The only time I went to church as a kid was when I wanted to visit my best friend. On the weekends, I’d occasionally tag along as she and her family went to an early-evening service. I remember thinking to myself that it was the price I had to pay for using her pool, and being mad that I couldn’t have a cracker and some grape juice after sitting through all the songs I didn’t know the words to.

It seems that many New Englanders are like me, and were raised in the church of, “be nice to others.” A new study finds that the descendants of the Puritans are least likely to describe ourselves as religious. Shocking, no?

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Even before Pope Benedict touched down in Washington on Tuesday, he faced a firestorm of criticism for not stopping in Boston to help area Catholics heal from the clergy sexual abuse scandal. Several victims’ groups chastised Benedict for what they saw as an attempt to avoid the messy subject during his trip.

Despite leaving Boston off his itinerary, he has discussed the crisis several times this week, and victims finally got a private audience with the Pontiff in Washington yesterday afternoon.

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All around the country, news outlets trumpeted Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival in the United States and hashed over his comments on the priest sex abuse scandal.

“Pope Benedict chose to address bluntly the sex scandal that has torn at the church here even before he landed Tuesday…” read the lead to The New York Times story.

But his remarks, in which he said he was “deeply ashamed,” did not placate abuse victims, or their advocates here in Boston — a city notably left off the Pope’s itinerary. (more…)

Back in November, the Vatican revealed its plans to bring Pope Benedict to the United States. We were disappointed the Pontiff decided not to visit Boston on his trip, especially since he elected to give mass at Yankee Stadium instead.

But the big week is nearly here. As we speak, Benedict is packing up his robes and hats for his East Coast visit next week. In advance of his arrival, Cardinal Sean O’Malley tells us that the Vicar of Christ is not a rock star.

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Mitt Romney is not a man who is known for his sense of self-awareness, but even he knows that he is not going to be Vice President. If he had any hope at all of being the Dick Cheney to John McCain’s President Bush, he wouldn’t be talking in such absolutes about not being on McCain’s short list of potential running mates.

But Romney’s detractors want to make it clear that they don’t want Mitt in the running.

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Whether it’s talking about death or an uncomfortable conversation about sexuality, no adult enjoys distilling big issues in a way children can understand. Aside from the dangers of Chuck E. Cheese, it’s one of the worst parts of parenthood.

In the aftermath of the clergy abuse scandal, it’s also become an unfortunate aspect of running a church. The Archdiocese of Boston is pressuring 16 hesitant parishes to teach their youngest members about inappropriate touching.

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I don’t have much experience with the intricate rituals that Catholics observe around Easter. My friends pass on chocolates or vodka for Lent while I consume both in epic quantities and watch their abstention in awe. Therefore, it didn’t matter to me whether the St. Patrick’s Day parade happened during the Holy Week or not.

But for those who do care, the Southie St. Patrick’s Day parade will take place on Palm Sunday.

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The right to protest is one of the best things about being an American. At any time—for any reason—you can air your grievances publicly. But sometimes we are deeply confused by what Americans choose to protest. Sure, a demonstration against the war makes sense. But parading around in Guy Fawkes masks to call for the end of Scientology doesn’t seem to follow any logic.

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Dear Herald,

Was it something we said?

We know things have been a little rough between us lately. Even though we’ve sung your praises, you’re mad that Joe Keohane is prepared to pen your obituary. Then you took the bait when Adam Reilly called. (more…)

Mitt Romney just finished delivering his address titled “Faith in America.” (If you’re interested in watching the post-speech fervor, go here.)

Predictably, Romney invoked the sentiments of John F Kennedy (whose famous 1960 speech on being the first Catholic to occupy the White House allayed the nation’s concerns). Which was a fine idea. But Romney also tried to have it both ways, attempting to appeal to both the GOP base and those who fear that religion has seeped deep into our political soil: “I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from ‘the God who gave us liberty.’”

Like many of you, I’ve been waiting for Romney to deliver today’s speech. Frankly, I’m for the strict separation of church and state, and I would have been perfectly happy if Romney never had to go down this road. Unfortunately, Romney has made this an issue. Throughout the campaign, he’s continually pandered to the Republican base by trumpeting his belief in God, thus opening himself up for questions about his faith.

He’s talked in mostly general terms about what he believes, but when specifically asked about being a Mormon, Romney has proven testy at times (as he was during this notable radio spat).

On the whole, the speech was solid, if not perfect, and it might even allow all of us to move on (or so we hope). After the jump, though, you can read the speech and decide for yourself. (more…)