"Think what would happen if there weren't any sisters, if there weren't any sisters in the hospitals, no sisters in the missions, no sisters in the schools. Think what the church would be like without sisters -- no, that's unthinkable." — Pope Francis Read more
Perhaps the finest actor of my generation (IMHO), the Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead today in his New York City apartment. Goddammit. Addiction is an awful disease. My heart, and those of millions of other fans and those who knew and loved him best, felt shattered upon hearing the unexpected and tragic news. As we mourn his death and celebrate his life, may we remember him in our prayers and especially lift up his children, Cooper, Tallulah,... Read more
We have the responsibility to be kind to one another, and that responsibility extends to celebrities, too. We’re the ones who placed them on their teetering pedestals. Justin didn’t ascend his without our help. So when they tumble off, the fact that we cheer and sneer is awful, hypocritical, and deeply, sometimes savagely unkind. Read more
I have been turning down interview requests for months because I have had nothing constructive to say. But I do now. And it starts with an apology to Justin for being a part of the media pressure that contributed to his arrival at this troubling, scary, and sad place. Justin, I am sorry. Please forgive me. Read more
What Makes Papa Frank So Likable (Especially Among Non-Catholics)? We'd love to know what you think the reasons for his immense popularity are. Read more
During a special ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday where he baptized 32 infants, Papa Frank told the mothers present to go ahead and breastfeed their babies if the children were hungry. Right there. In the chapel. Under the Michaelangelos. In front of God and everybody. Read more
Seeing his friend from Argentina, the pope didn't just wave or blow a kiss. Instead, he broke with Vatican protocol in a big way by stopping the Popemobile and motioning for Baez to join him in the car as he road through the square. It makes me want to send Papa Frank a bumper sticker for the popemobile: Will Stop for Homies. (Se Detendrá para Los Homies) Read more
"Jesus is Love incarnate. He is not simply a teacher of wisdom, he is not an ideal for which we strive while knowing we are hopelessly distant from it. He is the meaning of life and history, who has pitched his tent in our midst." - Papa Frank in his homily at Midnight Mass 2013 Read more
Even more than a political, social justice, or ideological giant, in Madiba’s death I sincerely believe we lost the greatest spiritual leader of my lifetime. Read more
I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people. ~ Nelson Mandela Read more
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