Leading off with the liturgy: Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted restores communion from the cup to the Phoenix faithful, to applause from all quarters, including Rita Ferrone at dotCommonweal. Unfortunately now my December column is only half-accurate, with only the Diocese of Madison on the record as withholding the blood of Christ from Christ’s body. Just shows what a little people power can do. Speaking of people power, In the UK Guardian Joanna Moorhead predicts a “Catholic spring” in the church in England, with some major shake-ups coming in the sex abuse crisis there.
With the bishop opening their fall meeting in Baltimore today, I’m awarding Rocco Palmo a frowny-face emoticon for titling his post about conference president and NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s opening address, “The King’s Speech.” Really? Don’t think that’s an attitude we want to be encouraging. Michael Sean Winters at NCR reports that Dolan met recently with President Obama, suggesting that even as the bishops and administration fight over same-sex marriage and the implementation of the health care law (see David Gibson’s story on the argument over religious liberty), they are still on cordial terms. Still, a former USCCB official lays into the bishops for focusing on “internal matters” rather than the poverty and economic disruption currently afflicting our nation. The bishops will likely be more riled up about same-sex marriage, with a Senate committee voting to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
