A good comedian helps an audience to recognize common absurdities, inconsistencies and hypocrisies in any given cultural moment. Their real genius is helping audiences to recognize the ones in which they also take part.

A good comedian helps an audience to recognize common absurdities, inconsistencies and hypocrisies in any given cultural moment. Their real genius is helping audiences to recognize the ones in which they also take part.

In response to the Vatican’s summit on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis, with Pope Francis and almost 190 church leaders from around the world gathered together Feb. 21-24, Anderson and Archbishop Lori urged their brother Knights and their families to set aside time over a nine-day period to say a “Novena for Repentance, Renewal and Rebuilding.”

The Catholic Church needs “new legal structures of accountability” for bishops accused of sexual abuse or of negligence in handling abuse allegations, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago told the Vatican summit on safeguarding.

The abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is a call for bishops to unmask the deep-seated clericalism that placed protection of the institution of the church above the sufferings of victims, said the head of the council of Latin American bishops.

Immediately after asking bishops and religious superiors to be concrete in confronting the clerical sexual abuse crisis and the need to protect children in the church, Pope Francis handed them a list of 21 action items to consider.

The meeting began Feb. 21 with the harrowing stories of survivors of sexual abuse, cover-up and rejection by church officials.

Mark Wallen spoke Feb. 21 at a news conference in Annapolis to promote Senate Bill 561/House Bill 757, also known as “Laura and Reid’s Law,” which would expand fetal homicide protections to as few as eight weeks’ gestation.

Testimony in opposition and support heated the debate on physician-assisted suicide at the Maryland General Assembly session in Annapolis Feb. 15.

Everything viewers need to know about the futuristic action adventure “Alita: Battle Angel” (Fox) is summed up in the line of dialogue that describes its young heroine, played by Rosa Salazar, as having “the face of an angel and the body of a warrior.”

Opening the Vatican summit on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis, Pope Francis said, “The holy people of God are watching and are awaiting from us not simple, predictable condemnations, but concrete and effective measures” to stop abuse.

The canonization cause for Father Augustus Tolton is just one step away from going to Pope Francis for the priest to be declared “venerable.”

A trip to Central America strengthened bonds within Sacred Heart, Glyndon’s, Hispanic youth group.
