Intellectual Prisoner

I should preface my comment on Kile Smith's message by telling you I was the intellectual prisoner from age 3 to 13 of the German Catholic nuns at Holy Rosary Academy, Bay City, Michigan. They even told us to cross the street away from the Lutheran Church opposite the city public library. But my virtual mother, Sister Mary Felicia, the first grade teacher, was as sweet and civilized as any woman I ever met. But Luther vs. Pius XII was a bloody fight in my youth!

I'm certain the stability of German families and political stability I admired so much stems from its Lutheran heritage—unlike the loosey-goosey Catholicism of Italy, Spain and Portugal. Kile seems to be eager to de-theologize that tradition, secularizing civilized artistic and moral behavior. Luck to him. Pope Francis I may very well humanize those sloppy Catholic countries. I love his style, sneer at his theology. But we need to succor all possible sources of ethical behavior.