True to form, at his first news conference as Archbishop of New York, held this morning before this afternoon’s installation Mass, Timothy Dolan was humorous, enthusiastic, engaged and–not swinging at every pitch. While many might see him as a “throwback” to Cardinal O’Connor, Dolan is actually a good deal more nuanced in his remarks. If…

PEOPLE magazine reports that Mel Gibson (no relation, in so many ways) and his wife of 28 years, Robyn, have filed for divorce and joint custody of their one minor child, a nine-year-old boy. (They have six older children.) Granted, Mel’s fringe Traditionalism ain’t my cup of Catholic tea, but then again I don’t have enough money…

That was Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s opening quip tonight–and not his only one–at the Vespers service this evening welcoming the city’s tenth archbishop (and lucky 13th bishop). The Times “City Room” blog has a fine play-by-play here, with lots of color and moving details, and a Dolanesque conclusion–inviting everyone to a reception at the archdiocesan office center a…

Beliefnet’s own Gus diZerega, author of “A Pagan’s Blog,” has a very thoughtful (he’s nicer than I am, that is) response to my post below on Starhawk calling on Pope Benedict XVI to apologize for the church’s persecution of witches. In his post, “Starhawk and the Pope,” diZerega sets out the historical and present-day landscape of…

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