In a handwritten letter, Pope Francis congratulated Sister Gramick on “50 years of closeness, of compassion and of tenderness” in a ministry that he described as being in “the style of God.”

The apology drew immediate praise Monday from New Ways Ministry as a “historic” move to repair the painful rift between the Catholic hierarchy and the gay community.

Michael J. O’Loughlin, national correspondent for America, joins Jesuitical to discuss his new book, Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear.

The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Nov. 23 that an Indiana trial court “committed reversible error” when it dismissed a former teacher’s lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Indianapolis earlier this year.

The pope sent a letter of thanks to Michael O'Loughlin, America's national correspondent, this summer after receiving an advance copy of “Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear.”

I find Dave Chappelle’s concept of empathy for transgender people worth considering — both for what it includes and misses.