I am not shy about criticizing the Archbishop of Baltimore, so it gives me a special pleasure to praise him for this op-ed in the Baltimore Sun about the need to combat climate change.
What does ecclesial leadership look like? Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago observes Ramadan with Chicago-area Muslims, and brings the television cameras along. For those who are genuinely concerned about religious liberty, to say nothing of Christian witness, combating Islamophobia early and often is an urgent task for ecclesial leaders.
What does ecclesial leadership cost? You get enemies like the nasty folk at ChurchMilitant, who criticize Archbishop Cupich for refusing to worship at the altar of the Second Amendment. Isn't the NRA a dicastery in the Roman curia?
What should keep us all up at night until November? People who think like the author of this article in this morning's Washington Post who admits he can't stand Donald Trump but may still vote for him. This man's take one the state of America is filled with foolishness as well as sense: Colleges really should be a place where students are challenged, not coddled, but there are plenty of GOP parents who tolerate the changing ethos of campus life too. The worry here is not just that people think like this, it is that they may be reluctant to tell a pollster they think like this. There is not only a possibility Trump could win: There is a possibility we might not see it coming.
Finally, to Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley, another ecclesial leader of whom we can all be proud, a very, very happy 72nd birthday! You don't look a day over 71. Praying for you on this day in the venerable tones of Stevie Wonder: