Around New England

Phil Lawler: Cardinal Law’s Approach To Clergy Sex Abuse ‘Not Unique — Nor Even Unusual’ Among Bishops

Matthew McDonald

Phil Lawler, former editor of The Pilot and author of The Faithful Departed, writing in First Things:  "So the tragedy of Cardinal Law underlines another painful moral lesson: When Church leaders forsake the truth in the hope of protecting their own status, they forfeit their only legitimate claim to public respect. In the end, Law's misguided policies, motivated by the quest for human respect, left the reputation of the Catholic hierarchy in tatters."

When the Screen Is Blank, Kids Come Alive
Commentary

When the Screen Is Blank, Kids Come Alive

Kevin Thomas

There can be heavy traffic in Maine. And I'm not talking about the danger of moose collisions. Hearty drivers in Boston will scoff because nothing compares to the Mass. Pike or I-93 at rush hour.

But Maine, with its narrower roads, does have its bottlenecks, and I hit one recently, leaving Portland at 5 p.m., with three kids in the backseat, ages 10 to 14.

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