I’m afraid that when it comes to Pope Benedict XVI’s legacy in terms of interfaith and ecumenical relations, he has been quite disappointing.  He has continually rolled back the progress that Vatican II made in so many fronts, choosing the purity of dogma over the integrity of love.  I would hope that the next pope might have a more universal spirit.  Think we can have another Pope John XIII?

I continue to find great hope in the Catholic Church, however, not because of the hierarchy, but because of the faithful priests and nuns I have met giving their all in Central and South America; or the courageous sisters who are finding their long-silenced voices under the threat of censure as they call for justice; and most immediately, our mid-town brothers and sisters at Immaculate Conception, led by my good friend Monsignor Val Handwerker, who continue to take seriously the call of Jesus to work for justice and peace.