Commentary

Early Christmas decorating reminds us God is always near

Spirituality
Opinion
Dec 7, 2012

Commentary: Decorating for Christmas brings light into the dark world of uncertainty, so why not start early this holiday season?

The Vatican, LCWR, and Definitions of Dialogue

Aug 8, 2012

Commentary

As I watch the back-and-forth between the Vatican and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), I’m struck by how the two sides are defining the concept of dialogue and its role in resolving Church conflict. Their starkly different views of that term were highlighted in the separate the interviews that Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo, Ohio, and Franciscan Sr. Pat Farrell did with National Public Radio.

For Farrell, dialogue is about creating “a safe and respectful environment where church leaders along with the rank-and-file…can raise questions openly.” In Blair’s case, dialogue is a pathway for the LCWR to “remedy serious doctrinal concerns.”