This issue of the Register is a good example of why readers get so enthusiastic about the newspaper.

One of our goals is to give you the information you need to address the issues of the day from a Catholic perspective. In this issue of the Register, you’ll find the second in a series of stories about online social networking. This is a phenomenon I was aware of but knew a lot less about before I read these articles. Now I understand it better — and look forward to reading next week’s article in the series, about how some Catholics are using this technology for good.

This issue also has another in a series of stories about the real nature of the abuse crisis. What we are learning is that not only is the abuse of children not disproportionately a “Church problem” — but the real difference between the Church and other major institutions is that the Church has faced the problem squarely.

Another part of the Register’s mission is to get newsmakers on record. You’ll also find three important interviews in this issue. First, with Archbishop Celestino Migliore who will host Pope Benedict XVI at the United Nations. Second, the second part of our far-ranging interview with Chicago Cardinal Francis George, the new U.S. bishops’ head. Third, Edward Pentin interviews Jesuit Father Jose Maria de Vera in the wake of the Holy Father’s words to the Society. You’ll only see these interviews in the Register.