Beacon blotted out

Interesting that a pastoral statement by African bishops upset Mindy Cameron so much it provoked her to attack Catholic teaching on contraception, homosexual behavior and the use of human embryos for stem-cell research. In the same column, she recognizes the pope as "an important religious and moral beacon for the world."

I agree with Cameron that Jesus' teachings are difficult — even for us priests who are all-too-human. However, her solution seems to be to shut down the beacon, especially if it attempts to illumine public policy.
- The Rev. Phillip Bloom, Holy Family Parish, Seattle