Secret BlessingThe article by John O’Malley, S.J., (4/8) gives rise to the hope that our best kept secretthat the church is an institution that lives in history and has changed - will finally be appreciated. What a blessing a dedicated church historian is.Thomas A. ShannonWorcester, Mass.None

Bears Bearing ArmsBishop Michael W. Warfel (4/15) really does have a problem if he has an acquaintance who encountered a charging bear with a firearm. Dangerous place, Alaska! Joking aside, the article was great.Victor WhelanMobile, Ala.More Daily BreadThe article by Ron Hansen, My Daily Bread (3/18

Art of TranslationBishop Trautman, in his article, Rome and ICEL (3/4), makes no mention of the widespread dissatisfaction expressed by so many with the quality of ICEL’s work, which is no doubt the reason underlying Rome’s intervention. I think the trouble is that ICEL, from the very ou

Lex Orandi, Lex CredendiAlong with many Catholics I was proud of Pope John Paul II’s act of courage and humility in confessing the sins of the church and asking forgiveness. Such an acknowledgment was particularly appropriate in this Lenten season, when the Passion accounts candidly acknowledg

Not AutomatonsRobert Hudnut's article on Pelagianism (2/26) begins well but soon lapses into error. The analogy that likens having faith to falling in love is seriously flawed. Hudnut's claim that we do not have to accept the gift of faith, just as we do not accept the other person's lov

A League in SyncJames Martin, S.J., offers a comprehensive overview of anti-Catholicism in America and an excellent analysis of its root causes (The Last Acceptable Prejudice? 3/25). His position that the Catholic League is too overheated, however, deserves a response.Our style is not out of sync wi

Most Complex SocietyIn his column (2/12) Terry Golway generalizes and oversimplifies about adolescent society. He claims that any adolescent or young adult who strives for knowledge in education, abides by a moral code and delves into cultural interests such as non-mainstream music (jazz, classical,

Country Held HostageYour editorial Send the Boy Home to Cuba (3/11) has many inaccuracies:1) The title makes Elián look like a parcel or inanimate object that could be easily shipped to Cuba. He is a young human being, whose feelings must be taken into account. After almost four months in the Unite

Chorus of WhinersFirst, it’s the American theologians who are whining over Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Now it’s the turn of the liturgical translators to whine over the intervention of the Congregation for Divine Worship. I’m tired of all this whining against the Vatican, which has become

Fitting TributeA brilliant star, Richard A. McCormick, S.J., illuminated the galaxy of moral theology in the 20th-century United States as no other (Signs of the Times, 2/26). His notes on moral theology over the years were eagerly devoured by opinion leaders in church and state. He shone as a fair-