My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: Today’s news concerning the Diocese of Rochester was expected, but perhaps not so soon.   When Bishop Matthew Clark turned 75 on July 15, he followed proper protocol by submitting his resignation to the Vatican.    In most cases, the Vatican takes several months to respond to a letter of resignation.   Additionally, in the case of the Rochester Diocese, it was assumed that Bishop Clark would remain in place until his replacement was named by the Vatican.   So, the diocesan announcement this morning seemed on the surface to be somewhat rushed.   In brief, it was announced that the Vatican has accepted Bishop Clark’s resignation, and he is essentially retired as of today’s date. Either the Vatican will act immediately and appoint Bishop Clark’s successor within weeks, or the process could conceivably take several months.   The time factor is at best anyone’s guess.   In the meantime, Bishop Cunningham of Syracuse will temp...

Dear Blog Visitors: Anyone who knows me well is fully aware that Clint Eastwood is my all-time favorite filmmaker.   He has experimented with just about every subject matter in his story-telling and his long-time film crew is notable for giving Clint’s movies a certain look and feel.   While many conservatives are claiming Clint as one of their own, as a result of his highly publicized appearance at the Republican National Convention, I see his endorsement of Mitt Romney based on one primary issue – namely, the high unemployment rate in the United States.   I will address this issue in a moment. Immediately following Clint Eastwood’s appearance at the Republican National Convention, I commented on my Facebook page that his routine with an empty chair was somewhat painful to watch.   It was obviously non-scripted, and I wasn’t sure where Clint was headed with his remarks to Barack Obama, who was imagined sitting in the empty chair.   I believe that Clint act...