MORE FROM HUFFPOST
MORE FROM HUFFPOST
Roman Catholic
Defrocked Roman Catholic priest Richard Lavigne, who died last week, has long been considered a suspect in the 1972 killing of a western Massachusetts altar boy.
There's no reason to shvitz the small stuff.
Watching Spotlight brought back all the shame, anger, and grief that seared me fourteen years ago when the scandal first broke. The sexual exploitation of children is horrible enough. But that the predators were priests was a body blow no one saw coming.
As a Catholic who observed closely the resignation of the emeritus pope and elevation of Jorge Bergoglio, in March of 2013, with hope and some suspicion, I find myself vexed by the profuse adulation Pope Francis I received during his visit to the United States.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
My generation of Catholics has seen a lot of decline. The memories I have of a neighborhood bursting at the seams with Catholic parishes, participating parishioners, priests, nuns, students, service groups and athletic teams seems like a distant dream.
Pope Francis is clearly a religious leader who sees the values in unity over conflict. We should welcome that as we welcome him to the United States.
Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas know Junipero Serra's legacy, but Californians know it best, and many would like to know what the devil is going on. I truly want this Pope to have moral authority.
President Obama should be applauded for defending America's greatest values and challenging the nation to be a welcoming place for the stranger. For in the face of the stranger we see the face of God.
Without question, the complexities we face now are even more difficult to navigate from what those seeking peace during the Cold War encountered. Can "Just Peace" be a model for addressing the messy conflict in Syria and Iraq, which involves the terrorist group ISIS?
