AROUND THE WORLD:
From The Washington Post:
Citing America’s "toxic political environment" and the need to highlight dialogue, the University of Notre Dame has given one of the highest honors in U.S. Catholicism to Vice President Biden and former House speaker John Boehner. The announcement Saturday set off impassioned responses from Catholics, with some viewing it as a high moment for their Church and others deeming it political pandering.
The announcement of the 2016 Laetare Medal recipients comes at a time of changing messages from Catholic leaders about what it means to be a Catholic voter -- or what it means to live out the faith in public life. After years of Popes and many U.S. bishops who often characterized Catholicism through opposition to liberalizing social changes around abortion and human sexuality, Pope Francis has encouraged leaders to be less judgmental as they teach traditional faith. Biden and Boehner -- two lifelong, practicing Catholics taking very different policy positions, sometimes in opposition to church teaching -- sat behind Francis this past fall when he spoke to Congress and urged civility.
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