Our Takes Daily

Spying on the pope
Communist spies in Poland followed then-Father Karol Wojtyla's every move, according to the website Chiesa.org. The trail of deceit is long and sordid and involves members of the Church. It's also a little maniacal, as Chiesa reports. The government asked spies seemingly insignificant questions such as when does he shave and does he play cards.

Islam isn't simple
While Islam does not view Christians and Jews as infidels, it does have critical components that make dialogue tricky, says Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, an expert on Christian-Islamic relations who currently serves as eparch of the Melkite Diocese of Newton, Mass., and spiritual leader of all the Melkite Catholics in the United States. The archbishop offers some important insight on the complexities of interrelgious dialogue and understanding Islamic beliefs.

Defending the faith
The Church in England is fighting against a new law that will require them to offer adoptions to same-sex couples, the BBC reports. The Anglican Church has joined Catholics in this fight.  It's a battle that the Church in the United States has also fought. Most recently, the Archdioceses of Boston and San Francisco ended their adoption programs because state laws were forcing them to accept same-sex couples as parents.