendly neighborhood military takeover of Washington
If you head to Washington seeking evidence of the city’s military takeover, you are very likely to come away disappointed.
Posted inFaith in Focus, Politics & Society
What we saw during an ICE arrest and immigration court hearing: the breakdown of justice in America
What is happening to migrants in courtrooms across the country is a complete embarrassment to the justice system and an affront to human dignity.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
Cops—and ICE—need to stop wearing masks
Masked police undermine trust and amplify fear. They do not fit a democratic society.
Posted inFaith, Podcasts
How Greg Boyle, S.J., preaches Easter joy to incarcerated people
Especially when preaching to young people who are stressed, traumatized or incarcerated, Father Greg Boyle has learned: If you’re not telling stories, they’re not listening.
Posted inFaith, News
Catholic prayer app Hallow cuts ties with Russell Brand after actor and Christian convert charged with rape
Russell Brand, a British actor and comedian who promoted the Hallow prayer app and interviewed Bishop Robert E. Barron, has been charged with rape and other sexual offenses.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
What the Catholic Church does (and doesn’t) teach about deporting migrants
“The church is not against deportations per se, but there are several conditions that need to be in place.”