Today, June 19

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori becomes the first female leader of the US Episcopal church, and also the first female leader of an Anglican national church. She is known as a very liberal Christian, a strong advocate for integration of sexual minorities within the church.
I will bend over backwards to build good relations with those who don't agree with me, said Katharine Jefferts Schori after her election.

Read more in today's NYT.

(Church in America)


And yesterday Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick gave his final homily as the Roman-Catholic Archbishop of Washington DC.
They became part of my family, I'll miss not having my own flock.

McCarrick submitted his resignation when he turned 75 last July, as required by church law. McCarrick, a native New Yorker, was ordained 48 years ago and served in several posts before taking up the archbishop position in Washington in January 2001. (WaPo)

(Church in America)


And it's the birthday of Pascal.
L'homme n'est qu'un roseau, le plus faible de la nature; mais c'est un roseau pensant. Il ne faut pas que l'univers entier s'arme pour l'écraser : une vapeur, une goutte d'eau, suffit pour le tuer. Mais, quand l'univers l'écraserait, l'homme serait encore plus noble que ce qui le tue, puisqu'il sait qu'il meurt, et l'avantage que l'univers a sur lui, l'univers n'en sait rien.