Roman Catholicism

A contemplative Catholic nun touches the world through prayer.

In a nation legendary for its secularism, les Cathos are speaking up.

Within a few decades, a third of all Catholics will live in Africa.

Martin Luther isn’t the only theologian for whom we celebrate a major anniversary this year.

Until Christians can all share the Lord’s Supper, the rift continues. But there is no denying how massively the ground has shifted.

Nearly 15 years ago, the Boston Globe broke the story of the priest-pedophilia and bishop-cover-up crimes. The film Spotlight, which chronicles the investigative reporting behind the newspaper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage, is now up for a Best Picture Academy Award. While this new film shines a light on what happened then, watching it now reveals how the Catholic landscape has changed (and not changed) since the story broke in 2002.

While the reporters depicted in Spotlight initially pursue the stories of particular priest-pedophiles, the editors see the bigger picture: the bureaucratic system, the hierarchy, and the mindset that allowed these priests to be moved from parish to parish without legal intervention.

Stewart Goetz’s book is provocative and carefully argued. But I am puzzled as to why the ordinary reader of C. S. Lewis would be worried about the road not taken.