Wisdom Wednesday | October 5th

Today’s collection of news and views was assembled on Monday, so we may miss some late-breaking events. A reminder that good sources for news include the following publications:

Today, October 5

Today (October 5) is Yom Kippur, begun yesterday at sundown. What is the meaning of the High Holy Days, you ask?

The High Holy Days are a time of year when the Jewish people as a whole are asked to engage in a process of doing a moral self-assessment; seeking forgiveness from others for harms we’ve done; making amends as appropriate; and resolving to do better in the future.”

A reminder: Today, October 5, at Noon Eastern Time, Today’s American Catholic is hosting a special “lunchtime session” with Ellie Hidalgo, co-director of Discerning Deacons.

Join the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University for “Neglected Voices in the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis,” today at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

The U.S. Supreme Court

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was warmly welcomed Friday (September 30) by her new Supreme Court colleagues to what could be another tumultuous term. As these Wisdom Wednesday items were being collected October 3, Vanity Fair reported that expected cases included affirmative action, environmental regulation, voting rights and the future of elections.

Catholic leaders weigh in as the court begins its new term.

Thoughts on Religious Freedom

All Arizona parents now can use state tax money to send their children to private or religious schools or pay homeschooling costs after an effort by public school advocates to block a massive expansion of the state’s private school voucher law failed to collect enough signatures to block it.

An Opinion: Catholic hospitals, not those who mock them, should decide how they provide care.

Synodality

Thomas Reese writes that the Synod on Synodality had its doubters, but it’s proving to be balm for ‘enduring wounds’ – and Nate Tinner-Williams, editor of Black Catholic Messenger, examines the Synodality synthesis and the issues of racism and marginalization.

Eric Sammons in Crisis Magazine offers an anti-synodality viewpoint. It is not the viewpoint of the AUSCP.

Migrant Justice

Religion News Service details the hidden interfaith networks that are key to the migrant justice movement. “They do it with grace and grit, they work across political and religious differences, and they have been doing it for decades.”

Vatican financial trial

As witnesses testify in the Vatican financial trial, which resumed last Wednesday, September 28, they painted an unflattering picture of the fund management by the Secretariat of State.

Sex abuse reports

Sadly, abuse and coverup reports continue. There is a case in Portugal involving a bishop who won a Nobel prize, allegations about a lay pastor in the breakaway Anglican Church in North America, and an arrest of a Mormon bishop.

International developments

Pope Francis on Sunday appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a cease-fire, imploring him to “stop this spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine and denouncing the “absurd” risk of the “uncontrollable” consequences of nuclear attack.

Meanwhile, Michael Sean Winters writes in NCR that the Italian elections produced a victory for hard-right candidate Giorgia Meloni, whose party has its roots in post-Mussolini fascist politics. Meanwhile, the president of the German bishops’ conference demanded an apology from a Swiss cardinal at the Vatican over comments that brought up Germany’s Nazi past.

Ending Child Poverty

The fight against child poverty is a complicated one, involving many policies over many years. No one should be surprised if there’s disagreement about the degree of its success. The editors of Commonweal ask, “Are we on the right track?”

Homily Helps

Homily Helps for November are now available from the Catholic Climate Covenant.