For black Catholics, the papal visit is a time of anticipation but also a time of reflection on their difficult - but important - place within the Catholic Church in America.
Despite a rich history of black Americans involved in the Catholic Church, invisibility is a big problem for black Catholics in America.
The 1973 team is real special. I had never coached against Bear Bryant. Alabama had never played Notre Dame. It was North against South; the Catholics against the Baptists; both teams were undefeated, and everything was on the line.
I know many Catholics love God with all their heart. I have genuine respect for anyone who truly has given their life to Christ. We read about Mother Teresa and what a wonderful example she was.
We Catholics have been in the forefront in defending the dignity of the human person. Clericalism is a direct violation of human dignity.
Priests focus on the spiritual. As a lay person I could show people how to be good Catholics in the world.
Sometimes I, as a public official, turn to Scripture or hymns - especially hymns, because sometimes we Catholics don't have the Scriptures memorized like we should - to help me explain a public policy position or an idea or to be able to articulate it better when you're talking about justice or mercy or compassion.
Catholics are every bit as diverse as any other sort of voters out there, with conservative Democrats and moderates.
So often, generalizations don't apply to Catholic voters. Catholics are concerned about the war, the economy, about issues like abortion, issues pertaining to the budget and funding Medicaid and Medicare and what happens to the environment.
Catholicism is a wide tent in terms of political and legal positions. We could have nine Catholics on the Supreme Court and a great deal of diversity toward the law.
