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Letters to the Editor

A ‘soudarion’ expert responds

Gilbert Lavoie, M.D. • Mar 30, 2026
Bishop Slawomir Szkredka’s spiritual thoughts on the “soudarion” in the April 3 issue beautifully brought together the connection between Moses, Jesus, and the glory of God.  It is the bishop’s reference to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska’s painting that brought to mind a memory of a study regarding the crucifixion. First, “in Faustina’s image, the Risen Lord looks downward.” Then the words of Jesus follow, which she recorded: “My gaze from this image is like My gaze from the cross.” The image of the man of the Shroud of Turin which has been compared to the Divine Mercy shows the same tilt of the head. In doing a study of the effect on the body position in crucifixion I noted the following: “During the day, after a volunteer accumulated well over two hours of being on the cross, it was observed that he could bend his head forward only slightly due to the muscle tightness of his upper back and neck.” Like a bow of the head, the volunteer’s tilted position was what we see on the Divine Mercy and the Shroud image. Indeed, the glory of God is also reflected in the face, in the gaze, of the Shroud image of the Risen Lord, which is a work of God.  — Gilbert Lavoie, M.D., Author of “The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed”

Surprise from a Catholic scientist

Vivian Macallin • Mar 23, 2026
Kudos to Angelus and Mike Aquilina for the essay on Nicholas Steno that ran in the March 6 Angelus. In elementary school, high school, and college, I received varying but pretty consistent versions of the legend of Galileo Galilei: how the Catholic Church’s opposition to science and truth tried to suppress people like him, and tried to drag the world back into the Dark Ages. Stories like Steno’s challenge that narrative. He was a scientist who put everything in God’s hands … including his own achievements and intellect. And then amazing things happened, for which we should still be grateful today. The Church’s commitment to science and reason made so many of his achievements possible. I also really appreciated the part about Steno’s conversion from Lutheranism, and his background in mathematics. — Vivian Macalline, Los Angeles

What the science says about marijuana

Steven A. Christie, M.D. • Mar 09, 2026
Patrick Brown’s Feb. 20 cover story was a clear-eyed presentation of what the scientific and medical communities have long documented. It bears repeating that the dangers of marijuana use include: memory, attention, and learning impairments; increased risk of psychosis and schizophrenia; dramatic increase in impaired driving and accidents; a gateway to experimentation with other drugs; decreased motivation and long-term productivity; increased exposure to carcinogens and respiratory irritants; illegal markets thriving despite legalization; increased emergency room visits for cannabis intoxication and hyperemesis syndrome; and a drug culture that reflects and deepens spiritual emptiness. One hopes that states still considering legalization will pause long enough to weigh the facts carefully. After all, with all this evidence before us, what could possibly go wrong? — Steven A. Christie, M.D., Miami, Florida

A blurrier line between pot and alcohol?

Paul C. Fox, M.D. • Mar 09, 2026
I agree with Patrick Brown in his Feb. 20 issue cover story that neither the Church nor society are ready for the coming marijuana boom. Commercial interests who stand to gain from the boom sell the myth that marijuana is a safer alternative to alcohol. It is not, and we will witness the consequences.  But I take issue with Brown’s attempt to draw a sharp line between alcohol and marijuana. I have seen the devastating effect that addiction and abuse of both alcohol and marijuana have on individuals and their families. The public health and safety costs of alcohol abuse far outweigh those of marijuana abuse (this may change as pot use becomes more prevalent). Both are mind-altering substances. Both can be used recreationally in social settings, in moderate doses, in a way that can enhance enjoyment and relaxation, without losing one’s “grasp on reality and rationality.” Both present the risk of crossing the threshold between relaxation and impairment. But I fully agree that the Church, as Brown said, can “speak to the ennui young people feel” and help all people make decisions about alcohol, marijuana, and much else.  — Paul C. Fox, M.D., Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Aware of an anchoress

Marisela Camberos • Feb 23, 2026
Even after purchasing greeting cards with St. Julian of Norwich quotes annually at RECongress, I only learned last year that she was an anchoress. Thank you, Angelus, for including Shemaiah Gonzalez’s article, “A Window into the Eternal” (Feb. 20 issue). I had recently purchased Cadwallader’s “The Anchoress” to read during Lent, only because I wasn’t aware of other books on the subject. Keep up the great work.  — Marisela Camberos, Gardena

Two Catholic journalists who made a difference

Jesse Atienza • Feb 09, 2026
How appropriate that, as reflected in your tributes in the Feb. 6 issue, Catholic writers Russell Shaw and John L. Allen Jr. both passed from this life just days apart.  Both men were so important for modern American Catholicism, influencing how the Church was perceived and understood ... especially by Catholics themselves!  For example, Allen’s book about Opus Dei helped me reconsider some of the prejudices I had about the movement. Later, Shaw’s “Eight Popes and the Crisis of Modernity” actually helped me understand the pontificate of Pope Francis (even though he wasn’t one of the eight popes discussed).  Kudos to Angelus for featuring both of these giants in your pages over the years. Not many publications can boast that. — Jesse Atienza, Miami, Florida

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