Concealed BeliefsAs Catholic lawyers who have filed dozens of civil rights cases, including some under the Voting Rights Act in Texas, we were disappointed in Of Many Things, by Matt Malone, S.J. (2/25), especially given Justice Antonin Scalia’s comments two days later in the Shelby County, Al

Dad’s Retirement“Getting to Work,” by Patricia Ranft (2/18), provided an informative view of the theology of work and the legacy of Catholic theology on labor. But her attempt to apply this legacy to the 21st-century United States sounded like a Paul Ryan campaign rant.What was she

Remember MaryknollIn “Statements in Stone” (2/18), James T. Keane writes about church-related buildings built pre-1965, and then the less ornate built after the Second Vatican Council. We always thought that one of the outcomes of Vatican II was that the church hierarchy was required to

News of the pope’s pending resignation sparked much commentary on America’s Web site. Here we offer a selection of the responses. To take part in the discussion, visit americamagazine.org.It is revealing the different decisions made by saints and popes facing similar conditions. The uniq

Brother BenedictWhen Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI, we all knew that his papacy would not last as long as those of some of his predecessors. So his resignation should not be a complete surprise, and we ought to praise God for the eight years that Pope Benedict has been able to serve an

Clarify ‘Entitlement’“Getting to Work,” by Patricia Ranft (2/18), does a good job puncturing the hoary myth that labor is punishment for expulsion from biblical paradise—the wages of sin. Professor Ranft is convincing in laying out “the theology of work” but

Moral Depth NeededRe “The Hunted and the Haunted,” by John Anderson (2/11): Maya, in “Zero Dark Thirty,” is a stand-in for the post-9/11 generation, compressed between the clips and sound bites of the towers falling and the 9/11 taped calls on one hand and the aftermath of th

Faithful TheologiansRe “The Noble Enterprise” (2/4): Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl focuses on the important aspect of the ecclesial foundation of theologians. The role of faith in the theological task places revelation at the very center and implicitly indicates the worshipping community as i

Liberation ApproachAs a lay missionary in western Honduras, I’m grateful for “Still ‘Presente’?” by David Golemboski (1/21), especially for the emphasis on economic issues in Central America. The economic issues are harder for U.S. Catholics to deal with, especially the

Worthwhile InvestmentRe “Culture Shift,” by Archbishop Robert J. Carlson (1/7): I am happy to note Archbishop Carlson’s support for promoting a culture of vocations through Catholic schools, especially among the growing Hispanic population in our country. For the past two decades,