GORDON SELF

Last month, at age 85, we lost one of the most influential people in Catholic health care. Father Kevin O'Rourke was described as a "patriarch," whose contributions supporting clinicians and theologians alike to think clearly about the health care ethics issues of our times was incomparable.

JOHN CONNELLY

Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 6, 2012

In today's Gospel, Jesus teaches us how to live as authentic Christians. He says . . . "Abide in me as I abide in you." (John 15.5). The word "abide" has interesting connotations.

FR. RON ROLHEISER, omi

Several years ago, I was approached by man who asked me to be his spiritual director. He was in his mid-40s and almost everything about him radiated a certain health.

Many people, especially those in the oil industry, will not lament the federal government's intention to restrict public input in the approval process for major energy projects to those directly affected. The approval process is cumbersome, they may say, in large part because of the role played by environmental groups with no direct interest in such projects.

First, a couple of schools. Then, several U.S. parishes.

Now . . . a fine craft beer?

All pastoral work, including promoting social justice and providing for the poor, must be nourished by prayer, Pope Benedict said.

Pope Benedict wants the Catholic Church in America to be in the forefront of reviving Catholicism worldwide, the apostolic nuncio to the United States said in Columbus, Ohio.

Pope Benedict told the German bishops that, as pope, he has celebrated Mass in different languages and "sometimes it is hard to find common ground" in the various translations.

Newly ordained priests lie prostrate in prayer during an ordination ceremony at the Citeaux Chau Son abbey in Vietnam's Ninh Binh province April 29.

In what he called "a moment of sober reflection, not celebration," Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed into law a bill outlawing the use of capital punishment in the state.