How do you say ‘counterrevolution’ in Latin?
In a New York Times op-ed today, Kenneth J. Wolfe doesn’t answer the question in my headline, but he does see a “counterrevolution” in the return of the Tridentine rite. In a piece titled “Latin Mass Appeal,” Wolfe also offers an interesting take on the liturgical development of the past century. Here’s the kicker: Benedict understands [...]

“Sweetness and Light”
There have been several recent attempts to reignite the culture wars in the United States–I don’t think they will be successful, in large part because people are still focused on economic survival.  At the same time, it’s worth noting the limitations of the prophetic rhetoric of condemnation in achieving social reform. I came across this [...]

Dublin clergy-abuse report released.
While most of us were gorging ourselves yesterday, Ireland was busy digesting a government report on their own clergy sexual-abuse scandal. Its verdict? Over a period of thirty years, diocesan authorities systematically covered up sexual-abuse allegations against clergy–in collusion with the police. The L.A. Times reports: The commission, which investigated how the church and state agencies handled three [...]

New Bioethics Commission
President Obama has established a new bioethics commission.  The chair of the Commission is Amy Guttman, the president of the University of Pennsylvania.  The vice chair is James W. Wagner, the president of Emory University.  You can read the press release here. President Bush’s  Council on Bioethics had many critics, but I was not one of [...]

While You’re Waiting for the Tryptophan to Kick In. . .
you might want to watch Arlo Guthrie perform the Thanksgiving Day classic, Alice’s Restaurant. Have a nice nap, everyone.