Shelf Life

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N 1935, a simple declaration by the cardinal archbishop of Boston was enough to doom what was other- wise a very popular bill establish- ing a state lottery. In Massachusetts today, a majority-Catholic state legisla- ture defies the leadership of the Catholic Church even on crucial moral issues. What on earth happened to Boston Cath- olicism? In The Faithful Depart- ed: The Collapse of Boston’s Catholic Culture (Encounter, 272 pp., $25.95), veteran Catholic journalist Philip F.

About the Author

Michael Potemra

Michael Potemra was a literary editor for National Review.

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N 1935, a simple declaration by the cardinal archbishop of Boston was enough to doom what was other- wise a very popular bill establish- ing a state lottery. In Massachusetts today, a majority-Catholic state legisla- ture defies the leadership of the Catholic Church even on crucial moral issues. What on earth happened to Boston Cath- olicism? In The Faithful Depart- ed: The Collapse of Boston’s Catholic Culture (Encounter, 272 pp., $25.95), veteran Catholic journalist Philip F.