On May 13, the Obama administration imposed its secular ideology by mandating access to restrooms, not on the basis of biological sex, but on the basis of gender identity. Men who define themselves as women may now use women’s restrooms and women who consider themselves men may make use of the men’s restrooms. This presidential intrusion into the common sense decency norms of American society was not enough. The government decided to change our society even more radically.

When news reporters cover a royal event in England, they are required to respect the proper dress code for formal occasions in the presence of the Queen. Those casually dressed are not admitted. Even in the relaxed atmosphere of the United States, there is still observed a proper dress code on certain occasions. For example, visitors observing the workings of the Supreme Court are told that they are not to wear inappropriate clothing.

Believers and non-believers address the Bishop of Rome as “the Pope.” But, this title has had a much wider use in history and even today. In the first centuries in the East, “papa” (“father”) was the title of respect and affection given to teachers. Later, within the Church, the title “papa” (“father”) came to be given to all bishops. In fact, in apostolic times, St. Paul did not hesitate to identify himself to the first Christians at Corinth as the father who brought them to life in Christ (cf. 1 Cor 4:14-17). In the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great restricted the title Pope (“papa”) within the Catholic Church to the Bishop of Rome. The faithful of the Coptic Orthodox of Alexandria continue their ancient practice of calling the head of their Church “Pope.”

On May 28, 2016, a 4-year-old boy managed to get beyond a protective fence in the Cincinnati Zoo and then tumbled 15 feet into the shallow moat in the cage of Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla. Onlookers shouted in horror as the 450-pound gorilla dragged the child with his head banging on the concrete. Whatever instinct prompted the animal to lay hold of the child, the child was clearly at risk. This was not a gentle, risk-free experience for the child.

When the early Dutch settlers arrived in the American colonies, they brought with them a unique piece of architecture that immediately became popular. They introduced the typical Dutch farmhouse door. It was a door split horizontally with the bottom half remaining closed and the top half easily opened. The closed bottom half kept the children in the house and the animals out. The top half allowed fresh air in. This clever way of fashioning a door gave birth to the common English expression “going Dutch.” When two people dine together and split the bill, each taking care of their own expenses, they are said to be “going Dutch.”

On April 19, 2016 the retail store Target announced that it would provide gender neutral bathrooms and also allow men and women to use the same fitting rooms. The following day, nearly one million people protested the decision, pledging to boycott the store. The store’s new policy is part of a trend spreading across the country to accommodate 1 percent of the population. Starbucks and Barnes and Noble have also announced that their customers may use the bathrooms according to the gender of their choice.

In 1244, devout citizens of Florence, Italy founded the Confraternity of Mercy in their beloved city. They dedicated themselves to bringing the sick to hospitals, collecting charity for orphaned children, burying the dead and providing assistance to those in need. The confraternity still exists today. Its members offer medical care and supply ambulances, continuing the very same mission of mercy as in the Middle Ages.

In the 19th century, before the age of television, oratory was an extremely popular form of entertainment. During those golden years of public speaking, one of the most noted speakers was American lawyer and political leader Robert Ingersoll. He captivated his audiences, sometimes with speeches lasting three hours as he lectured on almost any subject. But, his most frequent theme was agnosticism.

On April 12, 2016, the Pew Research Center published the results of its survey entitled “Religion in Everyday Life.” The survey reports that three-quarters of Catholics say that they decide what is right or wrong on the basis of their own conscience. Only 21 percent of Catholics say that they look to the teaching of the Church for guidance in making moral decisions. And, an even fewer 11 percent look to the Pope.

In his post-synodal exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis has offered the Church a challenge to reflect more deeply on Christ’s teaching on marriage. The Holy Father reemphasizes the Church’s firm teaching on family and the Sacrament of Matrimony, while challenging us to be understanding and compassionate toward those who struggle in the concrete exigencies of their lives to form stable and healthy families.