Wisdom Wednesday | February 2nd

Wisdom Wednesday is on a relaxed schedule during February, a vacation period for the main contributor to this feature, Paul Leingang. We will have a feature story or two each week, along with suggestions for places on the web to find topical news. We have a nice banquet of stories this week, but the next three weeks will offer only a few select tidbits.

From the Supreme Court

With news of the upcoming retirement of US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the rumor mill has begun to churn concerning a possible appointment in the coming weeks. One of the names being floated, Judge J. Michelle Childs of South Carolina, is a Black Catholic.

Were Supreme Court appointments always contentious? Here is some perspective from The Week.

Two stories from Crux

In his decisions, Justice Breyer has opposed death penalty, but he supported the right to abortion.

Catholic bishops lament death penalty as executions resume in 2022

Remembrance around the globe

Last Sunday, January 30, was the fiftieth anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland. Vatican News also provided details on the commemoration in Londonderry.

Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed on Thursday of last week, but the rise of Anti-Semitism continues to be a cause of concern, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The United Nations held a Holocaust memorial ceremony on January 27. A recording of the event is available.

Recently, Pope Francis said the Covid pandemic is an opportunity to improve worker solidarity, according to Vatican News.

Lastly this week, the 1993 film Groundhog Day features egotistical weatherman Phil Connors, played by Bill Murray, reliving the same day over and over. While the movie is beloved as a comedy, many religious scholars consider it an “underground Buddhist classic” for its depiction of the cycle of death and rebirth.