In recent decades, the Vatican has condemned the books of a number of United States theologians and writers. Whatever the arguments for these measures in individual cases, I have never been able to reconcile the portrait of the US Catholic Church as radical or maverick with my experience of its parish life. As a native Australian who has visited, studied and worked off and on in the US for nearly 24 years, I am always struck by the difference between the views of some high-profile Catholic academics and the reality in the pews.

In my experience, the US Church is one of the most faithful Catholic communities in the world.