Fill the cracks

There are cracks in the current church policies on sex abuse of children.
We follow Jesus

The recent broad emergence of scandal in the Catholic Church has undoubtedly caused many Catholics to evaluate their devotion to their faith. Rather than leave the church, however, perhaps it is God’s timing for us to reflect on what we can learn as Catholics, and how we can show solidarity to be better.
Christ the King!

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, it’s appropriate that the church designates the last Sunday as the Solemnity of Christ the King; for it calls to mind the last day of history, when Christ the King of the universe will come in all his glory to judge the living and the dead.
Complete picture

How can we as a state claim rationality when we refuse to accept abstinence-only sex and think we are providing the complete sex-ed picture?
Thankful for true riches

Thanksgiving is a chance to consider all the good in our lives. That begins with God’s constant love for us. God’s love is sure even when we are afflicted by loss and sorrow.
Heading into the holidays with intention

As a kid, I often wondered how long it would be until the weekend, or spring break, or when we ate dinner. My mom advised me to enjoy the present moment, because she said time would fly by at lightning speed when I was an adult.
God’s love is not political

The love we are missing does not require personal agreement; its essence lies in basic respect and empathy for the human condition.
Observing the end of ‘the war to end all war’ – the right way
For human dignity

Not long after these appallingly regular massacres, most of us forget and move on. Not so for the parents, children and friends, whose enduring and suffocating pain is a truer measure of these assaults against the dignity of life. The Second Amendment, penned in the flintlock era, can be honored while we use reason in the face of advanced gun technology.
What's lost by modern-day travel

We arrived at the ferry to Gozo with one minute to spare. After a series of mishaps, from being trapped in a parking garage to taking the wrong exit on one of Malta's many roundabouts, our hopes of making the 9 a.m. ferry were fading fast. When we pulled up to the dock, we were the last car allowed on the boat.
On not being a vegetable

Of all the dilemmas classified under end-of-life issues, the most divisive even for Catholics has been the treatment of people diagnosed as being in a “vegetative state.”
From the Archives

It would appear that the Catholic people of this area have an attitude toward these children which is less than Christian.
It was anti-man

God forgive you for this disgusting display of vulgarity.
Buy fair trade

When you buy fair trade products you know where they come from; and you can be sure that the people who produced them are paid a fair price for them.
Heroes, leaders

The people detained are human beings fighting for their human dignity, needing our support. Those detained persons are the heroes and leaders.
All Souls Day: Come along, Jamesie

Suppertime at the Flynn home was family time. Rounding up her brood, Sarah would stand by the gate and call each by name. Reaching out her hand to her youngest, she would say, “Come along, Jamesie, it’s time to go home.”
There is a limit

The United States can hardly be faulted for lack of generosity to the people of other countries and even to illegal immigrants. However, there is a limit. If we love our country and want to preserve our way of life for ourselves and our children, though, how is this immoral?
Measure 105 backers lack specificity

Regarding “Catholics on both sides of Measure 105,” Oct. 19, Page 6: Some of the proponents for 105 seem to be presenting their views on the entire immigration issue and are not specific to what the measure actually proposes.
Catholics can vote for God's creation

Many Catholics in the Portland area put their faith into action a few months ago by circulating the petition to put Measure 26-201, a social justice/climate action initiative, onto the ballot. Jesuit Father Craig Boly of St. Ignatius Parish endorsed the measure, and hundreds of Catholics signed the petition, along with thousands of other Portlanders. The measure made the ballot, and now we have the opportunity to put our faith into action again by voting for it.
Obey the laws

Pope Leo XIII, the pope most cited for his social concern for workers, wrote an encyclical “The Origins of Civil Society” that declared Catholics must obey the laws of nations in which they live.
Misused taxes

Last year we Oregonians funded 3,700 abortions with our taxes and Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill to increase our funding of abortion. Don’t miss this opportunity to block this misuse of our tax dollars.
Terrible Cartoon

I think it’s terrible that you put an anti-President Trump cartoon in our Catholic newspaper.
A patron for our times

It was the morning of Armistice Day, 1918. Sunken-eyed American troops — wearied and disillusioned by explosions, clouds of poison gas and ruthless bayonet attacks — had a glimmer of hope. Optimism was hard to come by while encased in muddy trenches in a denuded French field. The shooting was due to stop at 11 a.m.
Remember the dead

As the colors of the trees outside begin to disappear and the air turns crisp, we have this season to contemplate death. Let’s take some time to honor and pay tribute to those who’ve gone before us, knowing the glory of God’s victory over death.
Sexual orientation: Hope for restoration and healing with SOCE

PHILADELPHIA — Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) rely on professional therapy and counseling, often in a religious context, to assist those struggling with unwanted homosexual inclinations who would like to diminish their same-sex attractions and grow in their ability to abstain from same-sex behaviors.
From the Archives

We have ever rightly considered the closing of the churches as unjustifiable, unholy, and unchristian in character.
Need a process

Had church leaders in the past asked parents for advice, child abuse would have been been openly discussed and most assuredly curtailed. Those abused would have received tender ministry. The abusers, along with their silent enablers, would have been called to account for their actions or inaction.
On nonviolence

Here’s some good news for Catholics. Pax Christi and other Catholic organizations have an exciting new effort, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative.
A better nation

Undocumented people cannot access much public aid. Even when households do benefit, it is not always the head of household who receives assistance, like free school lunches.
The Heart – Our Spirit – The Most Holy Spirit

Finally I spoke up and I said, I do not know what you fellows have, but I want it. They pulled a chair up, gathered around me and started praying over me with hands on my shoulders and head.
I love Rockaway church

Back in the 1970s, my in-laws lived in Rockaway Beach and my family and I spent many weekends there.
From Jesus?

This directive outlawing artificial contraception seems more like a church rule than a rule from Jesus.
Padre Pio and the Holy Hour of 50 years

Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, (1887-1968) was a miraculous living crucifix.
Legal or illegal?

Did the immigrant relatives comply with the USA’s immigration laws or were they illegal immigrants?
Contact authorities

Clearly the woman who received the graphic sexual phone calls experienced sexual harassment.
Stand up on 106

Fifteen years ago my birth mother had a choice, and she chose to give me life. I would have chosen to live, of course, if I had the option, but I had no choice in whether or not she picked abortion or adoption.
Voting for compassionate candidates is a moral imperative in a hurting world

The United States and the world are in trouble! We need to take it seriously. And we need to elect candidates who will take it seriously.
Family and parish community support my priestly vocation

ST. BENEDICT — The tradition in the Archdiocese of Seattle is for seminarians to be ordained to the diaconate at their home parish. Celebrating my diaconal ordination with my family and parish community last June was an incredible gift. I have attended St. Anthony in Renton, Washington, since I was 8 years old. It was here where I altar served and received my confirmation, and where I have been blessed with many memories of church and family.
Let’s do better

The Catholic Church, for all her beautiful witness to life, must do a better job ministering to families who’ve lost a child through miscarriage or stillbirth.
St. Oscar Romero: An example for bishops

At a time when the bishops of the United States are faced with a crisis of credibility, it seems fitting that Pope Francis canonized a model bishop during the Vatican's Synod on Youth in Rome.
Renewing the priesthood

Priests have been chosen by the Lord to share in Jesus’ Priesthood in a deeper way.
Keep your eye on the ball

While we’ve tied ourselves into knots over the Supreme Court and become glued to intra-Vatican spats, the earth steadily has gotten sicker. We’ve taken our eye off the big blue ball. That’s a mistake, because if we get care for creation wrong, nothing else will matter.
Holy of Holies - Ez 44:13

First of all, God is Holy of Holies. Secondly there is the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament. God Himself was the architect who gave Moses the blueprint in every exact detail. “See that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” Ex 25:40; Heb 8:5.
The holiness of the church is a gift given by Christ

This year, along with many of the faithful in this country, we can’t help but feel as though we are under a cloud.
Thou shall not take the Name of the Lord… IN VAIN

The greeting of peace given right before communion has turned into an abuse.
How did I write a book?

Late last month, on the eve of the Feast of the Archangels, a childhood dream became reality: in the suffocating humidity of a convention center in San Angelo, Texas, I held my book in my hands for the first time. Tears of joy and relief fell as I considered what a long, strange trip this process has been.
Circle of faith

We were like Moses confronting Pharaoh and saying, “Let My People Go!” We would be strong, courageous and not be moved. We sang “No Nos Moveran,” “We shall not be moved.”
From the Archives

He was an exemplary Catholic young man, the worth of whose character is given testimony to by a wide circle of friends.
Give us teaching

You failed to maintain the proper attitude of a diocesan paper namely, you failed to condemn the idea.
One-sided

I noticed that the article failed to mention the millions of pieces of silver that Catholic organizations receive from the government every year for refugee resettlement.
What planet?

His advice shows that Catholic dogma is not relevant to our times.
He’s inspirational

Diego Valeri is an inspiration to all Timbers fans, the Catholic community and the community at large.
I am inspired

Every two weeks I am inspired by the stories in the Sentinel.
Who are you?

At the annual tri-faith conversation earlier this year at St. Mary Cathedral, Rabbi Michael Cahana said something shocking. “Politics, these days, is more important than religion,” he said.
A welcome story

I especially appreciated the direct quotes that you included from Matthew Westerbeck and Kat Kelley, who are dedicated to keeping the service efforts going in the face of discouraging policy changes that have made the lives of refugees ever more difficult.
The Priesthood

Jesus is most clear, most concerned, most forceful, most prophetic: “Love Me, and you will fulfill all that I am asking of you. Love Me, and I will fulfill all that you ask of Me.
The courageous witness of Saints Oscar Romero and Paul VI

Two very different men, facing different sets of dire challenges with prophetic courage, faithfully journeyed along two different paths to the same destination: sainthood!
Missed the point

If position papers dealing with immigration issues were more honest about precise issues and precise terminologies they would serve to reduce polarization in this country rather than contributing to it
The First Commandment – I am the Lord Thy God

Deep down how many of us truly want to be disciples of Jesus?
Test reading

I urge you to test your children or grandchildren. Do they read at grade level? Do they read in a choppy, halting style?
Renewal of the priesthood

Can you not watch one hour with Me? Jesus promises the priesthood will be renewed.
Rejected grace?

So, is a good man, a non-believer, saved because of his good works? If he was faithful to the graces given him, then yes. If he turned down grace — that judgment is not ours to make.
Look at history

I have read several articles in the Catholic Sentinel lately about gun control. It seems you only put in articles that endorse those who want stricter control.
Modest suggestions

Stepping back from the partisan fray, the troubled confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh has exposed truths about our culture — or rather about humanity — on which most people of good will can agree, at least when politics aren’t involved.
Former Washington cardinal now living in rural Kansas friary

WASHINGTON — The Archdiocese of Washington announced Sept. 28 that former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, who was removed from ministry earlier this year after abuse allegations came to light, is now living in Kansas in a friary for Capuchin Franciscan friars.
Yes on 106

Oregon voters in November have a chance to stand up for individual conscience and fight for the little guy — the littlest. These are Oregon values — and Catholic principles.
From the Archives

He was a remarkably devout Catholic, living for many years for God alone, free from all worldly affairs. For this he was rewarded by receiving the last sacraments of the church and a happy death.
Refuge of victims

God bless all the faithful bishops and priests, and may the Lord guide Pope Francis in particular at this present time.
Moses – 960 Continuous Holy Hours

Your physical eyes only see the veil, behind which is God Himself. You are in His Silence. Distractions will come. When you are aware of the distraction, DRIVE it out.
Active Nonviolence: rediscovering a central teaching of Jesus

Christian literature from the first three centuries affirms that the earliest followers of Jesus Christ completely rejected all forms of violence and bloodshed – no abortion, no euthanasia, no capital punishment, no war.
Not reasonable

If some theologians and teachers molest children should the innocent theologians and teachers resign as a public act of repentance? Their petition is disturbing and does not seem very reasonable.
Steady beacon

While the world around us boils and spits, God’s holy church remains an unmoving beacon in the storm.
Holy Hour – Sunday – Reverence

Sorry to say, many Catholics today have lost the spirit of Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Sunday is to be dedicated to the Lord with reverence.
Discernment ills

The episcopacy may include problems of wisdom and discernment. Thank God we have his grace in the service of the good Archbishop Alexander Sample.
Based on Gospel

Regardless of how inconvenient it may be for those who fear the church leaning toward the Marxist left, the message of the New Testament regarding our obligation to strangers, refugees, and the poor in general could hardly be more clear.
Total disgust

Am I never again to have a church I can be proud of rather than ashamed of? It is with total disgust that I look at the situation in my church.
I panicked at first

My human reaction was anger. Then I stopped to think of my parish priests and their kindness.
Church needs management reform

The universal church and the U.S. church is lacking standardized management structures as well as clergy leadership development to prevent numerous and recurring scandals, exercise accountability and achieve the church’s mission.
Wiser minds

We, the members of the Justice and Peace Committee at St. Henry Church in Gresham, were dismayed to learn about plans to spend millions on a military might parade. The image of a country eager to display a militant attitude is in sharp contrast to the Statue of Liberty. Which would we prefer to show the world?
They told truth

I also am proud of the position taken by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is a stand for life and the value of the family.
The Holy Hour and Holiness

“I am the lord, your God, be holy because I am holy.” Lev 11:44. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, be holy because I the Lord your God is holy.” Lev 19:1-2. “But according to Him who has called you, who is holy, be also holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy.” I Pet 1:15-16. The book of Leviticus mentions holy and its derivatives 44 times.
Opioids, pain management, and addiction: Balancing ethical duties

Almost two million Americans are now addicted to opioids. At a minimum, a three-pronged approach is required.