CATHERINE H. writes:

I just wanted to bring up the two Catholic presidential candidates’ lack of ashes during last night’s debate.  While Santorum attended Mass that morning and was photographed with a smear of ashes later in the day, I was nevertheless disappointed to see that he did not retain them for that night’s television appearance. (Unfortunately, I was not at all surprised that Gingrich, by his own admission, did not attend Mass and receive ashes at all.)

Granted, Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation, nor is the receiving of ashes a sacrament. I acknowledge that it would be difficult to allow the make-up people to do whatever is necessary for the cameras without wiping away the remaining vestiges of ash. I also know there is no rule about how long the ashes should stay on one’s forehead. Despite these things, however, a tiny corner of my heart hoped for some small outward sign of the candidates’ religion, some measure of courage in wearing such a distinctive sign of their faith, some miniscule gesture of defiance at the arrogant liberal media that would schedule a debate on the beginning of such a holy, penitential, and solemn season. As so often happens, I hoped in vain.

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