What wisdom have we learned over the two decades since 9/11? Pope Francis might not be pope, say some observers. And Muslim Americans are “still trying to figure out who we are” according to a researcher preparing a new documentary. There’s a lot to be said about 9/11 but we lead today with a report on National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins each year on Sept. 15.
National Hispanic Heritage Month examines Latino culture and their history. Started in 1968 by Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week, it was expanded to a month in 1988. The celebration begins in the middle rather than the start of September because it coincides with national independence days in several Latin American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate theirs on Sept. 15, followed by Mexico on Sept. 16, Chile on Sept. 18 and Belize on Sept. 21.
20 Years after 9/11
Would Francis have become pope if 9/11 hadn’t happened? We have thoughtful articles from America and La Croix International.
Following 9/11, will we have a gay saint? America Magazine reports that LGBT groups are pushing for 9/11 hero Father Mychal Judge’s canonization.
Religion News Service reports:
Though anti-Muslim sentiments grew in the wake of 9/11, another legacy of that historic day is the evolution and advancement of interfaith cooperation in the United States.”
Read the full story HERE.
Other perspectives on 9/11 and its aftermath:
- A Muslim American journalist is preparing a documentary on the years following 9/11. In a Vanity Fair article, Noor Tagouri says “We’re still figuring out who we are.” (Subscription may be required.)
- An animated movie is set to chronicle the life of ‘Sikh Captain America‘ – a member of a religious group also tested following 9/11.
- From a priest in New York: “You cannot be a truly godly person unless you have respect for every path to God.” Read the full article about Monsignor Jim Lisante, who lost 30 parishioners in New York on 9/11, HERE.
The pope in Hungary and Slovakia
- From Religion News Service: “In his four-day apostolic visit to Hungary and Slovakia, concluding today, Pope Francis stressed the importance of Catholic-Jewish relations, which were recently called into question after the pope suggested Jewish law was obsolete.” FULL ARTICLE.
- NCR provides extensive coverage of the pope’s travels in Hungary and Slovakia. Here is a link to the series of reports.
COVID-19
The pandemic has produced a showdown in a Georgia school district – a battle between “faith” and “fear.”
NCR editorializes about the COVID vaccine: “Global vaccine equity is a matter of life and death, for all of us.”
Afghanistan Withdrawal
A majority of Americans endorses the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, even as it criticizes the Biden administration’s handling of the situation. Pew Research provides the details.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban says women will be allowed to attend university, but classrooms will be gender-segregated and Islamic dress is compulsory. Full article from Religion News Service HERE.
A tale of two bishops
Two bishops, two articles, both from Religion News Service:
AUSCP Picks for the Week
Remember Greg Boyle? – AUSCP members remember that the founder of Homeboy Industries was a keynote speaker at an AUSCP Assembly in St. Louis. The California Jesuit today reflects on how he has been changed.
Climate Crisis – EarthBeat reports on the importance of the current legislative packages in Congress this month:
As twin trillion-dollar legislative packages, each carrying significant climate investments, make their way through a critical month in Congress, faith-based environmental groups are rallying religious support to buttress the bills that some are calling “the most important political window on climate action that we have ever faced.
You can read the full article HERE. Sign up to receive At Home in Creation reflections from Earthbeat every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the Season of Creation. Sign up HERE.
And finally, Labor Day weekend is past, but there is still some wisdom to be found in the Gospel reading for that weekend. Fr. Bob Bonnot offers the text of his homily, “Climate Wise, Are We Spiritually Deaf?“
We hope you have enjoyed this roundup of recent news about faith, politics, and culture. We will return next week with another edition of Wisdom Wednesday.
Until next week, please follow us on social media with the buttons below to make sure you don’t miss the latest news from the AUSCP!