Links for 08/22/17

We thank God for the courage of those who gathered at Boston Common to reaffirm that we are one nation.1)

— Cardinal Seán (@CardinalSean) August 20, 2017

At the Huff Post, some of the best signs at the Boston protest. My favorites: "Boston only hates the Yankees" and "You know it's bad when a white straight guy makes a sign."

At Politico, my nominee for most ironic headline of the year: "Newt Gingrich goes to spouse school." The article discusses the former speaker's preparation for his wife's service as ambassador to the Holy See. Still, I was hoping the subhead was going to include the phrase "Third time is the charm."

At The Washington Post, my nomination for headline that got it most wrong: A story originally entitled "After July miracle, Pope Francis reportedly moves Roberto Clemente closer to sainthood." After a correction, the new headline read "Vatican dispels claim that Roberto Clemente is on his way to sainthood." The correction at the end of the piece was unequal to the mistake. I was a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates' slugger and remember when he was killed in a plane crash, bringing aid to the survivors of the earthquake in Nicaragua. The problem with naming him a saint? He wasn't a Catholic!

In The New York Times, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona on why the new proposed restrictions on different kinds of immigrants are misguided. Flake is quickly becoming my favorite Republican senator, willing to stand up to President Trump no matter what the consequences for his career. A profile of courage in a time of cowardice.

In light of the events in Charlottesville, I call attention to an article in U.S. Catholic that was poignant when it was published in January but is now clearly prescient, Steve Schneck's call for the bishops to be more vocal and active in confronting racism.

One fine recent statement, from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, is worthy of note but came in after my columns on the subject last week. It was read at an interreligious gathering at City Hall by Msgr. Ronald Lengwin on behalf of Bishop David Zubik.

At Crisis, Eric Sammons wonders why Catholics are not willing to challenge Vatican II, and attributes it to a kind of ecclesial self-censorship, mostly arising from base motives. This article is ridiculous. It was sent to me, in light of recent controversies, with an email header: "A Case Study." 'Nuf said. 

[Michael Sean Winters covers the nexus of religion and politics for NCR.]​

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