When the Protodeacon, Cardinal Mamberti, announced the new pope’s name, I lost it: Viva il papa! Papa Leone! The crowd went crazy. It was electric. It was better than any football game, election, or other entertainment. The Church does drama so well because she deals in eternal realities. The pope …

More than anything else, these days have reminded me that I am a member of God’s own family. As a young priest, I fell in love with parish life. Whether baptizing babies, witnessing weddings, sharing meals in homes, or having the solemn privilege of laying loved ones to rest, I …