History is full of great quotations that people never said.  One of the best lines comes from Vladimir Lenin.  He described Russian progressives, social democrats, and other fellow travelers as “useful idiots” – naïve allies in revolution whom the Bolsheviks promptly crushed when they took power.  Or so the legend goes. 

La historia está llena de grandes citas nunca dichas. Una de las mejores líneas viene de Vladimir Lenin. Él describió a los rusos progresistas, socialdemócratas y otros compañeros de viaje como «tontos útiles» –ingenuos aliados en la revolución a los que los bolcheviques inmediatamente aplastaron cuando tomaron el poder; o eso cuenta la leyenda.

His wide-ranging pastoral and administrative experience among diverse communities makes him well prepared to shepherd a diocese of his own. I’m confident that Bishop Perez will carry on the work of his predecessors with great energy, compassion, zeal, and fidelity.

Christians are always, in a sense, outsiders. We have the joy and privilege to be a leaven for good in society. That’s an exhilarating vocation. It means working for as much justice and virtue in human affairs as we can. We have a special obligation to serve the weak and the poor, and to treat even those who hate us with love. But while we’re in the world and for the world, we’re never finally of the world. And we need to understand what that means.

Los cristianos son siempre, en cierto sentido, los de afuera. Tenemos la alegría y el privilegio de ser una levadura para bien en la sociedad. Esa es una vocación apasionante. Significa trabajar por tanta justicia y virtud en los asuntos humanos como sea posible. Tenemos una obligación especial de servir a los débiles y los […]

This week’s column is adapted from the Archbishop’s July 2 remarks to the breakout session he chaired (“Growing Isolation in America: Individualism and Indifference”) at Orlando’s national Convocation of Catholic Leaders.

La columna de esta semana es una adaptación de las observaciones del arzobispo del 2 de julio en la sesión que presidió (“Growing Isolation in America: Individualism and Indifference”) en la nacional Convocatoria de Líderes Católicos en Orlando. Los seres humanos somos más felices cuando creemos en una misión y la compartimos con personas que […]

Monsignor Alfred A. Schlert’s appointment as the 5th Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown is a moment of joy for the Church in Pennsylvania and I’m confident he will carry on the work of his predecessors with compassion, zeal, and fidelity.

A bishop attends a lot of worthy public events and fundraisers. It’s part of the job. And supporting good people doing good things is always a source of satisfaction and hope. But once in a while, an event comes along with an unexpected pleasure.

Un obispo asiste a muchos valiosos eventos públicos y de recaudación de fondos; es parte del trabajo. Y apoyar a buenas personas haciendo buenas cosas es siempre una fuente de satisfacción y esperanza. Pero de vez en cuando, un evento viene con un placer inesperado.