Echoes - A forum of Catholic thought. The Opinion section of thebostonpilot.com

Suppose we let the people decide

John Garvey

May 22, 2019Culture

This week, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt that states have sovereign immunity from suits brought by individuals in the courts of another state. There is a lot ...

Culture & Events

What if every life were precious?Greg Erlandson

When Alabama's governor, Kay Ivey, signed the nation's most restrictive abortion bill into law, she gave this simple explanation. "Every life is precious," she said. The law has been criticized by some ...

Culture & Events

Is this equality?Russell Shaw

Last month in Philadelphia a federal appeals court did its bit for efforts to make conscience knuckle under to the LGBTQ agenda. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit held the city was within ...

Faith & Family

Confirmation for developmentally disabledFather Kenneth Doyle

Q. Our son, age 24, has severe cognitive delays. Would he be able to be confirmed? What level of understanding is required? (New Philadelphia, Ohio) A. Your son would certainly be able to be confirmed, ...

Culture & Events

The Pell case: Developments down underGeorge Weigel

In three weeks, a panel of senior judges will hear Cardinal George Pell's appeal of the unjust verdict rendered against him at his retrial in March, when he was convicted of "historical sexual abuse." ...

Spirituality

Where is Home?Father Ron Rolheiser

During the years that I served as a Religious Superior for a province of Oblate Priests and Brothers in Western Canada, I tried to keep my foot inside the academic world by doing some adjunct teaching ...

Culture & Events

'The Memoirs of St. Peter'Russell Shaw

In "The Memoirs of St. Peter" (Regnery), Michael Pakaluk takes on what someone unaware of the pitfalls of translation might consider a simple task: to render the gospel of St. Mark in English that resembles ...

Faith & Family

Policies and persistenceJaymie Stuart Wolfe

The Vatican's long-in-coming response to the Church's widespread sexual abuse scandal is certainly good news. The changes in policy announced by Pope Francis in "Vos estis lux mundi" are encouraging. ...

Culture & Events

Whatever happened to Craig Kimbrel?Dick Flavin

Do you remember Craig Kimbrel? You know, the guy with the red beard. He used to be a baseball player. Well, I guess he still is a baseball player, but he's not playing for anyone, is he? At least, not ...