Readers respond to "A Big Heart Open to God," by Antonio Spadaro, S.J. (9/30)A Beautiful HeartThe wonderful interview with Pope Francis is something that I will read over and over, trying to grasp for my own life the deep values that Francis holds dear and his vision for the church. I

Opening DoorsThe Francis factor, so to speak, is his focus on opening doors. How will anyone be open to Catholicism if they cannot get past knowledge of some of the prohibitions, without knowledge of the context, without invitation, without a love that compels them radiating from Christians?Kathryn

Eucharist at the CenterRe “Higher Learning,” by John R. Wilcox (9/9): We Catholics should insist that our educational institutions promote Catholic beliefs, starting with the belief that Jesus makes himself present to ordinary people in the celebration of Eucharist and that this is a goo

Letters Versus ArticlesRe “Of Many Things,” by Matt Malone, S.J. (8/12): It seems clear enough that publications like America must find new ways of sustaining themselves in this age of digitized information and opinion, but Father Malone’s suggestion that readers can now be &l

Safety and ForgivenessRe “Children First,” by Deacon Bernard Nojadera (8/12): In 1992 a priest I knew and loved was charged with the sexual abuse of two boys. I was in disbelief. He was a gifted teacher and writer. He was my friend. He was found guilty and incarcerated for some

Beauty of DanceRe “Pope Francis Calls for Solidarity and Dialogue” (Signs of the Times, 8/12): More than 10 years ago in America (“Shall We Dance,” 3/25/02) I asked whether we, as the people of God, would respond to the invitation to “praise God’s name in the fest

Not ConvincedIn “Beyond the Fortnight” (7/1), Archbishop William E. Lori addresses some issues quite clearly. I appreciate that. However, there are numerous issues that he has not made so clear for me to understand.For example, Archbishop Lori demands that companies and individuals recei

Living In ChristMy interest was piqued by Bill McGarvey (“The Sexual Devolution”) and Christina A. Astorga (“Save Yourself”) in the July 1 issue. Both writers touch upon the consequences suffered by the hookup generation. Of course, the predominance of youthful hookups is not

Godly LivesRe “Christian Complicity” (6/17): Stephen Bullivant has a very interesting point about our complicity in alienating unbelievers, but the problem is much deeper. The whole church, top down, needs to see faith as a transforming journey through life and see all the challenges we

Keeping Space OpenRe “Pursuing the Truth in Love,” by Matt Malone, S.J. (6/3): I have been reading America for over half a century now. While I appreciate fully your need to state the mission for this age as your predecessors did for theirs, reading your article was a little like reading