Guest Columnists

In one of those embarrassing public dust-ups that occasionally afflict our church, a soon-to-be published book on priestly celibacy was publicized as being co-authored by retired Pope Benedict XVI until he let it be known that he was not the co-author and wanted his name removed as such.

In 1949, famed Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes celebrated Negro History Week (the precursor to Black History Month) with members of the Oblate Sisters of Providence and their students at the all black and Catholic St. Alphonsus School in Wilson, North Carolina.

In many cultures, children are taught to always respect and obey adults and never go against the older person, writes Father Shay Cullen. When the child fights back, threats are used to scare the child into silence. Hundreds of thousands of children and women are subjected to this brutal treatment to silence them.

Carlos Ayala Ramirez reflects on the tradition of papal messages on peace, proclaimed at the beginning of each year.

The pursuit of justice, the practice of forgiving our enemies: These aren’t opposing forces. They are an integral part of the radical faith to which Jesus calls us.