Author: Regina Bannan

“It stands out to me that, although a girl passing by, Darnella Frazier, had the presence of mind to record a video of the entire encounter on her cell phone so we could all see what happened entirely too clearly, we were not certain of the outcome.” Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American gives…
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Many people are still writing about Hans Küng and church blessings for those in same-sex unions, but I’m going to shift back to the priesthood. Specifically, to Pope Francis’ call for a three-day symposium in February 2022 to discuss the issues involved. I have to hand it to him; he acts on his belief that…
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The only two books with broken bindings in my Catholic bookcase are my sister’s Baltimore Catechism and On Being a Christian by Hans Küng. Much used, the books reflect an ideological transition in the lifetime of the Vatican II generation. Küng’s was a gift from my late friend Mary Ellen Anderson; the binding is broken…
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Dan Stockman begins his retrospective of Sister Simone Campbell’s career at Network with the bounce that Vatican criticism gave to the organization: new support, energy, and money. She said what I say every time the Vatican condemns women’s ordination: “We often joked that we should send the Vatican a thank-you note.”  This is a reflection…
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Wouldn’t you think, in this age of synods, that cabals would be out of date? Wikipedia describes a cabal as “a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those…
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Pope Francis was safe in Iraq. His venturing out to such an unstable place is a testament to his willingness to take risks for the good of the people, Christian and Moslem alike. America and NCR had reporters covering this trip and generating stories about this remarkable outreach; about 75 journalists on the papal plane…
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Pope Francis is safe in Iraq as you read this, I hope. His venturing out to such an unstable place is a testament to his willingness to take risks for the good of the people, Christian and Islamic alike. America and NCR will have reporters covering this trip and generating stories about this remarkable outreach;…
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The American political concept of term limits makes it comfortable for me to write about the resignation of another Vatican prelate, Cardinal Robert Sarah. Sarah is 75, the retirement age for bishops. My discomfort is that as head of the worship office he is one of a very few persons of African ancestry visible in…
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We’re getting our share of snow as I write this. My apartment looks out on Rittenhouse Square, a classically designed park that has become a dog run this pandemic winter. I find myself watching the various groups that gather: at 8 am on the west side, 9:30 on the south, etc. The dogs chase each…
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Pope Francis is serious about finding competent women to place in administrative positions. This week, it is Nathalie Becquart, a Xavière Missionary Sister, appointed as one of two  undersecretaries in the Vatican’s office for the Synod of Bishops. This is especially interesting because organizing a meeting of bishops is not usually a role assigned to…
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