Richard Gaillardetz on the State of American Catholicism: My Response--"I Was a Stranger and You . . ."

In the discussion thread following my posting about Andrew Sullivan's latest comments re: the abuse crisis in the Catholic church this past weekend, a sharp reader, Brian Gallagher, drew a connection between Sullivan's analysis and questions that Catholic theologian Richard Gaillardetz raises in a recent lecture he gave on the state of American Catholicism today.  Gaillardetz's lecture is online now at the National Catholic Reporter website. 

African-American Faith Communities and the LGBT Community: An Arkansas Church Builds Bridges

National Organization for Marriage chair Maggie Gallagher has recently been crowing that the opposition to marriage equality in Maryland is being led not only by her own Catholic church but by black churches as well.  (Unfortunately for Maggie, her fellow Catholics decidedly do not support her attempt and that of the Catholic hierarchy to block the human rights of LGBT citizens: as Tom Fox noted recently in National Catholic Reporter, Catholic lawmakers and Catholic citizens have bucked the hierarchy to support the marriage equality bill, and polls show 49% of Maryland Catholics supporting marriage equality with 42% opposed--a higher percentage of support than among citizens at large).  

Philadelphia Abuse Story Continues to Unfold

The abuse story involving the Catholic archdiocese of Philadelphia keeps unfolding.  CNN is reporting today that attorneys for an unnamed adult male plaintiff living in Delaware will announce a lawsuit today against the archdiocese:

Andrew Sullivan Comments on Philadelphia Story: Even Now, the Catholic Hierarchy Doesn't Get It

Andrew Sullivan tells it like it is in this posting today commenting on the New York Times article about the Philadelphia story re: which I wrote yesterday.

Abuse Story in Philadelphia Archdiocese Deepens, and Circus Side Show at Chestnut Hill College Continues

The situation in the archdiocese of Philadelphia remains dismal, where Katherine Seelye and Jon Hurdle are reporting in the New York Times that  three weeks following the grand jury report which resulted in the indictment of the diocese's secretary of clergy Msgr. William Lynn, most of the 37 priests credibly accused of inappropriate behavior towards minors in the report are apparently still in ministry.  

Remembering a (Gay) Friend: A Eulogy

I’ve been blocked with this blog, when it comes to writing something that really means a great deal to me.  And I know why.  And haven’t wanted to tussle with the reason.

Michael Sean Winters in Support of John Allen

Catholicism: Here Comes Everybody

 

A quick follow-up to what I posted earlier today about John Allen's recent Rome-centric article at National Catholic Reporter: