The Insights eNewsletter

Insights provides critical perspective on the issues that affect your life as a Catholic today. Delivered twice weekly.

» Subscribe

This Insights eNewsletter was sent to subscribers on October 12, 2011.

eNewsletter Subject: Arab Spring, Christian Fall

The news for Christians from the Islamic world is terrifying. In just the past three days, we have the following Catholic World News stories:

• Catholic spokesman: Egyptian government complicit in church burnings
• No Christian churches remain in Afghanistan
• Syria: patriarch fears descent into civil war
• Muslim mob attacks Christians in Pakistan
• Bishop warns of growing Islamic extremism in Indonesia
• Egypt: police open fire on Coptic Christian protestors; dozens slain

In a completely different sort of news, I note that the dissident Austrian Priests' Initiative has thrown down the gauntlet in response to Cardinal Schönborn's efforts to proceed cautiously. I repeat my insistence last August that this must be met firmly (Dealing with the Austrian “Priest's Initiative”). Here is the latest story: Austrian priests' group renews defiance on Church teaching.

Back to our own politics, I explore a more subtle form of prejudice which restricts Catholic influence, in my latest On the Culture entry: Us vs. Them: Montgomery County & Lockheed Martin.

By the way, today is the feast of Blessed John XXIII, a man whose life I suspect very few militant Catholics have sufficiently explored, because so many are ambivalent about Vatican II. I believe such an exploration would be worthwhile....

[more content for subscribers]

There's more to this eNewsletter! Sign up to receive complete Insights!