Caring for José Luis: A priest learns that love is love
"I haven't written anything for a long time because I have been busy as a caregiver," writes Fr. Peter Daly. "The last 18 months have been the 'story of José Luis.' It has been one of the most important chapters of my life."
From Thanksgiving of 2020 until his death from cancer in March 2022, Daly was José Luis Sánchez's caregiver, roommate and support system. "It was the most intense period of love and loss in my life. It was a huge blessing," Daly writes.
Daly also had the insight that as a priest, he has often yearned for intimacy. "We tell everyone that God is love. We tell people that the whole point of life is to love. But we seldom know the power and beauty and pain of love. Loving a group of parishioners is not the same as loving one other person. For me, as a priest, my friendship with José Luis was the deepest and richest experience of love that I ever had in my life."
Historic climate law, signed by Biden, has Catholic fingerprints all over it
With the stroke of his pen, President Joe Biden signed into law on Tuesday the largest-ever federal action in response to climate change, pumping hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade into transitioning the nation to clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are rapidly heating the planet.
The more than $300 billion in climate provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act represent a major milestone after decades of mostly failed efforts by the United States, the world's largest historical source of heat-trapping emissions, to match its response to climate change with the serious threats it poses for the country and the globe.
Faith groups who have worked for years lobbying for significant federal climate legislation celebrated the historic achievement. But at the same time, they vowed to take on its shortfalls, specifically continued investments in and potential fast-tracking of new fossil fuel production that have long exposed communities of color to greater levels of pollution.
More headlines
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At Global Sisters Report, read a profile of Loreto Sr. Patty Murray, who recently received the Leadership Conference of Women Religious 2022 Outstanding Leadership Award.
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ICYMI: Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops, is named in a list of alleged abusers filed in support of a class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec.
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ICYMI: Chaos broke out in various parts of Kenya following the announcement of the victory of President-elect William Ruto, prompting religious leaders to urge residents to maintain the peace as Kenya waits for further instruction.
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ICYMI: Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese discusses a what-if nightmare for the Catholic Church: what happens if a pope goes into a coma.
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