Brand's perspective is that mental illness is more at fault in the attack than the influence of radical Islam and that root causes must be analyzed, as well.

CNN: Opinion: Russell Brand: Don't blame Muslims

And now the entire region is threatened because of radical extremists who have taken root in Somalia, taking advantage of what they perceive to be a failing state, to use that as a base to launch attacks, most recently in Uganda.

WHITEHOUSE: Town Hall with Young African Leaders

After so many scandals, so many souls who have abandoned the faith, here is a chance for a cleansing of the Vatican stables, a root-and-branch reform of the Curia, the Papal administration, and a radical new emphasis on the core mission of the church: to reach out to the world.

WSJ: Daniel Johnson: A New Pope on a Pilgrim's Path