Time magazine rsquo s Richard Wolffe author of the new biography of Barack Obama Renegade in an interview last week with Charlie Rose described the president as a self-made man With respect to his religion in particular Wolffe noted Mr Obma is the son and step-son of a Muslim and a hippie

Readers have asked for further comment from me on President Barack Obama rsquo s ldquo round robin rdquo with religious editors and reporters I have to say I learned a number of things that day ndash mostly about journalism First my respect for bread and butter journalists like CNS rsquo s Pat

Rediscovering Teilhard's 'The Divine Milieu'

The nearly impossible challenge of Pope Benedict rsquo s ldquo pilgrimage nbsp of peace rdquo has been how to meet the expectations of very diverse audiences The task has been made all the more difficult in Israel by the media rsquo s playing the nbsp expectations game repeatedly reminding int

Pope Benedict XVI rsquo s visit to Israel has been haunted by the specter of his predecessor Pope John Paul II who was known for his positive initiatives toward the Jews But even in John Paul rsquo s time not every thing not even his pilgrimage for the Jubilee in 2000 was free of problems At

Pope Benedict XVI rsquo s address at the al-Husseini Mosque in Amman Jordan is the best signal we have had since the dialogues that followed ldquo Common Word rdquo initiative 2007-08 of the Holy Father rsquo s attitude toward Islam In a speech to Islamic religious leaders diplomats and educ

Education for justice requires freeing the imagination and stimulating inventiveness.

Expectations are low for the pope's visit to the Holy Land, but I am ready to be surprised.

On his arrival in Jordan today Pope Benedict spoke of himself as a pilgrim of peace He came he said with ldquo the intention to pray for the precious gift of unity and peace most specifically for the Middle East Peace for individuals for communities peace for Jerusalem for the Holy Land

nbsp ldquo The evil men do lives after them the good is oft interred with their bones rdquo nbsp As Pope Benedict XVI makes his way through the Holy Land his mistakes and gaffes haunt the reporting on his trip His course corrections his initiatives and extensions of well-regarded policies