We say: The no-holds-barred conversation that Pope Francis has introduced in the synod process requires trust and, while stirring up opposition, also raises expectations.
We say: The recent release of nearly 500 inmates from Oklahoma state prisons is a sign of a basic American distrust of one-size-fits-all sentencing with no room for a judge's discretion or compassion.
We say: The Catholic Church in the U.S. is for sale. Money provides individuals and groups entrée to the highest levels of church leadership and affords others an inordinately large say in church affairs.
We say: In the Amazon, as elsewhere, symbols of faith arise from indigenous culture. The desecration of these symbols in Rome, apparently by ecclesial thugs, was a despicable act and should be condemned by all.
