Letters

Loving Fidelity I have long insisted that authentic reform in the church must proceed through passionate love for the church: Ecclesia semper amanda et reformanda. Your recent editorials “Pilgrim People” (5/10 and 5/17) are bracing and compelling because they join, in a distinctive way,

Compelling and Principled I was gratified to see the editors of America acknowledge (“How Compelling?” 4/12) that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opposed the final health care reform bill for a range of reasons, including the law’s lack of “protection of the conscien

Fiat Lux! Re “Do Not Despair,” by Archbishop John Quinn (Online, 5/3): Rahner’s prophetically probing question, “Why would a modern man want to become and to remain a priest?” holds the key to the future solution. Only when the church chooses to transform itself from a

Lay Managers The toolbox approach (“The Pastor’s Toolbox,” by Thomas J. Healey and John Eriksen, 4/12) seems too narrowly focused on the ordained pastor. Increasingly many American parishes are managed day to day by quite capable nonordained laypeople or religious. They need as muc

Is Anyone Listening? Courageous and forthright are words that come to mind in trying to describe the editorial “The Millstone” (4/12), although it occurs to this reader that America’s clear and concise suggestions could have been made some years ago. “Come clean, be accountab

An Analogy That Hurts Wow! Your editorial “Toyota in Reverse” (3/22) could serve as an analogy to the issues with our institutionalized Catholic Church and its structure. Just substitute church, clergy, bishops and hierarchy for Toyota, executives and the like and you have a pertinent de

Worthy of Recognition Re “Historian’s Progress” (Current Comment, 3/29): I am a long-time reader and admirer of Tony Judt’s work. How wonderful of America to recognize his most recent work in The New York Review of Books. I do not know which is more worthwhile, his essay &ldq

A Life A.M.D.G. The commentary on the life of John W. Donohue, S.J. (Of Many Things, 3/8) stirred in me fond memories of my freshman year at Canisius High School in 1944-45. We were in the first class to use the “new” school on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. Our class was special in several

Joyful We Adore Thee Re “God Is Ready,” by James Martin, S.J. (3/8): We often ask the people in our adult Christian initiation process, “Where did you experience God’s presence in your life this past week?” Over the years we have seen that this is particularly difficult

States Right$ Maryann Cusimano Love (“The Defense Dilemma,” 3/8) points out the incredible waste in defense programs. To her credit she allots blame not just to the military and their contractors but also to the legislators. Bureaucracies are inherently wasteful and inefficient. The Defe