Sacramento
— I AM a Catholic, born in 1921 of Italian and Irish families and
raised in California seminaries. After decades of work as a priest, I
was astonished that Pope Paul VI appointed me a bishop in San Francisco.
I love my church, and every night I pray that I might die in her warm,
loving arms.
Yet
I worry about my church’s future. Basic doctrines will not change. But
the church may change policies and practices after doing serious study. So,
as we await Pope Francis’ visit to America, I offer a peaceful
contribution to the controversies that convulse the church today.
