Yesterday before Lino and Fr. Rob started their segment on Cardinal Law's birthday bash, I fully expected them to discuss the Penn State mess. They prefaced the segment with a teaser about how what they were going to talk about was controversial and they would probably get in trouble with the channel management, etc.

Truth is, in my opinion, they were exactly right in their assessment of Cardinal Law's decision to throw himself a lavish 80th birthday party.

As Lino pointed out, the Cardinal has the right to have an 80th birthday party. No one is questioning that. But given the circumstances of the sex abuse scandals, particiularly in his former diocese of Boston, and the scrutiny the Church came under as a result of it, was it really the wisest decision Cardinal Law could have made? That is what Fr. Rob and Lino were trying to get across.

In other words, "perception is reality." Ask anyone in the limelight. We think we know everything there is to know about Pope Benedict, Angelina Jolie, Michael Jackson, Barak Obama or anyone else who is a household name. But do we really?

Read today's news and you will find that beloved, long-time Penn State Coach Joe Paterno has been fired. People are all up in arms about it, taking sides on the issue as we speak. What did he know and what did he do about it? Was it enough?

Those same questions were being asked a while back about Cardinal Law.