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An Absurd ActI very much appreciate “A President for Peace” (11/18), the fine reflection by James W. Douglass. It is wise and insightful. But I must disagree with his assertion that President Kennedy was assassinated as a consequence of his peace policies. The simple passage of time has

A Mixed ReviewRe “Can This City Be Saved?” (11/4): Kevin Clarke did a pretty good job—quite good in the back sections—reporting on Detroit, but the back half’s more nuanced multi-perspectives do not have much of a shot at overcoming the Detroit disaster images and the f

The Right LanguageRe “A Church for the Poor,” by Bishop Robert W. McElroy (10/21): I am glad to see the phrase “the common good” used. The word “poverty” appears 22 times, the phrase “the common good” 13 times, “the poor” 10 times, “a

An ImprovementYes, yes to Jack Selzer (“Hail, Holy Grammar,” Reply All, 10/7), and yes again. The problem for me in the Hail Mary is that the words after “fruit of” sound like one name: “Thywombjesus.” Or maybe “Thywomb” is the first name. It is a bit

A Lay InterviewRe “A Big Heart Open to God,” by Antonio Spadaro, S.J. (9/30): It is one thing for two Jesuits to share their discussion around matters of faith, laity and the future of the church and put it out there for the world to analyze. How would it be for Pope Francis to have a co

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